Help!! is my boxfish dying
- Thread starter clowny123
- Start date
moraym
Active Member
Though I have never owned one, I will try to help you if possible. I have heard of boxfish/cowfish being toxic when they die and releasing those toxins back into the tank. I know cucumbers release mucous when they are dying, who knows if that trait is the same in boxfish. Hope this'll bump the post up a bit more and someone with firsthand knowledge will help you out. I'm just drawing straws here. Good luck.
I
irenicus
Guest
First, your going to need to get your boxfish OUT of your tank and into a hospital tank. If you dont' have one, you better get one. At the least get a 10-20 gallon (this is assuming you have a little boxfish like the ones I usually see sold) and get a cheap filter and heater and get him in there.
I've heard they don't emit toxins as much as people think, but him in there, visuably very stressed, is not good.
Next you will need to assess what the problem is and what is the best course to treat him. He may need some time to heal ect. If it's a conflict problem, you're going to have to make a decision on where you're going to put a fish.
Keep us updated.
I've heard they don't emit toxins as much as people think, but him in there, visuably very stressed, is not good.
Next you will need to assess what the problem is and what is the best course to treat him. He may need some time to heal ect. If it's a conflict problem, you're going to have to make a decision on where you're going to put a fish.
Keep us updated.
pufferman
Member
I've kept 4 different species of boxfish/cowfish, and never seen anything like this before. What's happening is that your boxfish is releasing ostracitoxin in a form of mucus, and the most likely explanation is he has been harassed by his tankmate(s). Perhaps Pink Spotted Puffer? What kind of boxfish do you have? Is it Spotted Boxfish (O. meleagris)? What you can do is to transfer him immediately to a QT tank, monitor him closely, and let us know how things go. You goal here is to reduce his stress level as much as possible. I also recommend you to do a 50% water change for the main tank.
fishtanker
Member
when a boxfish releases the toxin you cant see it...once when i moved by boxfish from tank to tank i had to keep him in a holding container for an hour or so. by the time i released him into the new tank there was all this flakey type stuff in the container. it wasn't toxin becasue i could see it and he was still alive. had it been toxin he would have died quickly in there.
i belive that boxfish somestimes "shed" or "slough" there skin off similer to lionfish.
now the puffer biting him is another problem...most times puffers and boxfish dont mix. puffers are just to beligerent for the slow moving harmless boxfish. you will probably have to remove one or the other.
i belive that boxfish somestimes "shed" or "slough" there skin off similer to lionfish.
now the puffer biting him is another problem...most times puffers and boxfish dont mix. puffers are just to beligerent for the slow moving harmless boxfish. you will probably have to remove one or the other.
pufferman
Member
It is true that boxfishes occasionally "shed" mucus layer, but this happens only when they're severely stressed or about to die. I assume your boxfish didn't enjoy being held in a holding container. Ostracitoxin can be secreted either as a pure toxin or as part of mucus. So mucus could be a visual indicator of toxin release. Also each species of boxfish/cowfish and individuals within the species have different potency of toxin and likeliness to release toxin. Your boxfish was lucky enough not to kill himself before it was too late. Just wanted to clarify my point! 