# stupid cowfish



## blood_hound (Jan 30, 2005)

After 5 months in a 29 gallon tank i decided to move my cowfish to a bigger tank 60 gallon which i cycle for a month because it is growing fast....the next day I found it dead and all of its tank mate







(30 blue legged hermit, 1 bi colore angle,emerald crab and a racoon butterfly)







I think i should have left him in the 29 gallon and maybe he could just die alone














cowfish

WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPEN? AND IS MY TANK SAFE TO USE AGAIN IF I JUST CHANGE ALL THE WATER??


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## illnino (Mar 6, 2004)

i know tha boxfish can nuke the tank with their poision, and the cowfish is a boxfish. i heard that cows dont usually nuke the tank but it is possible.


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## acidWarp (Jun 30, 2003)

Boxfish can emit a toxin upon being stressed or death, so keeping one, you always risk the possibility they will kill everything in the tank. If you were to remove all the water and change it out, I'd think youd be ok, but you may want to try a few damsels to test first.


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## Mike122019 (Feb 14, 2005)

That sucks im never getting one of those


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## Raptor (Jan 3, 2003)

Id run a good amount of carbon too before you add anything else.
Sorry to hear, and good luck.


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## blood_hound (Jan 30, 2005)

Well thank everyone.. But im still lucky that its not the tank that Im converting to a reef, coz if it is i wont just loose a fish and coral but Thousands of dollars of invesment...

Time to start again in that tank.. Any suggestion on what type of fish should I keep for a thank that size.. Im thinking of a predator tank..what do you guys think about that?


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## Fresh2salt (Jul 16, 2004)

sorry to hear that man .. try a cowfish again . hahah :laugh: J/K :rasp:


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## illnino (Mar 6, 2004)

PUFFERS


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## cruzeoc (Aug 30, 2004)

cowfish are not an easy fish to look after and can do allot of destructive damage with there beaks the do release a very poitent toxin if scared under stress or die and like you have found out can wipe out a huge tank only experts should take care of boxfish and they are not reef safe atall IMO only get a cowfish/boxfish after you have done plenty of reading on them


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## cruzeoc (Aug 30, 2004)

oh and mine died but luckely the anemone at him b4 he could release the toxins but there thick as sh*t and very poor swimmers so dont like strong current


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## Raptor (Jan 3, 2003)

Try a fumanchu lionfish. Your not gonna have a big selection with a 29 gal.


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## Novato (Jan 25, 2004)

Wow! That sucks. But thanks for telling us newbies so we won't get them.


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## illnino (Mar 6, 2004)

this shouldnt turn people away from them, it should just warn them about what they can do. personally i think they are really cool fish. i got one for my dad on fathers day last year. it was the coolest fish ive ever seen(other than monsterous puffers)


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