Boston Bean Cow Fish?

[Florida8]

Last night I had to get my aquarium fix and while waiting to get the tank up and running, I have been browsing so I will have months to decide exactly what we will we keep this time.

My daughter and son both have 10g and 12g nanos going back up... (they are really mine ) and so they have been looking as well.

So, we are walking by the tanks and all the sudden my daughter says MOM! I want that floating rock! I looked and sure enough, it was a lil wee floating rock looking fish. I have searched and found nothing about them. It was labeled a Boston Bean Cow Fish. Looks like a dime size cow/puffer mixed. I asked the sales guy and he said I have no idea how big or their temperment, reef safe or anything... All I know is they have a deadly posion and blow up the whole tank if they get freaked out. Ummmmm... ok, that's the info you have for me and you sell SW fish?


So, can anyone here give me more info on this little guy... Can they be kept together? Any info at all would be great.

Thanks!

 

[Florida8]

Well, Now I have found under one of Bob Fenners articles that, "About "Boston Beans": these are juveniles of various species of cowfishes and boxes, not a specific designation; they grow up to look like the adults of whatever species they are."

So any tips on caring for cows, how hardy are they? life spans? Species only tank? I'm researching myself, but value others input that have hands on with them.

I'm trying to find the species that were in the LFS to get more info on adult size etc...

 

[Fluff]

Have you tried fishbase.org?
Go there and search cowfish under common names.

 

[Florida8]

Thanks! Great site! Saved it to my favorites.

This might be what I was looking at, although the juvi has barely visible fins and no long tail... http://fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.php?id=6554

More like this little guy, http://www.saturn.sannet.ne.jp/swatch/izusakana/izusimaumisuzume.htm

Or this
http://www.marinelifephoto.com/png_pg4/pages/PF-18.htm

either way, we just love it, but I have no idea what the actual bean 'adult' is, says they can be a mixture of many juvi box/cow fish and I have no idea what it will require as an adult or tank wise. Hmmmm

Great site, thanks again!

 

[GinaD]

I had a long-horned cowfish in my 55 gal about 15 years ago and it did just fine in the fish-only tank. Of course back then I didn't know what fish were compatable with what, so I just bought what I liked and waited to see if they got along. If not, the aggressor would go back to the LFS. In with him, there was: lion fish, seahorse, powder blue tang, small dog-faced puffer and a coral beauty. Along the way there were others, like a trigger that lasted a day before I returned it and some damsels. I had the cowfish for about two years - then my brother cought the house on fire and since there was no power, I had to sell the survivors to the LFS. The cowfish was one of my favs, though. He would recognize me in a group of people and come hovering over to where I was. It was so cute!

 

[Norm]

I had a Boston Bean in a mini reef tank. It was about dime sized and lived about two years. It never got any bigger. It grazed on the live rock, but didn't damage it in any way, and it never bothered the corals.

I realize this is an old thread, but maybe some one will come looking for info on Boston Beans again.

Norm