Training a Frogfish Question/Help

[Bleakborn]

Hello,

Over the last month I have begun training my frogfish on eating frozen silversides, today he took it but I couldn't get the line out out the silverside before he ate it completly, and I had to slowly pull the line out of him, during this time he inhaled a bunch of water into his stomach and swelled up quite large.

He did eventually get most of the water out but he still looks a little bloated still... Should I be concerned? or will he pass the extra water on his own?

Also does any one have any better tools/ways to feed him? The fishing line attached to the end of a wooden kabob stick is what I am currently using.

 

[lion king]

Yes you should be very concerned, trapped air can be deadly. Sometimes they are able to expel it on their own, sometimes you need to help by burping them. If he doesn't seem to even out within a couple/few hours you can gently and slowly cupped him in your hand and massage his belly from his rear up to his throat, as if to burp him. This maybor may not help and he may or may not recover, such is the mystery of the frogfish.

I will not speak to training your frogfish to dead foods, as a dead only diet will lead to a premature death.

 

[Bleakborn]

Yes you should be very concerned, trapped air can be deadly. Sometimes they are able to expel it on their own, sometimes you need to help by burping them. If he doesn't seem to even out within a couple/few hours you can gently and slowly cupped him in your hand and massage his belly from his rear up to his throat, as if to burp him. This maybor may not help and he may or may not recover, such is the mystery of the frogfish.

I will not speak to training your frogfish to dead foods, as a dead only diet will lead to a premature death.

It didn't get any air just water, was underwater when trying to get the line out. I have had him for two and a half years and have fed him mostly SW ghost shrimp, but have been toying with the idea of adding in some silversides for more nutrients and convenience during the winter months.

 

[lion king]

It didn't get any air just water, was underwater when trying to get the line out. I have had him for two and a half years and have fed him mostly SW ghost shrimp, but have been toying with the idea of adding in some silversides for more nutrients and convenience during the winter months.

That should be no problem, if you wanted to supplement his diet with dead food that wouldn't be a bad idea, it's jsut the dead only that most people try, just doesn't work.

If you offer him silversides, stick to Hikari or Gamma fish; most of the other silverside brands use a variety of fish which contain a high amount of thiaminase. It would be best to stay away from krill, same deal with thiaminese, if you don't know what thiaminese is, it binds vit B1 has been proven to be deadly for some fish, especially predators. The gut flora, bones, fatty layer in live fish will provide complete nutrition, guppies and/or appropriate sized mollies would be a good addition.

For a feeding tool: get a rigid airline from a lfs. 1st bend it gently a few/several inches from the feeding end, as to not be going straight into the face and allowing a little manueverability. You can cut the feeding end to an angle so you can pierce the food and feed that way. Or you can insert a heavy gauge fishing line through the airline tube, leave just a bit long enough to pierce the food at the feeding end, bend the line, cut it and tape it off at the other end.