Wat's the livespan of captive boxfish?

[flubberina13]

Have a yellow boxfish that I have been keeping for more than two years but less than 3. Was wondering how long can they stay in captivity?

Anyone w boxfish longer than 2 years, care to share?

[Chris]

Had a cow for 2 years. Grew from 2 cm to 8 cm. Means a growth rate of 3 cm/year. Seen one before at 20 cm.......so I think can live at least 8 years. Calculating marks can kill !! Ignore me.

[cornyfish]

Have a yellow boxfish that I have been keeping for more than two years but less than 3. Was wondering how long can they stay in captivity?

Anyone w boxfish longer than 2 years, care to share?

Just wondering, do you keep your boxfish in a reef tank (reef-safe)? What kind of tankmates do you keep with him?

Unfortunately i've never kept a boxfish but am interested in getting one...

[flubberina13]

I really kept all sorts of tankmates with it...

But it's a slow eater...so must make sure it gets food and doesn't need to jostle with the rest. Mine has a fetish of tubeworms back then but it grew out of his addiction when I gave up his cousin, the cowfish for adoption after it becomes too big...

It always has a 'monkey see...monkey do' attitude in its eating habits. See what the other fish takes, and it will eat too...

But it is a time-bomb. Once dead, will realease toxins. Perpetually ich every other day. yesterday was worse...one third of its body was mouldy... so worried...

But it healed after some food and Kent Marine C dosage. Thank God...

[RAV-65]

I really kept all sorts of tankmates with it...

But it's a slow eater...so must make sure it gets food and doesn't need to jostle with the rest. Mine has a fetish of tubeworms back then but it grew out of his addiction when I gave up his cousin, the cowfish for adoption after it becomes too big...

It always has a 'monkey see...monkey do' attitude in its eating habits. See what the other fish takes, and it will eat too...

But it is a time-bomb. Once dead, will realease toxins. Perpetually ich every other day. yesterday was worse...one third of its body was mouldy... so worried...

But it healed after some food and Kent Marine C dosage. Thank God...

Sis, tried keeping them many times and have lost many of them, but so far, none of them released deadly toxins that crashes my tank like mentioned by many people, so I guess not all dead boxfishes will cause that kind of damage....

To be on the safe side, u may wanna use GAC all the time...

Juz my $0.02...

[RAV-65]

Oh yah, 4get to add, tink they are very sensitive to sudden changes in water parameters, lost a few for no apparent reasons... it was eating well one day and dead the next...

Also, I've kept a couple of ich-less boxfishes b4, but they still die of no apparent reason.... I tink it is possible to keep boxfishes without ich...

[marinecraz]

hi i had a longhorned cowfish for three weeks and was secretly happy that it had survived and feeding well. it had also recovered from ick about a week prior to its death two days ago because one of its hind 'horn' broke off. that was a horrible sight.

till now, i still don't understand the cause of the broken horn. anyone has the same experience? i love cowfish a lot and won't keep another until i find the cause.

please let me know what u think is the reason, any reason. thanks

[RAV-65]

hi i had a longhorned cowfish for three weeks and was secretly happy that it had survived and feeding well. it had also recovered from ick about a week prior to its death two days ago because one of its hind 'horn' broke off. that was a horrible sight.

till now, i still don't understand the cause of the broken horn. anyone has the same experience? i love cowfish a lot and won't keep another until i find the cause.

please let me know what u think is the reason, any reason. thanks

Wah... boxfish thread become cowfish thread...

Bro, the horn could have broken after its death... fishes can die of no apparent reasons, especially if the water is not too clean...

Also, did u add anything to the tank? Have u practiced a proper way of dosing additives to your tank?

Is there any predators in your tank???

The fish could have died for many many reasons and sometimes u have to figure it out by yourself wat u did....

[marinecraz]

sorry, i always lump the cowfish and boxfish together.

i am sure it died after the injury. the only predator is my picasso trigger but it has never attacked any of my fish. in fact, it is more afraid of the cowfish.

wonder if this is the right place to discuss this. i better don't carry on. thanks anyway.