Calling all Stonefish Keepers - general question

[Daeorn]

Got a question on feeding.

What do you feed your stonefish, and how?

I believe what I have to be Allenbatrachus grunniens or "Grunting Toadfish"

Looks the closest to it, and I've heard him grunt a few times. I'll post pics tonight if I can.

I always have ghost shrimp in my tank, however they get picked off by everyone in the tank - and while I've seen my stonefish nail one - I can't promise that he has a full diet of them.

I also about weekly get 10-15 small comets as while I know live fish isn't the best diet for any fish, these are the only things I can guarentee he eats, and no one else does.

Also every once in awhile I tempt him with an earthworm/nightcrawler which while he doesn't seem to take it immediately, when I come back later, it's no longer there, with no sign of someone else eatting it.

He's also picked off three fiddler crabs and I suspect my two small red claw crabs and two smaller dragon gobies that I can no longer find


He's huge too, he's a good 7 inches long, with a mouth about the size of my fist.

So, if you own, or have owned a stonefish before - what do you guys feed them?

 

[kyleking007]

Ive got one not near that size and I used to feed him with a feeding stick now he has his own tank and I just keep mollies in with it for him to snack on at his will. I would suggest a feeding stick with a live fish to start tell he gets the hang of stick=food. then you can feed it all kinds of things.. Id love to see pictures of this big dude mine is onle 3-4 inches.

 

[DB junkie]

Mine get market shrimp. Fed with a skewer. Have G.Tiles in with them.

 

[Daeorn]

Yeah, when I first got him about a month or two ago, I had 3 mollies in there. I figured they were going soon to be lunch. Never happened. I was kinda banking on it

Right now I try to entice him with large krill and long tongs, but I think he doesn't so much like the shiney metal being poked at him. Will definately have to try the shrimp/skewer method. Thanks

 

[Daeorn]

Bringing this back up to the top I have a few more questions.

1) Do your stonefish readily take any food items offered to them?
- Mine does not. I have tried market shrimp, whole silversides and half earth worms. It seems to shy from any thing placed in front of it or dangled. While I notice that some feeder fish go missing every so often, I cannot confirm that he has eatten them.

2) How large are your stonefish?

3) How often do you feed your stonefish?

 

[malawi haps]

I have mine in with wasp fish he is only 1.5 " he readly eats ghost shrimp and feeder guppys.I love to watch him stalk then then all of a sudden BAM there gone.I think they are more active in a tank where they have to compete for food.I try to feed mine 2 times a week .

 

[DB junkie]

Mine did not accept dead food till the G. Tiles where added. There needs to be competition if you want them to thrive. I have 2 stonefish and 2 G.Tiles in a 20 gallon. The Tiles are about 12 in and the stones are about 4-5 in.

They are fed every other day. Rare occasions they get feeders. Usually shrimp and nightcrawlers (the Tiles won't touch them but the stones love em)

I had a hard time keeping these things. Have had 5 previously failed attempts. This batch started with 4 ended up with 2. Don't really know why these decided to live and the others didn't.