Frogfish + sandbed yes or no?

[naesco]

Originally Posted by Marlin65

You know that frozen is just like steak or pork it has already been killed and packaged.
Its a meat eater so either way something has to die.
What about those poor silversides.

Yes Marlin you are right and that is why the comparison is simply a justification.
Personally, I will spend more money QT ing and medicating a little green chromis damsal with a little fungus on it than what the little guy cost me.

It troubles me as a reefer to see other reefers feed them to other marine fish just as it troubles me to see them used to cycle a tank.

But, like earlier posted, to each their own.

[Marlin65]

I could see putting damsels in as food could bring in some other disease as well that would kill the frog fish. I would think you would have to qt your damsels for the frog fish first. It would definitely be better to try to feed it frozen. Hope it works out I would think its not an easy fish to feed frozen to. They are cool fish though so best of luck in your endeavor.
I don't agree with feeding it damsels either but you probably don't have a choice if you want to keep this fish.

[fishoholic]

Originally Posted by karazy

in my opinion the best way to ween frogfish from live to prepared is the least ethical, but most effective.
what you do is take the damsels out and throw them in a sump or something for later .
then you dont feed your frogfish for about 2 weeks (make sure he has eaten recently before you do this.)
then you take one of the damsels and you grab it by the tail.
still usuing your hand to hold the damsel, slow put it closer to the frogfish.
one it gets close enough wiggle the damsel a little and 9 times out of ten the frogfish will take it.
if this doesnt work after about 20 minutes of trying just let the damsel go so that the frogfish can hunt it normalyand so that it gets a meal in it and try again in 2 weeks.
this teaches it a few things.
1)to eat when food is available, not just at their leasure
2)to get used to feeding aparatuses
3)to eat as much as they can when they can.

once you have done thing a few times succesfully you can try prepared foods.
the best feeding stick ive seen by far would be a piece of acryilic rod with a small length of 40 lb. (or larger) fishing line on the edthat you can push through whatever you are feeding(krill, silversides, ect)

now take the food on your feeding stick or tongs or whatever you have chosen to use (the stick works best imo, even without the fishing line it works pretty well) and put it in the tank about 4"-6" away from the frogfish, wiggling it in the water.
at this point your frogfish should have moved a little towards the prepared food.
now slowely move the food closer to the frogfish, wiggling the whole time.
now wiggle it right in front of him, (moving it side to side a little bit can help too) and he should eventualy take the prepared foods.
if hedoes not take the food try again the next day, but again make sure he gets a meal atleast once every two weeks while weening.

hope this helps.

What you're saying make sense, just not sure if I could do it. It's one thing if the frogfish eats it when I'm not aware of it, it's quite another to hold it and watch it get eaten However if one was able to do it I can see it being an effective methood to get the frogfish eating frozen instead of live which long term would be better.

I have feeding tongs (plastic and metal ones) so hopefully I can make a silverside look lively and tastey.

Originally Posted by Marlin65

You know that frozen is just like steak or pork it has already been killed and packaged.
Its a meat eater so either way something has to die.
What about those poor silversides.

Good point

Originally Posted by Marlin65

I could see putting damsels in as food could bring in some other disease as well that would kill the frog fish. I would think you would have to qt your damsels for the frog fish first. It would definitely be better to try to feed it frozen. Hope it works out I would think its not an easy fish to feed frozen to. They are cool fish though so best of luck in your endeavor.
I don't agree with feeding it damsels either but you probably don't have a choice if you want to keep this fish.

There are a few damsels that have been with the frogfish for awhile now. Maybe they're friends by now and he will be happy to eat yummy silversides. I'm really really really really really hoping not to ever have to buy any damsels in the future to have him eat. If it comes to that I'll make sure the damsels are healthy before adding them to the frogfish tank. I've had some luck in the past for getting fish to eat frozen (my eel, my mandarin, my scooter blenny) so here's hoping I'll get lucky again.

[rodsboys]

I believe I saw your future frogfish today. Cute little fella. You should try feeding him krill on a feeding stick.

[fishoholic]

Originally Posted by rodsboys

I believe I saw your future frogfish today. Cute little fella. You should try feeding him krill on a feeding stick.

You probably did I am going to try silversides, krill, clams, squid, mysis and any other frozen fish food I can find until I can get him interested eating frozen.

[s.tan]

Just wanted to re-emphasis a point that Karazy made in one of his statements.

Originally Posted by karazy

...then you take one of the damsels and you grab it by the tail.

When you start feeding whole dead fish, its easier to hold the fish by the head with the tongs. It may also seem that when you wiggle it, the tail action looks more inviting! In my experience, I've even ended up slapping the face of the frogfish with the tail of the tail of the food fish, trying to get the frogfish interested enough to attack. What I've learned ... and should have known ... is that frogfish are ambush predators. Therefore, they will target the head region of their prey. Duh! As soon as I switched it around, the frogfish attacked and ate.

[karazy]

here's an awesome article on predator feeding by one of the best predator based hobbiests in north america:
http://www.lionfishlair.com/feedingt...thetrade.shtml

[bowkry]

I have a frog fish tank and I find some large crushed rubble in the bottom is great he can walk around lots, not too too much rock I find when you feed him the less rock the more often you will get to see him eat. I also feed mine gold fish (I know its not the best but they are cheap) Starve him for a week then put in a bright gold fish and you will see him eat. Also when he has his hod out that means he is hunting. Plus run a huge skimmer they poop lots. My frog fish is about 6 in and eats 3 large goldfish a week, Its great to watch. I tried feeding him cromis's but he ate one and one is still in the tank 2 months later.

[fishoholic]

Originally Posted by karazy

here's an awesome article on predator feeding by one of the best predator based hobbiests in north america:
http://www.lionfishlair.com/feedingt...thetrade.shtml

great article thanks.

[naesco]

Originally Posted by fishoholic

great article thanks.

I know it will take time and patience to get the fish eating frozen food so hang in there and best of luck. Like was posted, when he is hungry enough he will go for it.