Need stonefish advise

puffster

puffster

New member
Going to try to do the "right" thing by buying a stonefish at lfs, so Joe Shmoe doesn't end up in the paper. The problem is, I can not find anything on the safe handeling techniques. A lot about what will happen to you if you get stung. Mabe it is my spelling.lol Yes, it is a true stone fish and not a lionfish. Don't know what they were thinking when they ordered it. As Steve Irwin would say "she's a real beaut' " This thing is so ugly it is Cool. Had to set up the 55 for him. He is only about 5-6" right now. Any help in this matter would be much appriciated.

PS: Does anyone have an old pair of diving gloves they would like to donate?

Thank you,

Ernie
 
A 55 would be to small in the long run for a stonefish. They get to be the size of a basketball in width. Check wetwebmedia. They got a whole section on stonefish.
 
You could try:

http://www.fishbase.ph/Aquaculture/AquamaintList.cfm?speccode=5825&fbx=&rde=

Back in the early '70's C-SEA members Joe and Sally Bauer brought back viable stonefish eggs collected from an Indonesian reef. They were huge eggs and were distributed at a meeting to any members interested in hatching them. All seven eggs I took hatched easily and immediately ate baby brine shrimp and later baby guppies, and -- each other -- ending up with one. The tank had an undergravel filter covered with a layer of crushed oyster shell. The stonefish could almost perfectly camouflage themselves in it. It could take several minutes to locate them all, and then when the count was short, a bit longer to be sure the smallest one was gone, unless it was recent enough to tell from a bulge which of its brothers had eaten it. We took a short vacation, fed the lone surviving cannibal before leaving, and it was too young to go without feeding that long even though it was nearly an inch long. By that time I was getting nervous about how I was going to handle such a venomous fish as it grew larger and more dangerous, so I had mixed feelings about it dying.

I would not count on gloves being protection. If the spines penetrate the glove, which they should easily do, the glove might just help more efficiently deliver the venom to the victim. We used tongs to work in the tank and never put our hands in.
 
One thought, rescuing a pet shop fish or a potential Jo or Joe Shmoe from the fish, may be counterproductive. If such a fish sells, the pet shop may just order one again. You can't be there every time.
 
I don't know if 'rescue' is the right word here. Stone fish are great aquarium fish if "like anything in this hobby" the owner educates themself on the fish. They can grow to the size of a football. Their spines are venomous, but they can be easily transported in a bag and styro. The are not "aggressive" but they are ambush preditors. They are easily netted, or they can be captured in a dip cup pretty easy too.
 
Yes, it is the one over at pet junction. I have been trying to gather as much info as I can before the pick up. And will be researching him on a continual basis. I will be looking for a bigger tank when he starts to grow. As far as rescuing him, I think of it as saving his life as well. I've seen too many fish go to waste in shops and people that don't want to take the time to give the fish what it needs. I already asked him what the heck he was thinking when he ordered it. Does anyone know how to sex these things? If I can get two to spawn, (providing that I can find it a mate) a guy at work said that that the Chinese say they taste real good. Corner the Chinese take-out market?lol

Thanks for the feedback everyone and wish me luck.
Ernie.
 
Re: Need stonefish advise

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15268880#post15268880 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by puffster
Going to try to do the "right" thing by buying a stonefish at lfs, so Joe Shmoe doesn't end up in the paper.

Thank you,

Ernie
Click to expand...

Leave me out of this. I don't want to be in the paper.

(Inside joke)
 
Wife didn't say anything except that she thought I was an idiot, after she said that it was an interesting creature and don't expect her to feed it. I've been called worse. Oh well, I don't know who is more exited. Let you know how things go in the transfer.
 
captain larrys had a yellow frogfish there once when they first re-opened.. it was kind of neat-- it had an angler thing hanging down by his mouth :D dont know if it was venomous or not... but it would have been one of those neat to have critters
 
Made it home safely no problems. Was actually easier than I thought. The usual person was not there and the one left in charge of the salt was like "You are getting him out of there right? I'm not getting near that thing." So I had him retrieve a suitable container, I scooped him up fairly easy, then gently poured him into the bucket that I had brought. Netted him from bucket to tank. He is really quite docile although the damsel that I have in the tank does not think so. He is staying to the one end of the tank. Stony as my wife has named him, has taken up residence at the entrance tot he den of the damsel that is under the live rock that I put in there. Well I just fed him his firs meal in his new home.(to give the damsel a chance). One gold fish gone in .0006 seconds once it got into sucking range. Wow that thing David Copperfielded that unsuspecting fish. I guess I don't have to worry about if he is going to eat or not. My wife was pretty amazed at the speed of inhalation of his dinner as was I. I have seen it on tv and in movies but to see it up close is something extra. I do have a question about feeding. How many of these things (goldfish/rubyreds)make a meal opposed to a snack? And should I feed everyday or once a week? Thanks for the support guys.

Ernie
 
What a great, natural way to dispose of unwanted stock! That thing will probably suck in whatever moves within range.
 
A diet of goldfish is harmful to most predators. Goldfish contain fats that can't metabolise so they accumulate inside the fish's liver. Of the freshwater live foods, crayfish are less fatty.
 
rhodo, does that only apply to saltwater fish? feeder goldfish were the only thing my oscar, gar and arrowana had when I was younger... and they had no problems for many years...
 
Find yourself a good distributor of saltwater feeder shrimp. They are great for ambush predators. Don't be afraid to buy damsels for it...especially if they are on sale. They are not just for cycling a new tank.
 
I have 2 dwarf lionfish. If I do any tank maintenence- I make sure that the youngest one is fed before I stick my hands in there. And I try to feed her well. They are so trained when they see my hands they follow me intently. I try to shoo them from the area where I am working if they bcome too interested. Best thing- keep him in a tank where you can 'wall ' him off. I have been using a screen with the black type of fabric screen when wanting to do anything major in the tank. They get a little peeved when denied access to their domain. It takes a little bit of manuvering- but it reduces alot of brow- sweat .
As far as feeding - I will have to agree with the damsels or other small SALTWATER fish. This is what was on the table for them especially in the wild.
 
Hey Chuggy, how many of those clown fish can hatch at a time? I need a horny pair, this guy is hungry. Does anyone know if damsels (other than clowns) can be aquacultured as a viable food source? And where can I get some saltwater feeder shrimp? I've tride to get some for puffy and could not find any. Also what about frozen silversides? I have some in the freezer, although I will have to dangle those for him. As for the names, ask the wife. She has named virtually all our hermit crabs (Alex,Marty, Gloria and Melman were the first), and a few of the fish. The new naso is hot lips the fire goby is Scarlet and the purple tang is Jasmine. The damsel is still hanging in there, shaking in his scales. Poor little guy. I feel sorry for him.
 
You can buy blocks of frozen saltwater fish, but some species can absorb certain vitamins that then have to be supplemented. Also Lake Superior smelt ought to be OK since they are a marine fish living in a freshwater environment. It would be hard to believe a few generations in freshwater could change their nutritional profile into that of a freshwater fish. Crayfish have a low fat profile so they should be OK. In fact they are the "secret" food many oscar breeders use to get their fish in spawning condition.

Many of the predatory freshwater fish are omnivorous, so it's hard to feed them a diet of just goldfish. They will find other stuff on their own. What you gut load the live feeder fish with just before using them also makes a difference in their nutritive value.
 
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