Feeding frogfish and scorpionfishes

[Synanceia]

Like to invite comments about this thought of mine - if we feed freshwater shrimps with shredded marine fish flesh (ikan kuning, mussels, saltwater shrimps or whatever is cheap from the fish market) to the point where they are full (is this called gut-packing?), then in turn feed these fully fed freshwater shrimps to the frogfishes and scorpionfishes, will the latter still get the required nutrients? Advantages are (1) the freshwater shrimps are live bait and will encourage feeding; (2) since the freshwater shrimps have not digested the food (marine fish flesh) that they have eaten, the frogfish and scorpionfish are indirectly eating marine fish; (3) freshwater shrimps are cheap and plentiful; (4) one piece of shredded ikan kuning can feed a lot of freshwater shrimps (and cost only around 50 cents).

BTW, I still don't know what ghost shrimps are and where to get them alive. Are they freshwater or saltwater? What size are they? Hope someone can enlighten me.

[PBT]

ghost shrimp is a FW shrimp the shrimp 1packet $1 or 2

[Synanceia]

In that case, the ghost shrimp (which is freshwater) is not an ideal food for predatory marine fish as well since it will not have the correct nutrients, correct?

[chinmo]

like u said earlier, gut load them with SEAFOOD will do liao. if not train the frog fish to frozens lor....

[eques]

Like to invite comments about this thought of mine - if we feed freshwater shrimps with shredded marine fish flesh (ikan kuning, mussels, saltwater shrimps or whatever is cheap from the fish market) to the point where they are full (is this called gut-packing?), then in turn feed these fully fed freshwater shrimps to the frogfishes and scorpionfishes, will the latter still get the required nutrients? Advantages are (1) the freshwater shrimps are live bait and will encourage feeding; (2) since the freshwater shrimps have not digested the food (marine fish flesh) that they have eaten, the frogfish and scorpionfish are indirectly eating marine fish; (3) freshwater shrimps are cheap and plentiful; (4) one piece of shredded ikan kuning can feed a lot of freshwater shrimps (and cost only around 50 cents).

BTW, I still don't know what ghost shrimps are and where to get them alive. Are they freshwater or saltwater? What size are they? Hope someone can enlighten me.

never feed frog fish and scopion fish with FW shrimp i kenna once that all my fish die from eating it. frog will almost never take non moving food best if you try feeding them with FW mollies (not guppies) they can survive well in marine water and they can help to clear some algae.the only problem with the mollies is that they always stay at the water surface.for frog fish the best way to feed them is shift them to a floating cage after they eat then let them back in to the main tank.this way can encourage the frog to display them self instead of hiding.

[Synanceia]

I seem to be getting conflicting views on feeding frogfishes and scorpionfishes - which is encouraging. That means there are people who are keeping these unique fishes and trying ways to keep them alive. From the personal messages and postings so far, these are the points I gathered: (1) ghost shrimps are NOT acceptable to some hobbyists because they may injure the frogfishes with their sharp shell protrusions or they may cause death due to unknown reasons; (2) mollies are NOT acceptable to some hobbyists because they may cause lipidosis and may not provide enough nutrients; (3) the most acceptable food seem to be damsels or training the frogs/scorpions to take frozen seafoods. However, damsels are expensive ($1 or $1.50 a piece, right?) and some frogfish and scorpionfish do not eat non-moving baits.

In that case, if we can raise mollies in seawater, will that solve the problem as they will then be more 'marine'? However, the problem is that they stay at the water surface. This is a problem if the mollies survive the initial introduction into the tank. I find that when the mollies are thrown into the tank, in the initial 5 minutes or so, their frantic scampering around the tank usually bring them right to the mouths of the frogfishes.

I gathered also that some hobbyists use cages/beta boxes to let the frogs/scorpions have a higher chance of catching the live baits. Once feeding is completed, they are then let into the main tank. However, if the frogs/scorpions are handled in this way twice a week, will that not stress the buggers and cause more harm than good?

Please keep the ideas and views coming.

[mUAr_cHEe]

personally... im starting on my frog fish tank soon.... so did my research already... come to share it now.... research has been of one over year.... kiasu hor??

u muz bear in mind that frog fish do not need to be fed regularly.... once every 3 days or twice a week.... eaquarist used to feed their soccer ball frog fish once a week.....

just throw in a damsel or 2 in the tank... and leave it... the frog fish will continue to hunt at night... so do not worry so much... if u dun see yr frog fish eating... doesn't mean they won't eat when u not looking...

or if u so worried... then help to 'target-feed' loh... use the net to push the 'food' near their mouth... but that would be spoiling them.... all eat... no exercise... get fat only...

or wad Volitan used to do was... he bought thosee frozen lance fish.... then holding the fish by the tail... he wave the fish head first in front of the frog fish mouth.... eventually... the frog fish GULP the whole fish down... of course not including Volitan's fingers...

[Volitan]

or wad Volitan used to do was... he bought thosee frozen lance fish.... then holding the fish by the tail... he wave the fish head first in front of the frog fish mouth.... eventually... the frog fish GULP the whole fish down... of course not including Volitan's fingers...

I think you need to add " " to Volitan, or pple may get confused how does a volitan gets related to feeding anglers. My method had to tie in with some luck and patience; we may not be able to get anglers that eventually feed on frozen food.

As for the earlier idea of feeding FW shrimps with marine food, that's quite an interesting one, but wouldn't it be too cumbersome? Clean and cool water is required to keep FW shrimps alive long enough, so if these shrimps are fed, I assume that a bigger and perhaps more 'sophisticated' tank (one that needs filtration lah) is needed just to keep them. Is it worth the effort?

[Synanceia]

Well, if the FW shrimps are fed seafood, the water will have to be changed after every feed. Don't need a sophisticated system, just net the shrimps out and change the water. Of course, you will get some shrimps deaths, but they are much cheaper than the damsels and chromis.

[PBT]

btw here can stonefish n frogfish live in harmony?cause i have 2 9inch stonefish

[Synanceia]

I keep my frogfishes (those bigger than 4 inches) together with 3 stonefishes (2 around 4.5 inches and 1 around 8 inches) with no ill effects. However, the stonefish will attack lionfishes (even the big ones) and bite off the latters' fins or tails, and eventually the lionfishes die from wound infections - already occurred twice to me. I think this is because the frogfishes move much slower than the lionfishes and don't seem to be 'active' prey to the stonefishes.

[PBT]

wah..your stone fish so terror?mine nver attack my ion le..but my sonefish n my eel brothers..

[Synanceia]

You keep eels with your stonefish and frogfish? How big are your eels? I have an eel (still alive - beautiful fish, with black spots - have only seen one piece so far, and it ended up being my pet . But alas I don't know what species it is. Should take a picture and let someone help me id it) which was swallowed by my A. striatus. The eel is about 20cm long and 1cm in diameter. The striatus (about 3 inches in length) just grabbed the eel by its tail and swallowed it whole within 15 seconds. I was desparately trying to pull the eel by its head out but the striatus gripped the eel very tightly and swallowed it with all its might. I could see the eel moving around the striatus's stomach. So I fished the striatus out, opened its mouth with my fingers, stuck a chopstick in to prise its stomach open, and tried to fish the eel out. Luckily, the eel found its way out of the striatus's stomach and all was well. Anyway, I separated the eels from the frogfishes from that day on. Interesting isn't it? But not if the fish being swallowed is one of your favourites.

[PBT]

frogfishes will eat anything including fishes bigger than it...after that cannot swallow tan die

[Synanceia]

I think this striatus intended to swallow all of my precious eel and it did. But you are right, some will swallow fish they cannot digest and die - I have frogfishes which died from eating gurnard, diabolus, marine 'glass fish' (the totally transparant tetra-like fish which I catch from the sea) and other frogfish.

[angry]

I had one 5" frog that swallowed my 7" volitan and the frog died due to indigestion:(

[Synanceia]

Hence, should frogfishes be kept on their own 'family' tank and with no other fish? Or is it just a particular species which is voracious enough to consume all in its path? Or is it purely a matter of chance and circumstance that a hungry frogfish will strike whatever it comes upon first?

[PBT]

Hence, should frogfishes be kept on their own 'family' tank and with no other fish? Or is it just a particular species which is voracious enough to consume all in its path? Or is it purely a matter of chance and circumstance that a hungry frogfish will strike whatever it comes upon first?

froggies should be a frog fish only tank..better n much safer

[angry]

I currently have a 4" froggy with two 8" volitans, so far so good. I know i'm pushing but...i love them all wat to do and i can only house one tank.

[Synanceia]

I fed my FW shrimps with marine fish shreds today, and it does work. I thought the water will foul rapidly but the shrimps cleaned up all the 'seafood', and their stomachs are visible with the white fish meat. I think this is certainly one way to feed predatory fish. I think it will work with mollies as well cos they are more voracious feeders than shrimps.

[PBT]

here ar guys but dont u guy feel bored with a boring tank if thres only lions?

[Synanceia]

No, you won't be bored if you really love them! The other thing is that they can go for a longer period than most fish without food, hence they are good fish to keep if you go on long holidays!

[angry]

No, you won't be bored if you really love them! The other thing is that they can go for a longer period than most fish without food, hence they are good fish to keep if you go on long holidays!

I cannot agree more:)

[Rhinopias]

I've been kept this Rhinopias frondosa for about a years. I used to offer him live ghost shrimp (I take the sharp things out first) and the mollies (that I give pellet food before I put it into the scorpion tank). And every week, I'll give 1 demselfish for it to eat.

[Rhinopias]

For this Parapterois heterura, I offered him only ghost shrimp and a few mollies. He look fine for many months now