Who here keeps a Long Horn Cowfish?

[snowlynx]

What flowrate do you have you pump wavemakers running at?

How do you deal with the large amounts of fish waste?

I am currently running bare bottom 10 gallon with Aquclear 30
and AQ life 115 skimmer. I use a 200 GPH Hydor pump set to 50%,
I only turn this on 5-10 mins since the cowfish gets stressed from the high flow.

I am trying to figure best way to deal with large fish waste yet not being able to have high flow rate due to the cowfish likes it mellow.

I use a turkey baster every other day and trying to find other ways.
I tried poweed head with pre filter but it blows stuff every way, more than sucking up waste.

Thought of 1/2” PVC wih holes on bottom to suck up waste but still need a
decent powerhead and that means stick my hand in the water to remove
the polyfil.

Eventually will switch to a 20 gallon but still same issue.

I have snails conch cleaner shrimp but they cannot keep up with the cowfish.

[mcgyvr]

I think you missed a zero..
You mean 100G and 200G tanks right?

[Papermonkeys]

I used to want a cowfish until I looked up how big the get =(
super cute when they are small

[ReeferNoob4ever]

Haha ya mcgyvr he's using an Aquaclear 30 on a 100 gallon.

[TokiHacker]

Originally Posted by ReeferNoob4ever

Haha ya mcgyvr he's using an Aquaclear 30 on a 100 gallon.

oh oh oh! That's rude and not a productive comment there reefernoob.

But in all seriousness even a 100 is a bit small for these beasts assuming they make it that far before nuking the tank. Do a little research through liveaquaria on these little beasts. They are cool but I personally think better left in the ocean after two bad experiences with them .

[Tripod1404]

I would return the fish if you still have a chance. That fish gets close to 2 feet and require 250+ gallons.

[Papermonkeys]

^^ Did they nuke your tank when they didn't make it? I'm legitimately curious, I've seen some people having that experience but others that didn't . Some think it has to do with the manner they died.

But you are right, thinking about it, if they get as large as LA says (I think 18 inches) and if you have a 6ft long tank, thats already 1/4 of the tanks width, doesn't sound like a great experience for it.

[mcgyvr]

Originally Posted by ReeferNoob4ever

Haha ya mcgyvr he's using an Aquaclear 30 on a 100 gallon.

The alternative is a cowfish in a 10g tank..
The aquaclear 30 on a 100g sounds like a better idea if we are ranking them

[TokiHacker]

Originally Posted by Papermonkeys

^^ Did they nuke your tank when they didn't make it? I'm legitimately curious, I've seen some people having that experience but others that didn't . Some think it has to do with the manner they died.

But you are right, thinking about it, if they get as large as LA says (I think 18 inches) and if you have a 6ft long tank, thats already 1/4 of the tanks width, doesn't sound like a great experience for it.

They can nuke a tank if stressed and commit suicide that way, along with killing everything else in the tank

[DreadCapn]

Originally Posted by mcgyvr

The alternative is a cowfish in a 10g tank..
The aquaclear 30 on a 100g sounds like a better idea if we are ranking them

Logic checks out, cannot argue!

OP, as mentioned above, take the clownfish back, this story does not have a happy ending.

I'm assuming you got this at an LFS. You should probably never listen to their advice again if they said that this was a good idea. If you have any doubts, just read the liveaquaria page:

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/68/?pcatid=68

[ReeferNoob4ever]

Agreed mcgyvr. Eitherway, this is an unfortunate scenario that needs to be resolved ASAP!

[snowlynx]

Well, I been on this forum for few months. I know some are very helpful and I would get interesting comments from others.

Yeah, it is a 10 gallon, bare bottom, some live rock. Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate all Zero.
I know it might nuke the tank if it dies. It’s not going to grow 1 foot per day.

Even if it was in a 100 or 200 gallon, it does not like high flow so that was why I am
asking those who keep them.

I have had him for few months now. It likes to hover in one corner anyway, grazes on nori. Spits water to get my attention, lots of character.

Seriously though, those of you with smart comments, you probably have killed plenty of
fish, coral, anything else you have thrown in your tank, yet you like to burn others. Seen it over and over here on this forum.

[mrsixstrings12]

Take him back. I made the mistake of buying one when I had a 38g. He ended up injuring himself on my HOB overflow and getting stuck to it. I had a low flow tank. I caught him before he actually passed and was able to keep him in a separate tank until he passed form his injuries. Soon after, I visited the local aquarium and saw that that fish grows about the size of my dog. They had one in a tank that I can only imagine was over 5000 gallons.

[heathlindner25]

Type,erase.....

[snowlynx]

great advise

will upgrade to an aquaclear 50 and 12 gallon tank, buy a small sword fish and lobster for filter feeder. When the cow nukes the tank, surf and turf.

[heathlindner25]

There's no turf in that scenario?

[top shelf]

It is extremely likely you won't get any advice from anyone other then take it back. You came seeking advice and you got it, just not what you wanted to here. It's also likely that when offered solid advice and you choose to ignore it people will be less apt to wanna help you in the future because they figure you'll ignore it anyways. A 12g tank isn't going to make a difference, that fish don't choose to be removed from the ocean but you chose to buy it so it is your responsibility to take care of and provide for that fish so your philosophy of if it dies it dies I'm sorry it's plain ignorant. Bottom line that fish needs to go back.

[kevin21]

That^

[mcgyvr]

Originally Posted by snowlynx

it does not like high flow so that was why I am
asking those who keep them.

With a larger tank as required for this type of fish you can have areas of higher flow like around the bottom of the tank to keep detritus in suspension while still having lower flow areas.. This is simply done with proper powerhead placement.
In a small tank like you have you do not have that luxury as the flow required to perform the same function will effect the entire tank.


You are right in that many/most/all of us have corals or fish or whatever die..
But there is a difference in one doing everything they can and following all the recommendations that are out there and still having an animal die or whatever vs blatantly ignoring commonly accepted/clearly defined care recommendations... Even though the fish is small now they can grow quite rapidly and it just has no business in such a small tank..

[Dmorty217]

Originally Posted by TokiHacker

They can nuke a tank if stressed and commit suicide that way, along with killing everything else in the tank

I had one in QT in a 40g breeder, the cowfish died and the other fish in the QT were fine. They rarely nuke tanks, same is true with sea apples

[Dmorty217]

Like everyone has said, your tank is way too small. Anything under 200g isn't going to be large enough for the cowfish. I would argue that a 10g tank is too small to QT the cowfish in even in the short term.

[Rover88]

Would you keep a Great Dane in a 300 sq. ft apartment and wonder why it leaves big craps on the floor?

The tank is too small for the fish.


To give you a HELPFUL answer, get a siphon and clean it manually every day. If you want to keep an oversized fish in an undersized tank, be prepared to spend a lot of time cleaning up every mess it leaves so the water conditions stay good. You'd have better luck, as the forum has told you, upgrading tanks.

[TokiHacker]

Originally Posted by snowlynx

Well, I been on this forum for few months. I know some are very helpful and I would get interesting comments from others.

Yeah, it is a 10 gallon, bare bottom, some live rock. Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate all Zero.
I know it might nuke the tank if it dies. It’s not going to grow 1 foot per day.

Even if it was in a 100 or 200 gallon, it does not like high flow so that was why I am
asking those who keep them.

I have had him for few months now. It likes to hover in one corner anyway, grazes on nori. Spits water to get my attention, lots of character.

Seriously though, those of you with smart comments, you probably have killed plenty of
fish, coral, anything else you have thrown in your tank, yet you like to burn others. Seen it over and over here on this forum.

If this is your opinion, why not just do whatever you want since you are not going to accept anyone's recommendations anyways. You asked we said. Doesn't matter if you liked it or not. You need to do what is right for the fish not your viewing pleasure.

[pisanoal]

Originally Posted by snowlynx

What flowrate do you have you pump wavemakers running at?

How do you deal with the large amounts of fish waste?

I am currently running bare bottom 10 gallon with Aquclear 30
and AQ life 115 skimmer. I use a 200 GPH Hydor pump set to 50%,
I only turn this on 5-10 mins since the cowfish gets stressed from the high flow.

I am trying to figure best way to deal with large fish waste yet not being able to have high flow rate due to the cowfish likes it mellow.

I use a turkey baster every other day and trying to find other ways.
I tried poweed head with pre filter but it blows stuff every way, more than sucking up waste.

Thought of 1/2” PVC wih holes on bottom to suck up waste but still need a
decent powerhead and that means stick my hand in the water to remove
the polyfil.

Eventually will switch to a 20 gallon but still same issue.

I have snails conch cleaner shrimp but they cannot keep up with the cowfish.

Originally Posted by snowlynx

Well, I been on this forum for few months. I know some are very helpful and I would get interesting comments from others.

Yeah, it is a 10 gallon, bare bottom, some live rock. Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate all Zero.
I know it might nuke the tank if it dies. It’s not going to grow 1 foot per day.

Even if it was in a 100 or 200 gallon, it does not like high flow so that was why I am
asking those who keep them.

I have had him for few months now. It likes to hover in one corner anyway, grazes on nori. Spits water to get my attention, lots of character.

Seriously though, those of you with smart comments, you probably have killed plenty of
fish, coral, anything else you have thrown in your tank, yet you like to burn others. Seen it over and over here on this forum.

The answer to what people do for the large amounts of waste for this fish is to have a larger setup that supports more filtration and more water volume for stability. Also, what mcgyvr said about the flow situation.

People's comments towards your situation aren't being smart a**, they are being reasonable and honest.

If you are looking for someone on here to tell you that they believe what you are doing is fine, look elsewhere.

Yes, plenty of us have made lots of mistakes. Those mistakes and successes from learning from them are what makes up most of our common knowledge about this hobby. Peoples recommendations generally aren't blind to that. It forms the basis for our discussions on this forum. But to say "you made that mistake and learned from it, so I reserve to ignore your learnings and make the same mistake even though I asked your opinion" seems pretty counterproductive.

It's your money, your fish, your tank. Ultimately you can do whatever the heck you want. But when you post about keeping a fish that requires a minimum of 250 gallons in a 10 and say you are planning on upgrading to a whole 20 gallons, don't expect many, if any, positive comments.

Not being disrespectful, just being realistic.

[mcgyvr]

Originally Posted by pisanoal

Also, what mcgyvr said about the flow situation.

Its like when Nemo was on the edge of the reef feeling the effects of that strong current and then that surfing turtle came along and saved the day..

So I think you just need a surfing turtle..