boxfish keepers past and present

[MacD]

I've recently acquired a yellow spotted boxfish (ostracion cubicus) and I've got 2 questions for those who have kept them in a reef tank successfully. Firstly, I can't seem to get mine to take more than a couple frozen brine shrimp at a time; so, what kinds of foods do they most like/accept? Secondly, my tank also contains some food-hogs (coris wrasse, dwarf angels, oscellaris clown, etc.), will the boxfish be able to get enough food to survive long-term, being such an extremely slow eater?
Any info. from boxfish keepers past and present would be much appreciated.

 

[29reef]

I think they are ill suited for a reef. I've never tried to keep one because of how difficult they can be to care for. IMO boxfish should be kept in a larger FO aquarium with other boxfish IIRC most species get quite large.

 

[Airwolf75]

I keep the Blue Spotted Boxfish. I have found it partial to plant based foods, like algae sheets.

I don't see it competing against those other fish very well.

 

[Kenneth M Olsen]

:bounce1:I have never seen a adult box fish in a private tank successfully... but would love to have one! hopefully here will be a lot of people here saying it is possible! :O)

 

[snorvich]

I've recently acquired a yellow spotted boxfish (ostracion cubicus) and I've got 2 questions for those who have kept them in a reef tank successfully. Firstly, I can't seem to get mine to take more than a couple frozen brine shrimp at a time; so, what kinds of foods do they most like/accept? Secondly, my tank also contains some food-hogs (coris wrasse, dwarf angels, oscellaris clown, etc.), will the boxfish be able to get enough food to survive long-term, being such an extremely slow eater?
Any info. from boxfish keepers past and present would be much appreciated.

I have never tried to keep them because they are very difficult and potentially toxic. I would try PE mysis. But whatever you feed, you are likely going to have to overfeed because your other fish are going to compete for it more successfully than your boxfish. But generally, researching BEFORE purchase is more desirable than scrambling after the fact.