We Want A Good Home!

[TFFDave]

I have a 4 foot Marine tank on a mahogany stand that i have had for many years, it is full of living rock with a sump, pumps uv etc and there are a hovercraft box fish, cow fish, mandarin, 3 humbugs, a gohst goby, boxer shrimp crabs, snails etc

i have not got the time to devote to it (due to other hobbies) that i used to so it all has to go. the tank could do with a strip and clean and it will be fine but its the fish i am more concerned with, they need to go to a good home.

i dont want anything for any of it, just someone to take the fish (and the tank if they want it)

I am in Essex (canvey island)

Email dssl_cctv@hotmail.com if interested (i can email you pic's on request)

Dave

 

[G7EG]

Hi mate,

Im very very interested and live just down the road in Rayleigh!

You sure you don't want anything for any of it?

Do you have pics I can see mate?

Im on msn messenger if you like funky-g@hotmail.co.uk

 

[Opcn]

Just so that potential adopters know, if the cowfish gets stressed in your tank and you are not running fresh carbon everything will die, everything.

 

[Aquascaper]

Following on from Opcn's comments here is some info from www.liveaquaria.com regarding the individual fish so that any potential interested parties know what they are letting themselves in for. It is all too easy to be tempted by free fish and not to bother checking them out:

Hovercraft Boxfish (Ostracion cubicus) -

• Minimum tank size = 125g
• Maximum size in aquarium approx. 18"
• When first introduced, the Cubicus Boxfish prefers a diet of live brine shrimp or bloodworms. Once acclimated, the diet should include chopped squid, clams, mussels, and herbivore preparations
• This is a very difficult fish to keep in the aquarium setting by any other than the most experienced aquarist
• If stressed, the Cubicus Boxfish releases a poisonous substance, called ostracitoxin, from its mucous glands which will kill other fish in the tank very quickly

Cowfish (Lactoria cornuta) - (Took a guess on which particular one it was)

• Minimum tank size = 125g
• Maximum size in aquarium approx. 16"
• Since they are omnivores, the Cowfish Longhorn should be offered a variety of meaty and vegetable foods. They are slow eaters, and should not be housed with aggressive eaters
• When possible, the Cowfish Longhorn should be the first fish introduced in the tank
• Similar to other boxfish, the Cowfish Longhorn's skin is poisonous and, when threatened, it will release a toxin lethal to other tank members, including other Longhorns

Mandarin (Synchiropus splendidus) -

• Minimum tank size = 30g
• Maximum size in aquarium approx. 4"
• It should be kept in a well-established 30 gallon or larger aquarium with 75lbs+ of mature live rock and plenty of hiding places
• It feeds on a variety of vitamin-enriched live brine shrimp, live black worms, and natural prey on live rock and live sand therefore a good population of pod life is required

Humbug Damselfish (Dascyllus aruanus) -

• Minimum tank size = 30g
• Maximum size in aquarium approx. 4"
• It will need a diet of meaty items, herbivore preparations, and flaked foods.
• Due to its aggressive behavior as an adult, it will do well with other moderately aggressive fish in a community tank and should be added last to avoid territorial conflicts

Ghost Goby (Fusigobius neophytus) -

• Minimum tank size = N/A
• Maximum size in aquarium approx. 2"
• Detritus eater and scavenger

Boxer Shrimp (Stenopus hispidus) -

• Minimum tank size = 30g
• Maximum size in aquarium approx. 3" (6" with feelers)
• It can destroy corals and anemones by nipping them open to feed on ingested food
• It may harass other smaller shrimp of different species
• It needs sufficient room to allow it to move without its long antennae touching neighboring corals or anemones
• It is an opportunist scavenger and will attack and eat small fish and inverts given the chance

Hope this helps people make an informed decision on whether to take on these fish and inverts. I personally would give the Boxfish and Cowfish a very wide berth and wouldn't even consider the Mandarin unless the tank was 6mths+ old and full of live rock.

 

[TFFDave]

All good Advice,

i think the box and hovercraft fish are not as bad as reprted, they eat out of my hand and when i am cleaning will "cuddle" my hands.

they will also let me remove them from the tank when i am on a serious clean up. my tank is very well established and well filtered.

the reason i advertised them here for free is because i want them to go to an enthusiast, i could take them to my local store, but that would be crule.

all the fish are of a good age (none of them are under 2 years from purchase)

i am tempted to to buy another tank and swap the contents over but time is limited and these things take time!!

here is a pic.

Following on from Opcn's comments here is some info from www.liveaquaria.com regarding the individual fish so that any potential interested parties know what they are letting themselves in for. It is all too easy to be tempted by free fish and not to bother checking them out:

Hovercraft Boxfish (Ostracion cubicus) -

• Minimum tank size = 125g
  
• Maximum size in aquarium approx. 18"
  
• When first introduced, the Cubicus Boxfish prefers a diet of live brine shrimp or bloodworms. Once acclimated, the diet should include chopped squid, clams, mussels, and herbivore preparations
  
• This is a very difficult fish to keep in the aquarium setting by any other than the most experienced aquarist
  
• If stressed, the Cubicus Boxfish releases a poisonous substance, called ostracitoxin, from its mucous glands which will kill other fish in the tank very quickly
  

Cowfish (Lactoria cornuta) - (Took a guess on which particular one it was)

• Minimum tank size = 125g
  
• Maximum size in aquarium approx. 16"
  
• Since they are omnivores, the Cowfish Longhorn should be offered a variety of meaty and vegetable foods. They are slow eaters, and should not be housed with aggressive eaters
  
• When possible, the Cowfish Longhorn should be the first fish introduced in the tank
  
• Similar to other boxfish, the Cowfish Longhorn's skin is poisonous and, when threatened, it will release a toxin lethal to other tank members, including other Longhorns
  

Mandarin (Synchiropus splendidus) -

• Minimum tank size = 30g
  
• Maximum size in aquarium approx. 4"
  
• It should be kept in a well-established 30 gallon or larger aquarium with 75lbs+ of mature live rock and plenty of hiding places
  
• It feeds on a variety of vitamin-enriched live brine shrimp, live black worms, and natural prey on live rock and live sand therefore a good population of pod life is required
  

Humbug Damselfish (Dascyllus aruanus) -

• Minimum tank size = 30g
  
• Maximum size in aquarium approx. 4"
  
• It will need a diet of meaty items, herbivore preparations, and flaked foods.
  
• Due to its aggressive behavior as an adult, it will do well with other moderately aggressive fish in a community tank and should be added last to avoid territorial conflicts
  

Ghost Goby (Fusigobius neophytus) -

• Minimum tank size = N/A
  
• Maximum size in aquarium approx. 2"
  
• Detritus eater and scavenger
  

Boxer Shrimp (Stenopus hispidus) -

• Minimum tank size = 30g
  
• Maximum size in aquarium approx. 3" (6" with feelers)
  
• It can destroy corals and anemones by nipping them open to feed on ingested food
  
• It may harass other smaller shrimp of different species
  
• It needs sufficient room to allow it to move without its long antennae touching neighboring corals or anemones
  
• It is an opportunist scavenger and will attack and eat small fish and inverts given the chance
  

Hope this helps people make an informed decision on whether to take on these fish and inverts. I personally would give the Boxfish and Cowfish a very wide berth and wouldn't even consider the Mandarin unless the tank was 6mths+ old and full of live rock.