wasp Posted October 26, 2005 Author Report Share Posted October 26, 2005 Sad story - sometimes you just can't win. The white spot on him cleared up. But then a cowfish died overnight for reasons unknown. I removed the dead cowfish but the poison was affecting all the other fish. Frantically did a 100% waterchange and then spent the next few hours trying to keep all the fish swimming as they were just tipping on their sides etc. Wasn't sure if they can recover from cowfish poison but tried to give it my best shot. However eventually lost every other fish in the tank, including the powder blue. Worst fish disaster I've ever had, been pretty lucky up to now, this type of thing always happened to other people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slappers Posted October 26, 2005 Report Share Posted October 26, 2005 sad to hear , but on the good side you can restock with new fish that's always fun and expensive, i will be doing that shorty, always the same in one hand and out of the other Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drifty Posted October 26, 2005 Report Share Posted October 26, 2005 wow, very sorry to hear that wasp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fay Posted October 26, 2005 Report Share Posted October 26, 2005 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cracker Posted October 26, 2005 Report Share Posted October 26, 2005 Holy crap.....I cant believe it. Sorry to hear it A. Do you think it was the cowfish? or something else in the water? Did you test the water you did the 100% water change with? How are the corals? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cracker Posted October 26, 2005 Report Share Posted October 26, 2005 A read from Wet Web media: Ostraciidae, from the Greek ostracum, meaning "shell", the box, trunk or cowfishes are found all over the tropical Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans. Fourteen genera with about thirty three species. These may be the most characteristic of fishes with their bodies encased in a bony carapace. The family is also notable for some members possession of "ostracitoxin" a toxic discharge substance of some trunkfishes. If/when sufficiently disturbed whole tanks, and recirculating systems of livestock have been wiped out. Though this is rare, the cautions listed elsewhere in this piece on netting, acclimation, and tankmates should be heeded if you intend to try a trunk/boxfish. The genus Lactoria, especially Lactoria cornuta should be dealt with carefully; I have witnessed three poisoning "episodes" with this species, one from a dead specimen in a filter, another from a harassed individual, the third from the careless introduction of shipping water into a display system. Lactoria and members of the genus Lactophrys are commonly called Cowfishes for their "horns", a conspicuous pair on the head and another doing rear-guard near the anal fin. The Smooth Trunkfish, Lactophrys triqueter is the most frequently offered member of the genus, with the Scrawled (Lactophrys quadricornis) and Honeycomb (Lactophrys polygonius) cowfishes occasionally available. All three hale from the western tropical Atlantic and grow to at least eleven inches in length. Did he get harrassed A? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cracker Posted October 26, 2005 Report Share Posted October 26, 2005 From another site: The longhorn cowfish must be dealt with carefully when in an aquarium enviroment. If overly harrassed or stressed, it can release the toxic substance, ostracitoxin which will poison the entire fish tank. Dunno if I would risk it after seeing this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cookie extreme Posted October 26, 2005 Report Share Posted October 26, 2005 hi wasp, sorry to hear. your corals and shrimp will be ok. the toxin seems to effect only fish. didn't i show you my dried little boxfish? at 4cm he wiped out all the fish in a 330 ltr system including himself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wasp Posted October 26, 2005 Author Report Share Posted October 26, 2005 Thanks all, and very interesting info Craig. And Cookie, I remember your incident. Just one other thing I think I gave the impression it was my main tank, it was actually in a frag tank so I've still got most of my fish. Do you think it was the cowfish? or something else in the water? Wondered about that can't rule out something wrong with the water, but I think the cowfish is the most likely explanation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pies Posted October 26, 2005 Report Share Posted October 26, 2005 Bob Fenners book talks about witnessing first hand 3 incidents where cow-fish have wiped out tanks entire fish population. Sorry to hear it wasp. Pie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted October 27, 2005 Report Share Posted October 27, 2005 *Crosses boxfish off fish wish list* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caper Posted October 28, 2005 Report Share Posted October 28, 2005 So sorry for your loss Wasp...I have to admit I went looking on the net about the cowfish when I saw what you said about poison...very interesting fish, unfortunate about the poison though. Sorry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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