spiny box puff

[jamesH]

am thinking about geting a spiny box puff any1 had any good/bad experiences with 1?and have been told by lfs that the do NOT give of harmful toxins and other places say they do

 

[mr_X]

i haven't heard of them putting off toxins. btw, they need a big tank.

 

[jamesH]

what min sized tank whould u recommend? i have a 80 gallon tank

 

[mr_X]

well, live aquaria says it's minimum tank size is a 70 gallon tank, but then a little below that they say that a 180 is suitable.
i think a juvenile puffer might be ok in your 80, but you'll need to give it up or upgrade eventually.

 

[Krypt]

If it is a member of the boxfish family, those do release toxins if they get stressed. The toxin is called Ostracitoxin. Here is a little info on it:
Ostracitoxin - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Puffers though shouldn't release anything if its just a normal puffer.

Edit: After looking at the fish your talking about, no it does not have any toxins.

 

[jamesH]

thanks for the ifo. i had a stars n stripes puffer and just befor christmas he got stressed i think from the builders next door makeing a lot of nosie on the other side of the wall n released these said toxins and killed every think and ive had to start from scratch so dont fancy going down that route again. but if they dont i may get him and look at upgrading when the time is write

 

[boxfishlover]

I had a spiny box (stripped buurfish) for almost a yr. he was 6 inches when I got him and grew to over 8 inches he was awesome he got along with the other fish in my tank and would even let me pet him while I was feeding him. Unfortuanetly we went away on vacation and turned the heat down and I think it stressed the tank because I had a velvet outbreak and lost him. As far as the toxin thing goes I truly wish people who really do not know the facts on this wouldnt comment, I have a contact at the Shedd aquarium that explained to me that these type fish do have the toxin but in order to release enough toxin to hurt the size tank they should be in they would have to be close to full grown I have had puffers on and off for the last 12 rs and NEVER have had any kind of toxin release or woke up to a tank full of dead fish. The whole thing is really a falicy that has been totally over dramatized!!

 

[Krypt]

The confusion comes in because of the similar shapes of boxfish and puffers. If the fish is of the family Ostraciidae, then the toxin is present. If its not a member of that family, then your good to go.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ostraciidae

 

[jamesH]

Well just bin to the lfs and he has white spot and not feeding so I got to w8 till they get another one in! Do you think he will be ok in my 80gal with my fuzzy dwarf lion and yellow eyed tang or should I avoid????