Frogfish?

[fishstixs05]

I have seen several tanks and heard about people (AFM) that have kept frogfish, sometimes in as small as 3 gallon tanks! Anyone here had a frogfish or know somewher to order one? These guys are very cool and I think it would be a nice "oddity" to own.

 

[Bearfan]

Tadpoles? I've seen those around for years. Is this what you mean by frogfish?

 

[sumphead]

Do you mean frogface angler? These are non-energetic, but cool none-the-less but still require at least 30Gallons. They don't swim or move a whole lot, but they are sefinately interesting to look at.

HTH,
R-

 

[jamal-188]

I have one in a 30g tank although many people keep them in smaller tanks. There is a huge thread on RC discussing them, I'll see if I can find it when I get home from work. I've had mine for a few months and have luckily got him to eat frozen food, but some will only take live. Liveaquaria.com sells them. I got mine at my work(thatfishplace), if you can't find one let me know, we don't have them on our website yet but I'm sure we could send you one because we usually have a few in the store.

They definately are interesting fish, but they don't move around too much. Mine usually walks around the bottom looking for a good perch. I hve only seen him swim on a handful of occassions and it's only for a couple seconds.

 

[jamal-188]

Here is the link, pretty long but it has a lot of good info >>Frogfish Files<<

 

[fishstixs05]

Very cool, thanks jamal. BTW, how much was yours? They ranged on LiveAquaria from $30-120. Also, do you keep anything else in the 30 gallon? I have a 6 gallon i was thinking about keeping it in, but would it eventually get too big? Lastly, what do you feed yours and how often. Thanks again!

 

[jamal-188]

I paid $30 for mine but they really range in price depending on what type. They also range in size from 3-12" or so. I think a smaller one would be fine in a 6 gallon as they don't really move around much. As a juvenille I would suggest feeding every 3-4 times a week and 2-3 times a week as an adult. With that small of a tank I'd keep an eye on water quality but since they are inactive and eat very little it shouldn't be a problem. They also excret small pellet like waster so it's easy to spot and clean up.

I feed mine a piece of freeze dried krill soaked in vitamins about 3 times a week. Just make sure the piece isn't too large, I suggest reading the thread on RC, I know it's long but goes over a lot of important points on feeding them as they will pretty much eat until they die if you let them. Food will basically rot in their stomach faster than it can be digested hence the reason to feed them smaller pieces on only every few days.

I do not keep anything else in my tank but I think I will once I find a suitable tankmate? (i.e. something too large for him to eat but not too aggressive that it will pick on him or will outgrow a 30g tank )


HTH,
Chris

 

[jamal-188]

I forgot to mention that luckily mine does eat frozen/prepared food although i kind of have to trick him. I use a long set of tongs but I have to wiggle it around for a few seconds until he gets really excited. If I take it right to him he won't eat it. I"m not sure if wiggling it makes him think it's alive or what but it works!

 

[Bearfan]

Hmmm...that's a new one to me, and an interestingly ugly fish.

 

[fishstixs05]

I read the article, very informing. I am amazed at now many frofish owners there are, and there tendency to run out and buy a new one every time one dies. for these costly fish I think it would take me a while to buckle down and get a new one. Right now the six gallon is very well cycled with two damsels. maybe i will leave them in for a snack . No, I plan on returning them to the store, and get a little credit. BTW do you keed scavengers (i.e. snails, hermits) with the frog?

 

[specialk]

I have a frogfish and it took me a year to get him to eat frozen mysis and he takes it right out of the turkey baster. Mine is in my 90 and I would put live brine in a turkey baster let him see its food coming out, once I got him used to that i put frozen brine in the baster than put the mysis. It took me a year of patience.....lol
I also fed baby guppies in the mean time, he has never touched any snails or hermits or any of the fish for that matter.

Kaye

 

[specialk]

And I meant a Leaf Scorpionfish not a frogfish....lol
Sometimes I swear I dont know my own fish.....lol 8O


Kaye

 

[jamal-188]

I have a bunch of snails/hermits as well, think there is a mantis in the LR but I can't ever seem to find him

 

[Nitrate]

I’ve had a frog for about 4 months, got him to take frozen silversides after only a few weeks using the same method that jamal used. He was in my 150, but got very stressed when I was battling cyano so I moved him to my 20. I'll move him back to the 150 eventually, but he seems very content hiding in the hole in the rock that he adopted as his home. Mines about 3" long and if memory serves he was only about $25. He’s probably grown at least an inch in the 4 months I’ve had him.

Most visitors to my tanks go directly to the 20 to try and find the frogfish. Great conversation piece, and really cool fish.

 

[Nitrate]

Had to take a pic - Notice the iverocks.com rocks hes sitting on

 

[jamal-188]

Nitrate, that's a cute little guy What kind of lion is that in the back? I really would like to add antoehr fish in my 30g but I'm really not sure what to add?

 

[fishstixs05]

hey jamal-188, saw a yellow angler for $30 in SF, pretty good deal, huh? May even get it at wholesale price.

 

[Nitrate]

I actually moved him back to the 150. Thats a volitan lion behind him, fairly large fella too.

I did have him in the 20 with a antanata lion for a while, I know that too much bioload for the 20, but didnt have much of a choice at the time.

 

[1neondottyback]

Some keep frogfish in reef systems of course no shrimp or it's time for some cocktail sauce. I think hermits would be fine with some live rock.

I have heard that feeding them guppies ghost shrimp and even mollies is best using a small net and moving the net towards the frogfish.

You can trick the fish into eating frozen shrimp thawed and skewered on a stick and wiggle it in front of them. They take their time and are very methodical when it comes time to hunt.

They digest their food slowly and eat about twice a week. Be careful over feeding that seems to be what kills most of them in the wild and home aquarium...gluttony..If a fish eats too much it won't digest fast enough and gasses will make the fish float and death will occur.

This is all out of Marine Fish and Reef 2003 Annual..Special 5th anniversary