Longhorn Cowfish

[tymon]

Keeping a cowfish things to know? level of care? mortality rate in aqurium.

[briankmarsh1980]

Don't know much about them but they get huge from what I have read

[pmgaudio]

I understand that they can be very toxic to other fish if stressed. When scared they release a toxic venom that, from my understanding, can reek havoc in a tank.
Yes the y can get big, but they are VERY cool looking. I was going to get one, but after some research and asking around, it is a bad idea
Just my two cents. good luck

[gweston]

Supposedly they aren't reef safe (eat corals?), can grow very large, and are rather parameter sensitive. But a plus (?) is that they are rather slow/dopy swimmers.

If you have a large FOWLR tank to accommodate it's growth, then you may have a shot. They are rather goofy/slow swimmers, but I think that is what is cool about them. Unsure how they are with tank mates. I figure they may not do well with fast and aggressive tank mates when they are small. You may need to spot feed it if it can't compete for food with fast fish.

I occasionally see one of them at the local Petco. I wish they wouldn't stock them.. I suspect most buyers pick one up on a whim and put it in an unsuitable environment. They are always TINY at the store. A couple inches at most.

[Chris27]

They are very cool fish that most often times have a great personality. Usually, they recognize their caregiver, and get excited when you come by the tank. Think of it as the family dog, where it gets excited when you get home after work.

As far as reef safe, they are similar to a puffer in that they may nip at corals and inverts, but typically they don't do much harm unless you have a tank full of SPS and very small snails/worms, as leathers and other soft corals aren't too tasty to them.

As far as the toxin, it's true that they can release it, but it's rare in a healthy well fed specimen kept in a minimal stress environment. That said, adding it as one of the first fish in the tank can greatly help vice tossing it in after a bunch of faster active fish have already staked a claim in the tank.

Most reports of them wiping out a tank is usually after an entire tank full of fish falls prey to a parasite of sorts (Crypt/Brook/etc.). When a cowfish is about to perish, it may release the toxin, causing the other sick fish to fall prey to it. But the plus side is that, if you keep it healthy and well fed and adopt a strict QT regiment, there isn't much to worry about.

They do live for a good long time, and can get quite large, so take that into consideration up front. As a small juvenile, a 75 will be fine for a while, but an adult will require a min. 120 Gal tank to give it enough room to swim and forage.

All in all, it's a great fish for those who want to give it the right tank, but with anything here, there are risks, you just need to weigh them. I love fish, so to me they are worth more then any coral or invert out there, so I say go for it if you have the ability to keep it in the proper tank, and keep water chemistry in check.

[billw4]

I have one given to me as a gift. he was quite small and seems to grow slowly if in a confined space. after 6 months I moved him to a 55 gal and he grew to 3 inches in a short time then slowed down again. he and a clownfish bonded and are inseparable now. I do have a question about coloring. He was a healthy yellow the first month, but has had green blotches since then, any ideas on why? water temp?

[AlexS95]

Mine has grown from about 3" to 5 or 6" since July 2010. He's a really slow swimmer, so I have to hand feed him and will often have food stolen from him. He does pick at the legs of my serpent star, and occasionally tries to go after the shrimp (Fire/Two Cleaners), but he won't ever catch them. Will eat algae sheets and anything meaty, but won't touch flakes or pellets. He is always front and center in the tank, and always the first thing people notice because of his bizarre appearance. :wildone: He's definitely my favorite fish. :thumbsup:

[snorvich]

According to LiveAquaria:

The Longhorn Cowfish inhabit the reefs of the Indo-Pacific, usually in the less turbid waters. The body is yellow and covered with white dots, and is occasionally referred to as the Yellow Boxfish; however, the Longhorn is not to be confused with Ostracion cubicus, commonly called the Yellow or Polka Dot Boxfish. In the wild, it is not uncommon to see a 20" specimen, while in the aquarium the Longhorn Cowfish tends to be dramatically smaller - 16" or less.

When possible, the Longhorn Cowfish should be the first fish introduced in the tank. It is intolerant of other Longhorns, so keep it in a large tank, with some live rock for algae scraping. Use caution if placing the Cowfish Longhorn in a reef tank as it may nibble on tubeworms. When housed correctly, the Cowfish Longhorn is long-lived.

Similar to other boxfish, the Cowfish Longhorn's skin is poisonous and, when threatened, it will release a toxin lethal to other tank members, including other Longhorns.

Since they are omnivores, the Longhorn Cowfish should be offered a variety of meaty and vegetable foods. They are slow eaters, and should not be housed with aggressive eaters. They are categorized as "difficult".

[bradjenny]

I had one and he was one of my favorite fish......he would follow me around the tank and before he died he would let me pet him like a dog......sounds crazy but he would......

[Angel*Fish]

Personally, I'd leave them in the ocean.

[snorvich]

Personally, I'd leave them in the ocean.

I have to agree. Especially with only moderately sized tanks.