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Boxfish care

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brucieK

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I just got this quarter size helmet boxfish from my friend and I'm putting him temporarily in a 5 gallon tank for quarantine. The boxfish has been doing well so far, voraciously eating mysis shrimp and pellets and actively exploring his new home.

I'm aware of the fact that most boxfish species are poisonous and can nuke a tank when stressed. I'm wondering if anyone has experience in keeping them with long term success. Thanks!
 

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They don’t ship well
They may have internal parasites
And in general...they die soon in captivity

Ultimately the damage has already been done...it was taken from the ocean and is now doomed.
If it eats, it has a chance to live

Now the responsibility is yours to keep it alive as long as possible
 
Kensington Reefer said:
They don’t ship well
They may have internal parasites
And in general...they die soon in captivity

Ultimately the damage has already been done...it was taken from the ocean and is now doomed.
If it eats, it has a chance to live

Now the responsibility is yours to keep it alive as long as possible
Click to expand...
These apply to a lot of fish, right? The little boxfish is doing well for the time being. I will see how far it can go :)
 
Last edited:
Kensington Reefer said:
They don’t ship well
They may have internal parasites
And in general...they die soon in captivity

Ultimately the damage has already been done...it was taken from the ocean and is now doomed.
If it eats, it has a chance to live

Now the responsibility is yours to keep it alive as long as possible
Click to expand...
I think that's why @brucieK started this thread. He's trying to find out how to keep it alive as long as possible. ;)
 
dochou said:
I think that's why @brucieK started this thread. He's trying to find out how to keep it alive as long as possible. ;)
Click to expand...
And I think the message is, the best thing to have done would be not buy it. There are many animals in this hobby that we really probably should be leaving in the ocean. That clearly doesn’t help with the current situation, and I have no tips to give about how to keep it healthy, but I do think it’s a reasonable piece of advice to give that avoiding the purchase would be best.
Imo that would be the way to have kept it alive longest, if we hobbyists didn’t incentivize the collection of species that are likely doomed upon collection by buying them.
 
Coral reefer said:
And I think the message is, the best thing to have done would be not buy it. There are many animals in this hobby that we really probably should be leaving in the ocean. That clearly doesn’t help with the current situation, and I have no tips to give about how to keep it healthy, but I do think it’s a reasonable piece of advice to give that avoiding the purchase would be best.
Imo that would be the way to have kept it alive longest, if we hobbyists didn’t incentivize the collection of species that are likely doomed upon collection by buying them.
Click to expand...
Well put
 
I agree that we shouldn't buy fish that have a very low survivability.
But @brucieK said a friend gave it to him and he's trying his best to keep it alive. What's done is done. Can't cry over spilled milk. He just has to make the best of the situation. ;)
 
I kept a yellow boxfish like the one in @dochou 's pic in a reef tank for several years in high school - died of ich after I moved away for college and the only tank maintenance was when I came home to visit, and jack the alkalinity back up using Instant Ocean for water changes, so can only guess alk and tank pH were way off. The whole family loved that fish, he'd follow us from end to end of the tank, seemed very curious. I moved him a couple times between tanks and never had issues with any toxins being released. Wow I was not even aware they could release poison in the tank. I would totally get one again if I had a bigger tank.
 
The baby boxfish died today without any sign of illness. He had been lethargic and sinking in the bottom. Unfortunately I was not able to make him feel better in the end.
 
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