Saltcorner
By Bob Goemans
By Bob Goemans
Not Reef Tank Suitable
Likely Fish-Only Tank Suitable
Range: Indo-West Pacific and Eastern Pacific Ocean: East Africa to Mexico, north to Southern Japan and the Hawaiian Islands, south to New Caledonia and the Tuamotu Islands.
Size: 10 inches (25 cm)
Natural Environment: Inhabits lagoon and seaward reefs at lower surge zones and usually found at depths at about 100 feet (30 m) where it feeds on benthic invertebrates and small fishes.
General Husbandry: Occasionally seen in the trade with males having blue body with a wide black blotch on the top of the head and blue spots, and the female entirely black with white spots.
Best maintained in large fish-only aquariums having wide-open swimming areas and slow moving and very peaceful tankmates.
Requires a varied diet containing both meaty and vegetable matter, and should be fed several times daily.
Taxonomy:
Order: Tetraodontiformes
Suborder: Tetraodontoidei
Family: Ostraciidae
Genus: Ostracion
FYI: A slow moving fish, therefore, it should not be housed with fast moving and/or fin-nipping fishes.
Will eat snails, ornamental shrimp and smaller fishes.
One male per aquarium or a male and female per aquarium. Male - Blue Spotted; Female - Black Spotted.
Do not offer floating foods, as this species may ingest air and cause buoyancy problems.
May consume cyanobacteria/slime algae and other types of macro and microalgae.
When excited or threatened can release a toxin (ostracitoxin) that may kill other fish.
Activated carbon will remove the toxin, however, it may be too late to save it or its tankmates once it happens.
Always remove a specimen if it's being picked on or in bad health.
Experience Level: Expert
Temperament: Peaceful
Diet: Omnivore
Coral Safe: Yes
Fish Safe: No
Invertebrate Safe: With caution
Acclimation Time: 30 minutes+
Aquarium Environment: Fish-only aquarium
Tankmates: Peaceful, yet larger
Minimum Tank Size: 200 gallons
Temperature Range: 72 - 79°F (22 – 26°C)
Specific Gravity: 1.020 - 1.026
pH: 8.0 - 8.5
