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A personal Note ...
Personally to me.... Frogfish ..... it was love at first sight when i first sighted this unique fish that "walk more than swim" and also it "big mouth with a lure" at a local LFS a few years back around year 2000 dec period.. i was crazy over it back then which get me started my veri first marine tank.. A FROGFISH TANK....
the below are based on my personal experience on the rearing of froggies on the basic tank setup and water conditions.. hope it serve as general guide line to others also into this special fish of the reef..
Special Thanks to my reefing and frogfish bubbies .. bro shawn ( nick: shawncl ) and bro derek.. thanks for all the help in the past and i also enjoy thoses gatherings and meetup
Without you guys... Frogfish Keeping will never be the same..... so when kopi again ?? cheers and happy reefing
Common names and Sci names
Tailjet frogfish(Antennarius analis)
Roughbar frogfish(Antennarius avalonis)
Antennarius bermudensis
Brackishwater frogfish(Antennarius biocellatus)
Scarlet frogfish(Antennarius coccineus)
Commerson's frogfish(Antennarius commersoni)
New Guinean frogfish(Antennarius dorehensis)
Shaggy angler(Antennarius hispidus)
Indian frogfish(Antennarius indicus)
Warty frogfish(Antennarius maculatus)
Longlure frogfish(Antennarius multiocellatus)
Spotfin frogfish(Antennarius nummifer)
Ocellated frogfish(Antennarius ocellatus)
Antennarius pardalis
Dwarf frogfish(Antennarius pauciradiatus)
Painted angler(Antennarius pictus)
Singlespot frogfish(Antennarius radiosus)
Randall's frogfish(Antennarius randalli)
Spinytufted frogfish(Antennarius rosaceus)
Bloody frogfish(Antennarius sanguineus)
Striated frogfish(Antennarius striatus)
Basic Tank Setup
Frogfish, depending on the species, range in size from a max 5 inches of the warty or 'clown' angler, to the max 12 inch 'giant' or commersons angler... there are even species such as the dwarf and Randalls frogfish which stay under 2 inches... but are not commonly avaliable. Most commonly available would be Antennarius maculatus (wartskin - to about 4"), A. pictus (painted), A. multiocellatus (longlure), A. nummifer (Coinbearing), A. coccineus (freckled or scarlet) all grow to about 5", A. striatus (tiger or striated) and A. hispidus (hispid or shaggy) get to around 6 or 7"
Juvies can grow to adult size in a year. It is dependent on the quality and frequency of feeding (recommended: twice a week), water quality, tank temp.
For the smaller species say warty, a tank size of about 20g will be fine, here is a pic of what i have in mind
Good filtration would be a good idea as they produce alot of waste. A good running skimmer always help to remove the excess waste.
Tank's water temp around room temp are alright as long it not over 30 degree.
Water changes of 10% ~ 15% Weekly.. or 20% twice monthly which i usually do.
As for lighting.. normal FL lights are more than enough.. using of MH etc will juz speed up the rate of evaporation and cook the water.
Lots of Live rocks for the beloved froggies to hide which for these froggies would feels more secure and also helps them to catch their meals easily. Create caves and hills like the reef in the tank.
The amount of liverocks in the tank also plays a major part of the bio system of the tank health.
The water current in the tank shall not be too strong nor weak.. A mild gentle flow throughout all areas of the tank would be good enough.
Do not leave the frogfish out of the water while transporting or handling. it will be fatal once these creatures take in air into their stomach.
Feeding
It is not advisable to over feed. In the wild, these fishes usually goes without food for a period of time. thefore a general guide would be feed once or twice a week.. i usually feed mines once a week then once in two weeks alt. Feeding is also much easier in a smaller tank.
A note of caution :
Goldfish and rosy reds contain Thiaminase which inhibits thiamine (vitamin B1) metabolism. Freshwater feeders also have a lipid profile that is not ideal for marine predators. Guppies and mollies are marginally better. F/W ghost shrimp are pretty decent too. Live marine shrimp (farmed) may be the best as live baitfish may harbor parasites.
Frogfish Tankmates
Tankmates are quite tricky. keep any fish smaller than it's size and it will probably become a meal for the angler, yet keep something bigger/aggresive and the angler may get picked on. Ornamental shrimp may not be a good idea, but from my experiences, crabs, snails, and echnoderms seem to be ok.
From my observations.(may not be true). My warties tends to do better in single then when placed together.. it may be due to stress or completion for food as they thends to flare their fins up once contacted each other. Well... i am still observing... til then folks
Some Interesting Facts
HOW DOES IT DO IT?
When a frogfish strikes, it takes just 1/30 of a second to grab and eat its prey - too fast to be visible to the human eye. It opens its mouth rapidly and sucks in its prey before the victim realises what is happening. It can increase the volume of its mouth twelve-fold and swallow prey as large as itself.
Jet-propulsion is a common method used for getting around. Frogfish swallow water and expel it through small round openings behind the pectoral fins, essentially the same action as breathing, but more forceful. When using jet-propulsion, a frogfish appears to levitate and drift along using its fins as stabilizers.
Frogfish are weak swimmers. Swimming using the caudal fin or tail for propulsion is not frequent and only really used for brief dashes such as fleeing from a predator.
Most tropical water frogfish lay eggs as a gelatinous mass that expands on contact with seawater, absorbing sperm ejected by participating males. After floating near the surface for a few days, the raft sinks to the sea floor and the eggs hatch far away from their parents. Other species lay fewer but larger eggs which the male guards until they hatch.
Frogfish possess a highly modified first dorsal spine that they can wave about. At the tip of this spine grows a bit of flesh, known as the esca, that resembles food and entices other fish into its striking path. The diner becomes dinner.
The esca often simulates a particular kind of prey. Some look like worms, others resemble small fish. Esca often also imitate the features of the prey item, such as wriggling, swelling up or emitting a chemical. Frogfish adopt an appearance that matches a particular habitat not as a defence but as a means of remaining unseen by their prey. This combination of using coloration to appear a part of a prey's normal habitat while using a lure to attract that prey within striking distance is called aggressive mimicry and is the frogfish's trademark.
Often frogfish walk, using the two pectoral fins and pelvic fins. This can be slow when stalking prey, or a faster "gallop" for traversing open territory.
Frogfish were fishing before people. Frogfish are masters of camouflage and are incredibly hard for divers and snorkelers to find. These small predators often sit on sponges, and as long as they are still, they look very much like the sponges they perch upon. They also have the ability to alter their coloration to match that of the substrate they are on (sponge, algae, coral, etc). To top it off, frogfish have spots on their bodies that look like the holes (out-current siphons) of sponges.
No scales?These fish are mostly small (the largest is about 30cm in length) and sedentary in nature, spending most if not all of their lives squatting on the bottom among reef and rubble. Their scaleless skin is often brightly coloured and patterned, sometimes with elaborate tassels and filaments, to help camouflage their presence.
Questions n Answer
1) what would be a good sized tank for a single frog that gets no bigger than 5"? 6"? 8"?
20 to 40 gallons would be nice for a 5", more as the size goes up
2) which frogs max at said size (5,6,8")?
Most commonly available would be Antennarius maculatus (wartskin - to about 4"), A. pictus (painted), A. multiocellatus (longlure), A. nummifer (Coinbearing), A. coccineus (freckled or scarlet) all grow to about 5", A. striatus (tiger or striated) and A. hispidus (hispid or shaggy) get to around 6 or 7"
3) how fast do they grow? (1"-5" 5"+)
Juvies can grow to adult size in a year. It is dependent on the quality and frequency of feeding (recommended: twice a week), water quality, tank temp.
4) what is a good aquascape for them? (asumnig a sand bed with some rocks for it to hide on, does the sand and rock have to be alive?)
If it is not, it will eventually be alive. I'd stay away from aggressive LPS (frogspawn, torch, hammers) and anemones. Frogfishes will knock over frags. Plastic decor is actually quite acceptable
5) can they change there color or pigment?
Yes, and quite rapidly too.
6) im asuming no other tank mates other than frogs since they can and will try to eat anything smaller to equal size and i dont want a tank that would fit a larger fish.
Pretty much
7) are they poisonus to the touch? or have poison in there fins/skin?
Not venomous. Reputed to have toxic flesh. I've not eaten one.
8) what salinity? ph? hardness? do you keep your tanks at?
I prefer 30 (1.022) and 8.2
cheers
