Angler fish Compatibility

[LisaD]

Sorry to be confusing. Yes, they can eat themselves to death, but if your only choice is to put them in the tank you could do it. Refugium is much better. If the guppies or ghost shrimp can scavenge in the refugium, you shouldn't need to feed them. BUT, the purpose of gutloading is to provide enhanced nutrition to your angler. It's not absolutely necessary, but it's a good idea.

Try this link for some information on acclimation of guppies to salt water:

http://www.njreefers.org/archive/index.php/t-63630.html?

I've read that it can take a few hours to a week to acclimate guppies or mollies to salt water. If the fish or shrimp are in good health when you get them, you may be successful using a drip line over 4-6 hours. I'd get a bunch of plain feeder ghost shrimp or guppies in decent health and give it a try. If your LFS has brackish tanks, they may even have brackish acclimated guppies, mollies or ghost shrimp (for feeding store fish) which are even easier to acclimate to full salinity. I acclimated my molly and ghost shrimp quite a while ago, but I think I did it over several hours, definitely not a week.

When I did wean my anglers to live food, I found that strips of ocean nutrition gel cubes (I varied the types) really enhanced the growth rate and colors. I'd feed a thawed pieced I cut off a cube from a piece of stiff fishing line or a bamboo skewer (sharp end blunted). I could feed my larger adult anglers half a cube at a time.

 

[demariners]

I will go to the LFS that sells Ghost shrimp and Guppies and see what they have or say. I have a small tank I could put them in if I needed to. As long as they do not need to be fed I should be able to do it without a problem. Did you see my other question about compatibility? Thanks again.

 

[LisaD]

good luck!

on compatibility, anglers really need to be kept alone, and also with no stinging corals or anemones. they get picked on, eaten or stung OR they eat whatever fish or shrimp they can get their mouth around. they are very weak swimmers, and tend to get way outcompeted for food. if you have a small tank, it may be a good idea to use it to grow out your angler.

the smaller anglers (like wartskin or painted) can be kept in 20-30 gallon tanks as adults. for the baby you have, if you can keep water quality high, and conditions stable, a 5 or 10 gallon tank would be fine.

best angler information, IMO, can be found in the frogfish chapter of Reef Fishes volume 1 by Scott Michael. great for ID, how to keep and feed. seriously, few if any fish tankmates are a good idea with anglers. I kept my painted angler pair in a 29 with non-stinging corals (e.g., mushrooms, cabbage leathers) and macroalgae, with moderate flow. they spawned for me several times (pairing them can be a risk too).

invert tankmates could include sea urchin, feather duster, sea cucumber, sponges, snails (but not giant clams), non-aggressive hermit crabs (I only use scarlet reef hermits)

 

[demariners]

Thanks for the advice. He is actually in a 55g a right now and seems to be pretty happy. I have the flow a little too high I think cause he looks ****ed when the wave maker turns on. I am going to turn that down a little. I have a rose tip anemone and everyone I am talking to says that he should be fine so we are going to wait and see. The anemone is very small and the tank is quite large. I do not currently have anything else in the tank. I can't believe that Anglers eat each other.....you would think they would like each other and know each other is trying to kill them using the same methods.

 

[LisaD]

I don't think knowing anything has much to do with it. They are ambush predators, and can't swim fast, so they take advantage of the opportunity to eat whatever and whenever they can! They have a very strong feeding instinct.

 

[demariners]

How would live Mysid shrimp do? Apparently they are sold at my LFS and live in salt water. Thanks.

 

[LisaD]

Are they saltwater mysids? I don't think the freshwater type will acclimate to salt.

Mysids are usually kind of small, I think. They'd be good if at least 0.25 to 0.50 inch, for your little guy. I'd take a look and if they seem like the right size, get a bunch. You could add all to the tank, or put some in the refugium. For things that are a challenge to catch, IMO it is okay to have a bunch in the tank. It is when large food items are offered, with no hunting effort needed by the fish, that anglers are most likely to eat themselves to death.

You can easily get frozen mysis, too, so you could work on weaning to the same kind of food.

 

[Drdavis]

Angler and Marine Beta (Comet)

Angler and Marine Beta (Comet)

I have two very small anglers, both about the same size <1". One of the guys in my local club has a Marine Beta that is about 5 inches long.

I am interested in putting them all in my fish only tank but for now am afraid that the Beta will eat the Anglers. Do any of you have experience with these fish being together.

The tank is a 150 Tall.