Are Boxfish venomous, and can a boxfish wipe a marine tank?

Boxfish can emit a toxin, but, rarely do so, and it quickly breaks down in the aquarium. Despite the common myth that Boxfish can wipe a tank, there’s no real evidence of that happening, typically something else catastrophic will have happened to the tank and the Boxfish being more sensitive died first and then gets blamed for the deaths. Boxfish in very small water volumes such as a shipping bag may render the water toxic, but in an aquarium it dissipates quickly. The only Boxfish that can be a known threat in this way are the Blue Hawaiian male boxfish. Even then it only tends to be a problem in small tanks.

Yellow spotted boxfish (Ostracion cubicus).

Boxfish when small do best in nano tanks, moving up to a 500 litre system when around 2” at a few months old. Juveniles can get stuck on pump intakes and are best kept in tanks without powerheads. Larger specimens are better swimmers, but, may get stuck on powerful pumps, especially the brand of pumps beginning with the letter J, which have particularly narrow intake grills with very high suction on them. Boxfish skin is easily damaged so should not be kept with aggressive fish, and also juveniles should not be kept with Cleaner wrasses either.

Boxfish will eat corals, inverts, and even very small fish. Although this may sound like a lot of hassle Boxfish have such amazing characters that almost everyone that has one, wants more. Highly recommended, but, only for those wishing to go the extra mile for this amazing species.

SIZE

Shipped at a wide variety of sizes, typically 1” - 2”, but can reach upto 6” or so.

COMPATIBILITY

Will eat most corals. Will eat most mobile inverts. Large specimens may eat small fish. Avoid keeping with other Cowfish, Boxfish, Trunkfish, or, Turretfish, as they will fight. Avoid housing with Cleaner wrasse or other cleaner fish (eg small Butterflies) which may peck at the Cowfish.

UK DELIVERY

We deliver inverts, marine fish, and corals mail order. Our; marine fish, inverts, and corals, can be bought online for collection in store, or, UK delivery. See the Salty Revolution Shipping Guide for more information on our UK delivery service.

Mail order corals. Marine fish delivered UK. Best online shop for CUC and marine inverts.