Angler fish Compatibility

demariners

demariners

Work In Progress
I am really intesterested in getting an Angler for my new Reef tank. I also am possibly considering getting one in my large swim only tank.

The reef will have some anenomes in it and a bunch of coral. Not sure what I am getting in it yet but I already have some anenomes in it. I am trying to find out what if anything I should not put with the angler. It is a painted angler. The tank is a 55 ga. I could put him with my large tank but he is quite small right now. I think about 1" at the LFS. I have considered doing some larger clownfish and other fish in the 55 ga. Any suggestions or things to consider with the Angler?
 
They can eat anything up to and even a little bigger then themselves and they are not safe with just about any motile inverts, including things like cleaner shrimp. Most larger or aggressive fish will pick on or out compete an angler for food so they are best kept in a tank with corals and non motile inverts, depending on the anemone I would not think it would bother the angler and the angler would just ignore any type of anemone.
 
Anything else I should be concerned with adding to the tank with the angler? I went and bought a small (1") painted red angler. I would like to maybe get a few more. How do they do with each other? Any suggestions in feeding them frozen food? Thanks.
 
Yes, you should avoir the anemone as the angler could get burnt. Their skin even if it is elastic, it s very fragile to any kind of dermis attack.
 
demariners said:
Anything else I should be concerned with adding to the tank with the angler? I went and bought a small (1") painted red angler. I would like to maybe get a few more. How do they do with each other? Any They can and will eat each other if the size difference is too great so be very very careful if you add more then one to the tank at a time.
Click to expand...
 
I have been reading up on anglers a lot as Im about to get one.

Your best bet is to keep it in a tank all by itself. They will eat absolutly anything they can get their mouth around, from other anglers to sharks. It seems to be safe to put in some hermits and snails but any other livestock will almost definitely get eaten.
 
Use a piece of rigid airline tubing or an acrylic rod. Tie a length of monofilament fishing line to the end. Then you need to thread the line into the frozen food item (a small needle is useful to bury the line into a small shrimp, krill, or silverside chunk). Move the food like it is alive and the Angler will eventually take it. I have had them trained so well they come to the front when I open the lid, anticipating food. You may need to initially offer the Angler small live shrimp (gut loaded ghost shrimp are good for tiny Anglers), guppies, Molly fry, or live chromis. They have to eat live sometimes to build up an appetite. Good luck!
 
Hello,

I would not recommend you to give any fresh water fish to your angler. Even if not scientifically proven, This is not their natural food and it sometimes leads them to death few weeks later. We have experienced this few times here.

Ghost shrim, small chromis or small gobies is prefered.
I use a sewing thread so make any baits move if i feed them with dead food such as small anchovies or small fish or small shrimp.
 
Well i have frozen krill that I feed to my large fish in my other tank. I would like to get the angler eating it if possible. It was eating live ghost shrimp at the fish store and I simply do not have the time or the place to get the ghost shrimp and readily feed him. I was going to try the sewing thread idea if he doesn't eat in a few days.
 
You will need to start with ghost shrimp or gutloaded (with high quality marine food) guppies. You can acclimate guppies and some ghost shrimp to salt water. You should never assume an angler can be weaned to frozen food. Mine all weaned, eventually. It took me over a year to get one of my painted anglers to take frozen. Trust me, in the short term at least, it will be less work for you to feed ghost shrimp or guppies to the angler. Allow some time and patience for weaning. If you don't have the time or place to do this, you should consider taking the angler back to the LFS.

A juvenile angler is going to have to be fed more often than an adult. I'd make sure it ate at least every other day. Food items should not be too large.
 
Yea, I don't mind feeding him live stuff and weaning him off hopefully. I do have the time to do it. If I am feeding him every other day. How many shrimp should I feed him? When you say you can acclimate the live food I am a little confused. I have never had or fed a fish live food. I think there is a store nearby that sells it but I am not 100% sure. How long will the ghost shrimp live? Are you saying I need to have a tank dedicated for them? Thanks for all your help.
 
Guppies and some ghost shrimp can live in salt water if you slowly acclimate them by putting increasing amounts of salt water in their tanks until they are at full salt water salinity.

If your angler is really small, just one or two small shrimp or guppies (smaller than the size of its head) every other day or so. The stomach should be filled, but not bulging. Anglers are gluttons and will eat themselves to death!

If you are able to acclimate the ghost shrimp or guppies to a salt water tank, you can keep them in the tank with the angler, either separated by a divider, in a breeder tank, or running loose so he can pick them off when he wants to. (But remember the risks of gluttony.)

I have a black molly in my saltwater tank. When she has babies, the fish eat them. Guppies, mollies, and mosquito fish can all be acclimated to salt water. I have acclimated ghost shrimp that came from brackish water to salt as well. I have several in a 12 gallon nano cube as clean up crew with a shrimp goby and tiger pistol shrimp. I've had these ghost shrimp for over two years. If you just dump them in the tank without gradually acclimating them to salt water, they will die right away.

If you don't have a separate container to keep them in for a while, try acclimating as you would a new fish to your aquarium, but stretch the acclimation time over 4-6 hours. Dry a drip tube to make it gradual. If they are healthy when you get them, you may be successful in a short time.
 
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I am confused on a few things. You said they will eat themselves to death so is it not safe to put a bunch on the tank roaming around? I do have a refugium I could put them in. How long do they live typically and do I need to feed them? I noticed you have an Angler tank.....What is your opinion on items that can and can not go with the Angler. He is currently 1". HE IS REALLY SMALL. Thanks for all your help.
 
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