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In a recent show at Animal Planet’s Tanked, Dwyane Wade featured a Cowfish Tanks that was amazingly exotic to look at. Wayde tells us what it was like building a 24-hour, temporary tank for Dwyane Wade’s sneaker launch party and gives us an exclusive, all-access tour of Exotic Reef Imports, a distributor of saltwater fish, corals and invertebrates.
The impressive Cowfish is often regarded as not safe for reef tanks and even if aquarists are attracted to the charm these fish create in local fish stores, they are confused about if they will be able to take care of cowfish in their home tank. They are not so difficult to handle as people usually fear.
The Longhorn Cowfish inhabit the reefs of the Indo-Pacific, usually in the less turbid waters. The body is tan to yellow and covered with white and blue 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 it is always safe if you can keep it in a large tank, with some live rock for algae scraping. Use caution when placing the Cowfish Longhorn in a reef tank as it may nibble on tubeworms. When housed correctly, the Cowfish Longhorn is long-lived and a real survivor once it adapts well in your tank.
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. It secretes or releases toxins when stressed or injured that may kill other fish in the aquarium. This is the reason why people would generally not dare to opt for this fish but a little care and caution can help you with this problem.
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. Try feeding the fish flake food as well as frozen food and give them enough so that other fish don’t eat it right away.
You can keep them in a reef tank but you must be watchful of them because they will eat little pieces off of your live rock or coral. They are not eating the coral, just eating little things that grow from it. These fish should usually be the first when introduced to a new fish tank and they should be the only cowfish in the tank. Cowfish do not tolerate other cowfish and they might become defensive and violent.
They are simply excellent for saltwater tanks and you must be patient while handling them. This species is not actually what everywhere says – hard to keep – expert only. This is utter nonsense and is perfectly suitable for an intermediate aquarist.
