Cow Or box fish????

[new@this]

i saw a cowfish......i think.....either that or a boxfish......at my lfs and it was less that an inch big....one of the cutests things i've seen yet.....anyway, i heard that they can let out poison if attacked. i was just wondering if it's ok to keep him in my tank until he gets bigger, then i'll either get a bigger tank or give him back.....i just heard that they grow REALLY slow and i think i would enjoy him....let me know

 

[new@this]

please advise me, i really want this fish but not if it's going to be a huge threat to my tank.....they say it's like an "aqua-dog"

 

[krishj39]

ok, cowfish are a type of boxfish. cowfish are the boxfish with little horn type things on their head, and they are yellow. they get over a foot long in the aquarium, so they need a big tank. they are very cute, and I would love to get one, however they can poison a tank if they get stressed. i don't know how aggressive they are, but i would imagine just about the same as a pufferfish, maybe a little less aggressive. i don't know how fast they grow, and i don't know what an "aqua dog" is, so you'll have to find that out from someone else. HTH

 

[azonic]

They are not aggresive at all, they are completely passive, won't harm anyone or anything. A small one like that would likely not wipe out your tank. I had a small one get eaten by a long tenticle anemone and it didn't poison my tank...that was back in my 38 gallon. And the anemone lived...I'd say go for it!

 

[krishj39]

hmm, cool. that's good news to me too. i'd love to get a male spotted boxfish, but always thought it wasn't a possibility. i'll have to look into it again. thanks aztonic

 

[peasly1]

a boxfish and a cow are different fishes but related..I think the box is less likely to survive..

 

[krishj39]

yes, box fish are less hardy than cow

 

[alti]

get the cowfish. much better personality, and better looking IMO.

 

[wizard]

Thanks alot....now i just hope that they still have them.....also, when should i introduce him to my tank....should he be one of the first ones or should i wait and introduce him as one of the last ones???

 

[ophiura]

They will eat many different types of invertebrates. There is a thread on this in another forum on this board, and one person said they were tired of it going after such expensive morsels.
Make sure your tank is very mature without any chanced for fluctuations in ammonia, nitrite, etc. Water conditions should be pristine.
BTW, however unlikely, poisoning is definitely a risk that can and does happen. For those who have had it happen, keeping this fish was not worth losing, and then detoxifying their tank. It is a risk you need to think long and hard about.