Angler ate new blenny

[jasonrusso]

I've had my painted angler for over 2 years. He's always been a terrible hunter, but I've been stick feeding him since I got him.

Well, I got a new orange spot blenny about 6 weeks ago. I had him in QT and put him in the tank yesterday morning. He was doing well and actually ate last night. I also fed the angler last night.

This morning the blenny was swimming around and was actually right in front of the angler. He was there for a long time (maybe an hour). Now I can't find the blenny and the angler is huge and breathing heavy.

I don't want to believe it, but I know what happened. I feel terrible.

What are the angler's chances of surviving this?

 

[fishguy242]

imo angler no prob,blenny dif story,sorry to hear hope he pops out of a rock,but.... big belly

 

[jasonrusso]

I don't see how the angler (he is is the background there) swallowed that blenny

 

[jasonrusso]

imo angler no prob,blenny dif story,sorry to hear hope he pops out of a rock,but.... big belly

I do too....

 

[lion king]

Exactly why or why not an angler survives after eating a really huge fish is any ones guess. Ive seen some not make it from eating something half their size, while Ive seen some make it when they put down something going to almost as big as they are. So there are a few factors involved that I dont completely understand. Whether it works or not, I have raised my mg to as high as 1400ppm after I got got concerned of overeating, it may or may not have helped. I have read that mg does have a positive effect towards proper digestion. If he gets buoyant, I have seen massage work to help expel trapped gases, yes, you heard it, a nice belly rub. One really large item seems to be more deadly than a few items that collectively put them over the edge. I think I remember he is in a fairly large tank, which is another good thing, dont be surprised if he gets a little active, you know, like walking off a big meal. When kept in smaller tanks they dont seem to recover as much.

The thing about anglers, they are ambush predators, they will wait until the opportunity presents itself. Ive had damsels and peppermint shrimp live years with anglers, because they knew he was there and what he was capable of. Any new additions need to be angler proof.

 

[GK3]

I don't see how the angler (he is is the background there) swallowed that blenny

I have the same angler, same color too. Had him about a year.

If the fish isn’t twice as big as the angler, it’s a risk. Not much you can do at this point except keep an eye on him. If he loses the ability to control himself and is floating with the tank currents then he likely won’t make it (just lost one this way).

I’ve had my angler eat a bigger meal than he can handle and he spit it back up (meal doesn’t survive their belly’s). So if he in fact ate the blenny you can keep a look out for that.

sorry about the blenny.

 

[BloopFish]

I've had a Commerson's frogfish eat a lionfish with no visual distress afterwards... it's easy to underestimate their eating capabilities unfortunately. The frogfish will probably be fine.

You really shouldn't add any fish that isn't significantly LARGER than the frogfish, they can easily eat things their size or even larger. So of course it is capable of eating something smaller than it. Blennies are definitely a no go unless you want to give them expensive snacks. I used to feed my frogfish blennies that I caught myself, and I can tell you that it really enjoys eating it.

 

[fishguy242]

bucket mouth they are indeed

 

[User1]

Just wondering why you would even chance it...

 

[jasonrusso]

Just wondering why you would even chance it...

Look at the picture, I didn't think it was possible

 

[jasonrusso]

I'm still surprised that I didn't see anything. If he ate him, I would have thought that I would have seen his tail out if his mouth. He was about 6 inches long.

 

[BloopFish]

I'm still surprised that I didn't see anything. If he ate him, I would have thought that I would have seen his tail out if his mouth. He was about 6 inches long.

That blenny is pretty tiny. I'd highly recommend reading more literature about frogfish, there is A LOT to know about them and it will make you a better anglerfish keeper. There are a couple of things you should know. First, they can and WILL eat things that are their size AND even try something that is LARGER. They are very nondiscriminatory when it comes to prey, they WILL try to eat things that can even choke them or can't even fit in their stomach.
A VERY important thing to know is that their stomach is EXPANDABLE and they can expand to become LARGER than the size of the frogfish itself, hence why they can fit pretty much anything.
Also, you can't think of the blenny being too large for the frogfish to eat. It is tiny compared to its stomach, it's slightly long, but it is pretty thin. The blenny can EASILY fit into the frogfish by being folded up in the stomach. It's not like the blenny is a stiff piece of rock, it can bend easily to fit into the stomach. Again, it's very easy to underestimate the appetite of a frogfish.
I'll tell you this, I've kept a frogfish about the size of the one you posted about and I have fed it blennies that are 6+ inches at times (it all depended on what I caught that day). It happily ate it and made a large piece of poop afterwards.

Unless the fish is significantly larger than the frogfish, don't add it to the tank expecting it to be a tankmate. Also, when they are about the size of the frogfish, this is when it can be dangerous and choke the frogfish. It is very important to choose what you add to the tank wisely.

 

[jasonrusso]

That blenny is pretty tiny. I'd highly recommend reading more literature about frogfish, there is A LOT to know about them and it will make you a better anglerfish keeper. There are a couple of things you should know. First, they can and WILL eat things that are their size AND even try something that is LARGER. They are very nondiscriminatory when it comes to prey, they WILL try to eat things that can even choke them or can't even fit in their stomach.
A VERY important thing to know is that their stomach is EXPANDABLE and they can expand to become LARGER than the size of the frogfish itself, hence why they can fit pretty much anything.
Also, you can't think of the blenny being too large for the frogfish to eat. It is tiny compared to its stomach, it's slightly long, but it is pretty thin. The blenny can EASILY fit into the frogfish by being folded up in the stomach. It's not like the blenny is a stiff piece of rock, it can bend easily to fit into the stomach. Again, it's very easy to underestimate the appetite of a frogfish.
I'll tell you this, I've kept a frogfish about the size of the one you posted about and I have fed it blennies that are 6+ inches at times (it all depended on what I caught that day). It happily ate it and made a large piece of poop afterwards.

Unless the fish is significantly larger than the frogfish, don't add it to the tank expecting it to be a tankmate. Also, when they are about the size of the frogfish, this is when it can be dangerous and choke the frogfish. It is very important to choose what you add to the tank wisely.

After failed hunting attempts like this, I wasn't too worried.

 

[lion king]

A painted angler will get to the size to eat dwarf lionfish, dwarf angels, and fish of that size, they'll easily down blennys and gobies 6" or more. They can live with them for years, then one day the fish swims by, and slurp; the angler takes them down. They will die taking down a dwarf lionfish, not to mention the lionfish. Against my warning, I knew a guy that kept 2 wartys together, around a couple of years passed, one day he came home to one warty. I saw a youtube vid of a painted taking down a good size fuzzy lion. Their hunting style is to stalk and set up an ambush, they don't normally chase down their prey.

 

[BloopFish]

After failed hunting attempts like this, I wasn't too worried.

I don't really see how this would make someone rationalize that it can't eat a blenny... the frogfish probably would've eventually eaten the shrimp if the lionfish wasn't there.

Also, that frogfish will eventually get to the size to be able to eat that dwarf lionfish.

 

[jasonrusso]

I don't really see how this would make someone rationalize that it can't eat a blenny... the frogfish probably would've eventually eaten the shrimp if the lionfish wasn't there.

Also, that frogfish will eventually get to the size to be able to eat that dwarf lionfish.

The point was that the angler could never catch anything. I have to stick feed him a few times a week, and he won't eat big chunks, let alone a 6" fish.

 

[Picasso the Triggerfish]

I don't see why a painted frogfish can't eat a blenny while another painted frogfish can eat a dwarf lionfish
like in this clip

 

[jasonrusso]

I don't see why a painted frogfish can't eat a blenny while a brown one can eat a dwarf lionfish
like in this clip

That angler was MUCH larger than mine. Mine just died this week, I think from eating the blenny. He was never the same again.

 

[Picasso the Triggerfish]

That angler was MUCH larger than mine. Mine just died this week (sorry for your loss), I think from eating the blenny. He was never the same again.

But the point is, IMPO, that:

1. The frogfish was almost the same size of the lionfish. (your blenny was almost the same size of your frogfish)
2. The stomach of the frogfish, if you watch carefully the frogfish's belly, expands, and that is maybe the reason why your blenny got eaten. Frogfishes are slow, but they are patient and great ambushers, and a fish that is long and thin like a blenny or goby can fold easily on the stomach of the frogfish.

 

[jasonrusso]

I think that you guys are misunderstanding this whole thread. I've been keeping anglers for years. I had this one nearly 3 years, which from what I have researched is maybe their life span. I had others that were had for 2 years +. I guess I should have said that I knew that it likely COULD, but didn't think that it WOULD. He refused to eat pieces of food that were too big, so I would have to cut them in half. I didn't think that he would eat something as big as him.