humback cowfish in a reef?

Drake1 · 03/08/2006, 10:09 PM

i have read many different things about Humback cowfish in ref tanks..some saying yes and others saying no. what one is it? will they eat my corals in my 125 gallon reef?
thanks Jeff

davocean · 03/09/2006, 01:43 PM

I'm not familiar w/ "humpback" cow, but I had cow(wife bought,
I knew it was a bad idea)
It ate EVERYTHING, clams, corals, rocks, seafans, you name it ,it ate it!
Ate till it's mouth bled, ate algae on pump intakes(and always got stuck and had to be rescued all the time, and thats how it died)
I will NEVER have one EVER again!!!

davocean · 03/09/2006, 01:44 PM

I'm not familiar w/ "humpback" cow, but I had cow(wife bought,
I knew it was a bad idea)
It ate EVERYTHING, clams, corals, rocks, seafans, you name it ,it ate it!
Ate till it's mouth bled, ate algae on pump intakes(and always got stuck and had to be rescued all the time, and thats how it died)
I will NEVER have one EVER again!!!

davocean · 03/09/2006, 01:44 PM

I'm not familiar w/ "humpback" cow, but I had cow(wife bought,
I knew it was a bad idea)
It ate EVERYTHING, clams, corals, rocks, seafans, you name it ,it ate it!
Ate till it's mouth bled, ate algae on pump intakes(and always got stuck and had to be rescued all the time, and thats how it died)
I will NEVER have one EVER again!!!

davocean · 03/09/2006, 01:44 PM

I'm not familiar w/ "humpback" cow, but I had cow(wife bought,
I knew it was a bad idea)
It ate EVERYTHING, clams, corals, rocks, seafans, you name it ,it ate it!
Ate till it's mouth bled, ate algae on pump intakes(and always got stuck and had to be rescued all the time, and thats how it died)
I will NEVER have one EVER again!!!

davocean · 03/09/2006, 01:44 PM

I'm not familiar w/ "humpback" cow, but I had cow(wife bought,
I knew it was a bad idea)
It ate EVERYTHING, clams, corals, rocks, seafans, you name it ,it ate it!
Ate till it's mouth bled, ate algae on pump intakes(and always got stuck and had to be rescued all the time, and thats how it died)
I will NEVER have one EVER again!!!

davocean · 03/09/2006, 01:46 PM

I didn't mean to post 5 times
For some reason submitting reply is taking a loooong time

Reefmedic79 · 03/09/2006, 02:25 PM

I personally wouldn't trust a cowfish in a reef tank as they are crustacean eaters.

On a side note, some if not all of them have toxic slime and toxins in thier body that when overly stressed or if it dies can nuke the entire tank.

rustybucket145 · 03/09/2006, 02:31 PM

My mom has had a Long Horned Cow fish in her reef for almost 6mos now and it is her favorite fish. When she puts her hands in the tank the cowfish will rub up against her and nibble at her fingers. It has never touched a coral and she has a little of everything LPS, SPS and Soft. She actually has the thing trained to react to her voice. For instance if it is on one side of the tank she can say "Come here Moo Moo (the fish's name)" and the fish will swim right over to her and just look at her.

cristhiam · 03/09/2006, 03:40 PM

I love the cowfish longhorn, Randy Holmes (Chemistry Forum) has one and never had a problem with it. I'm considering one my self. It's always a 50/50 chance, I had a hippo tang pick on my LPS (supposed to be reef save). At least cowfish are easy to catch

Drake1 · 03/09/2006, 09:30 PM

i have also had a cowfish and died when it got stuck in a pump, but i have seen how BIG the longhorn can get at the pet store and there is NOOO way it could fit in my 125 but i have seen that humback one only get 6 inches at there longest but still not sure if the humpback are reefsafe, my long horn only at at my feather dusters
jeff

Amphiprion · 03/09/2006, 10:06 PM

Are you referring to Tetrasomus gibbosus? Be aware that all Ostraciids have potent toxins. The family also seems to be quite susceptible to ich. Another thing that is overlooked is appropriate amount of food. Where the stomach is encased, you cannot see it and tell if the fish is eating enough. Always err on the side of more food for these fish. Like everyone has said, htey are not necessarily reef safe, greedily eating any crustaceans and other benthic life (sometimes coral). Overly strong current should also be avoided. BTW, this species reaches nearly a foot, not 6 inches.

03/08/2006, 10:09 PM	#1
Drake1 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: lakeville,mn Posts: 530	humback cowfish in a reef? i have read many different things about Humback cowfish in ref tanks..some saying yes and others saying no. what one is it? will they eat my corals in my 125 gallon reef? thanks Jeff

03/09/2006, 01:43 PM	#2
davocean Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 14,655	I'm not familiar w/ "humpback" cow, but I had cow(wife bought, I knew it was a bad idea) It ate EVERYTHING, clams, corals, rocks, seafans, you name it ,it ate it! Ate till it's mouth bled, ate algae on pump intakes(and always got stuck and had to be rescued all the time, and thats how it died) I will NEVER have one EVER again!!! __________________ There's a fine line between owning your tank and your tank owning you! Current Tank Info: SCA 120g RR Starfire, Tunze silence 1073.02 return, 40g sump w/ fuge, SWC Extreme 160 cone skimmer,Geismann reflexx 4xT5, 2x Panorama Pro LED strips, Vortech MP40QD

03/09/2006, 01:44 PM	#3
davocean Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 14,655	I'm not familiar w/ "humpback" cow, but I had cow(wife bought, I knew it was a bad idea) It ate EVERYTHING, clams, corals, rocks, seafans, you name it ,it ate it! Ate till it's mouth bled, ate algae on pump intakes(and always got stuck and had to be rescued all the time, and thats how it died) I will NEVER have one EVER again!!! __________________ There's a fine line between owning your tank and your tank owning you! Current Tank Info: SCA 120g RR Starfire, Tunze silence 1073.02 return, 40g sump w/ fuge, SWC Extreme 160 cone skimmer,Geismann reflexx 4xT5, 2x Panorama Pro LED strips, Vortech MP40QD

03/09/2006, 01:44 PM	#4
davocean Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 14,655	I'm not familiar w/ "humpback" cow, but I had cow(wife bought, I knew it was a bad idea) It ate EVERYTHING, clams, corals, rocks, seafans, you name it ,it ate it! Ate till it's mouth bled, ate algae on pump intakes(and always got stuck and had to be rescued all the time, and thats how it died) I will NEVER have one EVER again!!! __________________ There's a fine line between owning your tank and your tank owning you! Current Tank Info: SCA 120g RR Starfire, Tunze silence 1073.02 return, 40g sump w/ fuge, SWC Extreme 160 cone skimmer,Geismann reflexx 4xT5, 2x Panorama Pro LED strips, Vortech MP40QD

03/09/2006, 01:44 PM	#5
davocean Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 14,655	I'm not familiar w/ "humpback" cow, but I had cow(wife bought, I knew it was a bad idea) It ate EVERYTHING, clams, corals, rocks, seafans, you name it ,it ate it! Ate till it's mouth bled, ate algae on pump intakes(and always got stuck and had to be rescued all the time, and thats how it died) I will NEVER have one EVER again!!! __________________ There's a fine line between owning your tank and your tank owning you! Current Tank Info: SCA 120g RR Starfire, Tunze silence 1073.02 return, 40g sump w/ fuge, SWC Extreme 160 cone skimmer,Geismann reflexx 4xT5, 2x Panorama Pro LED strips, Vortech MP40QD

03/09/2006, 01:46 PM	#7
davocean Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 14,655	I didn't mean to post 5 times For some reason submitting reply is taking a loooong time __________________ There's a fine line between owning your tank and your tank owning you! Current Tank Info: SCA 120g RR Starfire, Tunze silence 1073.02 return, 40g sump w/ fuge, SWC Extreme 160 cone skimmer,Geismann reflexx 4xT5, 2x Panorama Pro LED strips, Vortech MP40QD

03/09/2006, 02:25 PM	#8
Reefmedic79 Life and Reef Saver Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Tavares, Florida Posts: 6,202	I personally wouldn't trust a cowfish in a reef tank as they are crustacean eaters. On a side note, some if not all of them have toxic slime and toxins in thier body that when overly stressed or if it dies can nuke the entire tank. __________________ ><((((º>`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸.·´¯`·...¸><((((º>¸. ·´¯`·.¸. , . .·´¯`·.. ><((((º>`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸.·´¯`·...¸><((((º> How much deeper would the ocean be if it didn't have sponges? P. Sherman 42 Wallaby Way Sid Current Tank Info: 40 Breeder, 20L Sump, 10G Fuge, JBJ A.T.O, 4" Reef Octopus, DIY Stand & Canopy, RapidLED Dimmable 36 Kit on 3 6" MakersLED Heatsink, MP10es

03/09/2006, 02:31 PM	#9
rustybucket145 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: valdosta, ga Posts: 3,707	My mom has had a Long Horned Cow fish in her reef for almost 6mos now and it is her favorite fish. When she puts her hands in the tank the cowfish will rub up against her and nibble at her fingers. It has never touched a coral and she has a little of everything LPS, SPS and Soft. She actually has the thing trained to react to her voice. For instance if it is on one side of the tank she can say "Come here Moo Moo (the fish's name)" and the fish will swim right over to her and just look at her. __________________ 400gals of various tanks in the same system. Current Tank Info: 2 175w MH, 2 VH0 Actinics, Lots of Live Rock, tons of copepods, a Fat Mandarin Goby, Niger Trigger, Yellow Tang, Falco Hawkfish, Bi-Color Pseudo, numerous soft, SPS and LPS Corals

03/09/2006, 03:40 PM	#10
cristhiam Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Groveland, FL Posts: 3,099	I love the cowfish longhorn, Randy Holmes (Chemistry Forum) has one and never had a problem with it. I'm considering one my self. It's always a 50/50 chance, I had a hippo tang pick on my LPS (supposed to be reef save). At least cowfish are easy to catch __________________ 2 yellows tail damsels, yellow watchman goby, tail spot blennie, purple pseudocromis, starry blennie, 2 clowns, 1 black clown, mandarine & Yellow tang Current Tank Info: 125 AGA, 3 40W 6500K, 3 110W URI Actinics, running on 2 IceCaps 660, CSS125

03/09/2006, 09:30 PM	#11
Drake1 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: lakeville,mn Posts: 530	i have also had a cowfish and died when it got stuck in a pump, but i have seen how BIG the longhorn can get at the pet store and there is NOOO way it could fit in my 125 but i have seen that humback one only get 6 inches at there longest but still not sure if the humpback are reefsafe, my long horn only at at my feather dusters jeff

03/09/2006, 10:06 PM	#12
Amphiprion Premium Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Mobile, AL Posts: 6,611	Are you referring to Tetrasomus gibbosus? Be aware that all Ostraciids have potent toxins. The family also seems to be quite susceptible to ich. Another thing that is overlooked is appropriate amount of food. Where the stomach is encased, you cannot see it and tell if the fish is eating enough. Always err on the side of more food for these fish. Like everyone has said, htey are not necessarily reef safe, greedily eating any crustaceans and other benthic life (sometimes coral). Overly strong current should also be avoided. BTW, this species reaches nearly a foot, not 6 inches. __________________ You've done it now, haven't you? Current Tank Info: 40g breeder patch reef w/ seagrass; 2-250w XM 10K; Vortech MP40wES & MP10wES; BM Curve 7 skimmer; carbon & occasional GFO