Can't get a Frogfish to eat...

Floop70 · #1 12-12-2009, 04:28 PM

I got a frogfish about a month ago and have yet to see it eat. I assume it must be eating at least some of the shrimp pieces I've offered or else it wouldn't live this long. I've tried soaking shrimp and krill in selcon and garlic and dangling it in front of his face. I bought a couple peppermint shrimp for him to eat which are still hanging around. There were 3 damselfish in with him that would back up to him and swish their tails in front of his face and he'd just leave them. Can anyone offer up any other suggestions on getting him to eat? What kind of feeders might I put in for him that would be cheaper than peppermint shrimp?

Might mollys work? And if so, how slowly would I need to acclimate them to saltwater?

Joe Reefer · #2 12-12-2009, 04:49 PM

Silversides

Jason McK · #3 12-12-2009, 05:08 PM

+1 on the silversides. My Frogfish didn't eat for about a month at first. Now he eats a each time I offer him a siverside. It's important to make sure in the begining that the silverside looks like a fish. because of the pack being frozzen often you break off a piece that does not look like a fish. Dig through the LFS supply for a pack that is easy to break off whole fish

J

noirsphynx · #4 12-12-2009, 05:18 PM

I fed mine silversides. I would feed him with a feeding tong and gently wiggle the fish around him.

whatcaneyedo · #5 12-12-2009, 05:39 PM

I mount silversides or krill in the end of a clear hollow acrylic rod (basically rigid air line) and then move them to my fu manchu which he eats. Before I bought him at the LFS he wouldnt eat anything that wasnt alive and swimming, then they got him to eat silversides that were dead but drifting. When I bought him, I taught him to eat off of the end of the tub and now he will eat anything that is on it. You can also try soaking frozen food in Kent Garlic as its suppose to help attract them.

Floop70 · #6 12-12-2009, 08:23 PM

Thanks for all the replies. I picked up a pair of tongs and a couple mollys from our LFS. I dangled a molly in front of his face and he gobbled it up right away.

I'll see if I can get silversides from The Reef Shoppe and try those. Thanks again everyone.

naesco · #7 12-12-2009, 09:47 PM

Great!
Now remove the shrimp and damsals and give them to a local hobbyist.

karazy · #8 12-13-2009, 02:57 AM

also, make sure you don't feed the frog fish too often once every 1-2 weeks (depending on the size of the frog fish) should be plenty.
if you feed too often the original food that you feed will rot in the digestive system while the frog fish tries to digest the second round of food, eventually killing the frogfish.

Snaz · #9 12-13-2009, 06:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by karazy

also, make sure you don't feed the frog fish too often once every 1-2 weeks (depending on the size of the frog fish) should be plenty.
if you feed too often the original food that you feed will rot in the digestive system while the frog fish tries to digest the second round of food, eventually killing the frogfish.

How does an organism such as this make it past the first round of culling on the great ride known as Evolution? I'm just saying if eating kills you.. well Good luck.

karazy · #10 12-13-2009, 09:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snaz

How does an organism such as this make it past the first round of culling on the great ride known as Evolution? I'm just saying if eating kills you.. well Good luck.

the reason is because frogfish in the wild eat very rarely. frogfish will wait for the absolute perfect shot on prey, which means most fish swimming by are too quick for it.