Oxymonacanthus longirostris pair enters a mixed reef environment

[rssjsb]

Some day I'd love to have a boxfish of some kind. Maybe Whitley's. Especially a m/f pair. That would be amazing.

I've got a scribbled boxfish that I love. She's not flashy, but she's still one of my favorite fish. Personality like a puffer - always swimming to the front to check me out (and cop a treat). They stay pretty small and I think the females are among the best suited to captive care. My experience with males is not as good. I believe that other ostracion boxes are iffier.

 

[pnavarro170]

Well the original one i have is still being aggressive towards the new one that we think is female. She is starting to gain some weight but here is another pic of the hopefully female one. What you guys think ? still female if so why is the other one being so aggressive towards it ?

 

[Monkeyfish]

I think your "she" is a "he." Hopefully small or naxmas can chime in and tell you I'm wrong.

 

[small alien]

I would guess male. My male was pretty aggressive with one of my females at feeding time. So that's possible but I think the aggression supports male. I've read of a public aquarium with two males and three females happily coexisting.

Hmmm. I'll take one.

 

[small alien]

Greetings, friends. For those die-hards still following my O. longirostris odyssey, I picked up the pair from DD on Friday.

http://www.liveaquaria.com/diversde...ref=4282&subref=AI&cmpid=E-_-TR-_-DDN-_-PRDCT

I checked my email while, ahem, in the bathroom and still managed to make it to my computer and seal the deal. I will be adding the pair to my existing female for a mighty trio! I can't wait.

 

[aquaph8]

Great news, wish you the best with them.

 

[Zach Vs Ponies]

Way cool. I just read your first thread, then this one. Good luck with your new pair! I saw them myself on LADD. I think they actually had two pairs on there?

It's making me want to try them... Maybe in a few years

 

[small alien]

They're really not too hard when already weened. I've lost 3 but all for known reasons. I've lost two females who were both extremely gravid. In both case I thought mating was immenent and woke to find the females dead. I lost a male when I left the flow off in the tank for about 10 hours.:headwalls:

The female I have now is doing well though she's the least voracious feeder of all that I've kept.

I hope this trio does well. I've seen them in trios before. My long term goal is breeding.

 

[pnavarro170]

pics !!

 

[Kahuna Tuna]

Very cool, best of luck with the trio. Can't wait t see a vid or some pics.

 

[small alien]

Coming Wednesday along with a Lancer Dragonet. Will post pics.

 

[Monkeyfish]

Good luck Small! It'll be interesting to see how the trio does.

 

[rssjsb]

They're really not too hard when already weened. I've lost 3 but all for known reasons. I've lost two females who were both extremely gravid. In both case I thought mating was immenent and woke to find the females dead. I lost a male when I left the flow off in the tank for about 10 hours.:headwalls:

The female I have now is doing well though she's the least voracious feeder of all that I've kept.

I hope this trio does well. I've seen them in trios before. My long term goal is breeding.

Good luck, Paul!

 

[Terryz_]

I hate it... It is easy to get them eating but always lose them to freak accident... 1st pair got fin rot in QT as i fed too much, lost them as they stopped eating.. 2nd pair jumped out... And lost my 3rd pair 1 week back in a power failure.. Sigh...

 

[Renton777]

Good to hear Small Alien! I look forward to seeing how things go. Good luck!!

 

[small alien]

Arrival

Arrival

The pair arrived alive and in good condition late Wednesday. Both fish appeared in their jammies and must have been asleep in the bags.

The pair was really staying close right from the get go. I almost had a feeling they were a pair collected together but I have no idea.

 

[small alien]

Qt

Qt

Into the established 10 gallon QT with them along with the tiniest lancer dragonet I could imagine. 1/2 inch maybe.

So, the male is pretty thin behind the head. I sometimes wonder, if they're "eating enriched brine and roe with vigor", why DD doesn't fatten them up a little more before shipping. Anyway, they have some weight on them.

The skinny male ate some prawn roe right away. The female wasn't interested in food right away. Male also tasted mysis after a while. And female pecked at some roe later in the evening. I put an airstone in the QT thinking it would help them adjust after shipping. Who knows.

 

[small alien]

Day two, the QT is looking cloudy. I think from the airstone somehow. Also, smells a little funky. I wonder if the increased oxygenation is driving some biological process faster than usual. I begin to worry about them in the QT. I feed roe throughout the day and both fish eat, though not with vigor.

I determine to leave them in the QT overnight and move them to the display in the AM. I think these fish acclimate better in reef surrounding with other fish.

 

[small alien]

Into the DT

Into the DT

This morning, I transferred the pair along with the micro dragonet into my 75 to join my existing female. This horrible video documents the first moments after introduction. The established female is smaller and at the bottom. Turn down the sound to avoid hissing audio.

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/EzIXPTWVFoQ?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[small alien]

All three began diplaying with darkened colors and fin action almost right away. No aggression but tons of interaction.

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ViLlvtESfN8?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Note the yellowing of the 2nd dorsal and anal fins. And please excuse the flotsam, just turned the flow back on.