Wartskin Angler Tankmates?

[nawilson89]

I have the opportunity to get a Wartskin Angler. Of course I don't want it to be the only fish I have in a 40g.

What can I add with it?

 

[sc50964]

It all depends on how big your angler is since it can swallow fish at near equal size.

 

[nawilson89]

It all depends on how big your angler is since it can swallow fish at near equal size.

I guess my question is, does anyone have experience with this species. As far as anglers go the wartskin seems small, almost like a nano of the species.

 

[lion king]

I have a wartskin alone in a bc29, this is my 3rd angler; I like keeping alone for a few reasons. The wartskin does stay smaller and doesn't grow incredibly fast. Because they stay smaller, like max about 4"; theoretically they could have tankmates. One reason I like keeping them alone because feeding them live prey will give you the fullest experience of keeping them, feeding them dead on a stick you will turn them into an ornament that eats. Tankmates of course need to be larger, an angler can and will eat something as large as they are; and most times don't survive. A larger fish could bully the more immobile and docile angler, or eating it's esca which is used to mimic food. So real choices in tankmates should be considered very carefully. Although a 40g may be considered too small for a dwarf lion species, that is really the only tankmate I could even think of, other than another immobile ambush predator like a leaf scorpionfish. The lion would have to be larger than the angler, but not large enough to eat him; and you would have to manage their growth as to have them grow together in balance.

 

[nawilson89]

I have a wartskin alone in a bc29, this is my 3rd angler; I like keeping alone for a few reasons. The wartskin does stay smaller and doesn't grow incredibly fast. Because they stay smaller, like max about 4"; theoretically they could have tankmates. One reason I like keeping them alone because feeding them live prey will give you the fullest experience of keeping them, feeding them dead on a stick you will turn them into an ornament that eats. Tankmates of course need to be larger, an angler can and will eat something as large as they are; and most times don't survive. A larger fish could bully the more immobile and docile angler, or eating it's esca which is used to mimic food. So real choices in tankmates should be considered very carefully. Although a 40g may be considered too small for a dwarf lion species, that is really the only tankmate I could even think of, other than another immobile ambush predator like a leaf scorpionfish. The lion would have to be larger than the angler, but not large enough to eat him; and you would have to manage their growth as to have them grow together in balance.

Thanks for the reply! So it looks like the angler won't do with the tankmates I want to keep, which is fine. For now I will wait then and if the opportunity arises (my fiancee' upgrading her tank and allowing me to keep her original tank going...) I will get one!

 

[jasonrusso]

I had a wartskin angler a couple years ago (for 2 years). He was about 3 1/2 to 4." Still one of my favorites. He was actually quite active for an angler. Always right in front of the tank. He would go for a swim at random times (which is a sight to see, they gulp water in and blow it out their gills which are on the back of their legs). Whenever I walked into the room he would start waving his lure. He was the smallest fish in my tank, but no one ever bothered him. I have a coinbearing angler now who is pretty much nonexistent. Every couple days when he wants to eat he comes out and then hides after.

 

[Daniel@R2R Verified Admin]

Anybody got any pics of their anglers with tankmates?

 

[jasonrusso]

I don't have one with tank mates, but this is Blinky. I miss him all the time. He seemed fine, but died suddenly one night.

 

[burden2626]

i also want to know more about angler tank mates i was thinkn of doing a 37 gallon tall tank i was gonna do a diy drop tank design and i always wanted a angler wich species stays smallest and can they be housed with a clown thats bigger with its anemone like a clarki or marroon ? and do they eat or disturbe coral? and can it eat a mandarine i read some were mandarine give off toxin if eatn or bothered that would push a fish away from its smell or somthin or will angler just eat him if he cant be with either large clown then i keep him solo with corals?

 

[jasonrusso]

i also want to know more about angler tank mates i was thinkn of doing a 37 gallon tall tank i was gonna do a diy drop tank design and i always wanted a angler wich species stays smallest and can they be housed with a clown thats bigger with its anemone like a clarki or marroon ? and do they eat or disturbe coral? and can it eat a mandarine i read some were mandarine give off toxin if eatn or bothered that would push a fish away from its smell or somthin or will angler just eat him if he cant be with either large clown then i keep him solo with corals?

A wartskin stays small, maybe 4 inches. They won't eat coral and have no toxin. Mine landed on an aiptasia once but took off right away.

 

[lion king]

i also want to know more about angler tank mates i was thinkn of doing a 37 gallon tall tank i was gonna do a diy drop tank design and i always wanted a angler wich species stays smallest and can they be housed with a clown thats bigger with its anemone like a clarki or marroon ? and do they eat or disturbe coral? and can it eat a mandarine i read some were mandarine give off toxin if eatn or bothered that would push a fish away from its smell or somthin or will angler just eat him if he cant be with either large clown then i keep him solo with corals?

the mandarin would be toast, toxin or not; an angler will not care. They can and will eat anything the same size as themselves. The warty will stay smaller, and theoretically a full grown clown would be safe. My experience still suggest keeping them in a dedicated species tank would still be best.

 

[burden2626]

thank you i think the seem intresting on ther own add a unique set up was thinkn a drop tank would be cool so am gonna put him in either a 37gallon drop tank or a 29 gallon drop tank

 

[lion king]

I have a warty in a bc29, and he's cool; but my favorite is still the painted angler. I had one in the bc29 also but he does get alot bigger and grows faster. My painted anglers were much more aggressive to eat and would actually follow me around the tank and shake their esca at me. the painted also seemed more interactive and definitely recognized me over others. My warty is much more laid back, he is active for an angler, and even does regularly take swims. He's a bit lazier to feed and lures in his food more, the painteds would pounce. If you do the larger tank check out the painted anglers, although he would still be fine in the smaller tank.

 

[burden2626]

i think there all cool i was checkn them out wich would you suggest you seem to have had a few i like brightness of some but iam new so i would want hardyest

 

[lion king]

i think there all cool i was checkn them out wich would you suggest you seem to have had a few i like brightness of some but iam new so i would want hardyest

They are all difficult, most people and lfs I know don't keep them alive for long at all. I believe in feeding them live food; not stick feeding them dead. In the wild they live among the sponges; that's why you see them have colors of red, yellow, and orange. The are chameleon like in nature; they don't necessarily blend into a coral more than they imprint into the color scheme of your tank. If you want them to maintain their coloration your tank needs to have brightly color corals either live or fake. If it's just rock they will end up drab.

 

[burden2626]

ok i will do corals but what other suggestions since there all difficult . what set up i still need skimmer? ive been using algea scubber and protien skimmer and diy over flow and i made a filter sock and it runs down into a trickle.filter design for my 55 thats been doing good got easy corals kyna tree mushrooms frog spawn star polyps and zoas porclien crab snails and 2 bta's all doing good

 

[burden2626]

food? i think i seen people useing mollys to feed them?

 

[lion king]

With my warty I'm running an algae scrubber, I use chemipure elite and purigen. A variety of snails as a cuc. I treated him to 2 peppermint shrimp months ago, he ate one and the other one became a room mate; he actually eats his poop. Their poop is like a dog turd, it comes out in a solid form.

I feed mine ghost shrimp, guppies, and mollies. depending on size, you want to feed them small size prey. I say nothing bigger than the size of the width between their eyes, my warty get 3-4 ghosties(or small mollies/guppie) 3x a week. I killed my 1st painted by letting him eat a fish too big.

Here's a tank shot when I was keeping live corals with a painted, the lps corals actually like the nutrients, I wasn't running a skimmer of scrubber in this tank. Tank I'm running now I have fake corals from Living Color.

 

[burden2626]

ok thank you so if am able to keep some corals and nems alive i should be ok with one? and can i do a baby brine shrimp hatchary to feed him along with what you listed ?

 

[lion king]

They need something more substantial than brine shrimp. They have large mouths and a voracious appetite. The smallest warty you'll find maybe an inch, at that size very small ghosties and guppies. Smallest painted just under 2", will need ghosties and very quickly small mollies. Although never a guarantee some people will wean them to dead food, thinking it's easier and cheaper. !st off they will turn into ornaments that eat, rarely moving and even stop using their lure. Most always shortly after they just stop eating. You'll never get the full angler experience feeding them dead food.