Cowfish in a REEF??

[smcdonn]

Was just wondering what you guys thought about putting a cowfish in a reef tank. I have heard that they will pick at corals but is there any other reason you can't keep one?

 

[Helio Fungii]

When a cowfish becomes sick or dies it produces a toxin that pollutes the tank pretty bad

 

[sneeyatch]

cowfish are "tasters". they will eat corals and almost anything else you put in there food wise.

most cowfish can release the toxin, but most of them won't.

i've seen them in reef tanks with no issues either. to me, it's like putting a trigger in a reef. you just never know until you try.

 

[Blazer88]

They also get the size of a soccer ball.

 

[IanInDC]

They don't actually eat coral; like tangs, they're natural herbivores who with adapt to meat in the aquarium environment. But in the process of picking at algae near corals they sometimes accidentally snag the coral itself.

There was a great article in TFH about cowfish and their appropriate pairings, I would say about a year ago.

 

[bskiba]

I dont think they would like the flow in most reeftanks.