Feeding a Frogfish

[phoenixhieghts]

Any tips? I got one on Saturday and i cant get him to eat!
I have noticed tho, when the lights are out his lure is straight out, should i try feeding him in the dark?

[Terror A. Part]

I had a Sargassum frog-fish. He only liked to eat live foods, mostly little glass shrimp. I had to feed him like 10 of them a day--he was a big old fat-ass! I would just put the shrimp in the tank, and he would hunt them whenever he felt like eating. They're neat, neat, neat to watch!!!



I mean, they will eat anything--just make sure it's alive. They also produce a lot of waste, so try to stick with feeding it live shrimp, because if you go with fish, it just really fouls up your tank quickly and you have to keep doing lots of water changes...Mine ate a puffer and it led to his demise. Actually, he ate two. My cat had knocked over the divider enough for the puffers to get over the little wall...

[Terror A. Part]

Oh, and additionally, I'm sure you already know this, but don't put anything else in the tank with him, or get a divider. They will eat anything they can get into their mouth, which opens pretty wide. They can and will eat fish larger than themselves...mine ate a sand goby that was almost twice as long as he was. I thought it would be fine because the goby was so big, but I was wrong--and I could see the goby struggling to get out of the frog-fishes belly. I was very distraught and felt angry with myself for allowing THAT to happen...terrible. So be cautious.

[phoenixhieghts]

I have a red marbled one. I'm in work at the mo, but i might post a pic later.

Yes i am aware of their ferocious eating habits. He's in a species only tank. I am trying frozen foods, as this is what he was eating at the lfs, they just stuck a peice on a cable tie put it by him and he'd eat it.
However he wont do that with me! Im even jiggling it to make it look like the fish is alive. He brings the lure out, but then when i bring the fish to his mouth, he just puts it back!
My lfs doesnt sell feeder shrimp, the closest thing i could get for him is a mollie or guppy, but i dont have anything to acclimatise them to salt, so they would just prob die as soon as they went into the tank.
I spoke to the lfs man, and he did say give it time and play it cool, but if he wont eat by the weekend, i may take him back. I really dont want to tho, as he is super cool!

[Terror A. Part]

MMM. I wouldn't recommend feeding him freshwater fishies. He'd eat them, I'm sure, but like I mentioned before, it would really foul up your water, and his tummy might not like them either. If he was eating frozen at the fish store, he'll probably eat frozen at home...maybe he just needs some time to adjust?

[phoenixhieghts]

yeh thats what the lfs said, give him time.

I dont really want to feed him live food, i'f feel way to guilty, hmmm i might see if the lfs across town sells feeder shrimp. Can ghost/glass shrimp survive in salt water?

[eggerstout]

Originally Posted by phoenixhieghts

yeh thats what the lfs said, give him time.

I dont really want to feed him live food, i'f feel way to guilty, hmmm i might see if the lfs across town sells feeder shrimp. Can ghost/glass shrimp survive in salt water?

I've just tossed ghost or glass shrimp in my saltwater tank and they survive, one lasted a couple of months with some green spotted puffers until the puffers found out they tasted good.

[phoenixhieghts]

Originally Posted by eggerstout

I've just tossed ghost or glass shrimp in my saltwater tank and they survive, one lasted a couple of months with some green spotted puffers until the puffers found out they tasted good.

Excellent! At least i dont have to botehr acclimatising!!

[Jason McKenzie]

I had a really tough go, trying to get mine to eat. It went 3 weeks without food. then one day he was out and about to I got a silver side on a feeding stick and he took it. Now he comes out about every 3 days and gets a silver side.
I have him in my reef tank. All my other fish are much bigger than him. he has been a fun addition. I haven't been able to ID him yet but he is small

Good luck
J

[schackmel]

he will eat if he gets hungry enough...esp if he was eating frozen in the store. I hear they are very very poor shippers and get stressed very easy so a little time is all he will need.

I fed mine/parents molly's guppys and ghost shrimp....the ghost shrimp you can get to survive longer in the SW then the others...the fish can actually survive a couple hours in the tank before they die...and if they are still in there at that time then your angler is not hungry. Just make sure you gut load your live with vitamins and HUFA's right before you feed them. (I currently dont have an angler now..have a ambron scorpion eating live). I try to get my own breeding stock of FW fish so I can monitor the health better.

They do produce a lot of waste..frequent water changes, scoop up the poop, when they get bigger you can actually see poop and if you are feeding fish skeletal remains every once in a while ()...you can put snails and hermits in there...they will not attack them as their shells protect them

The only reason I might suggest giving him 1 live feeding is to see how he goes about the prey. I watched my angler and saw how he attacked his prey as each type has a different stalking activity. After I saw how he approached it, I moved the silverside like that int he water. Also...dont get it too close to the fish...the can not see it...their eyes are on side of head..might loose it plus you will tick them off

Be careful however iwth keeping them with anything else..even if they are bigger then the angler. Their eyes are way bigger then their stomach. I read an article in a Reef Magazine..will try to find it called killer appetitie or something like that where a guy placed a angler in with his 12" long shark for a few minutes until he could do something...came back and the angler was very very swollen and no shark! Was a baby shark of course. The angler died a couple days later...and necropsy found this intact shark

One angler I had..the store made a mistake and put 2 anglers in a same tank....when I went to get one they could not understand where the second one was...surely it was hiding as the one missing was much bigger then the one I bought....Nope..the one I bought did not eat and died 3 or 4 days later...he had his last meal..another angler

So do not overfeed them...no more then every 3-4 days. 10 ghost shrimps unless is a big fish is too much..they will keep eating themself to death...

Again. later today I will try to find some articles that I had on anglers..very cool fish..thinking about getting another one since I have a live feeder tank set up