Wartskin Angler

[solitude127]

I have a Wartskin angler that's about 1.5" big. How often should I feed it and in each feeding, how much should I feed?

[nirvanaandtool]

My wartskin is the same size as yours. I feed every other day - usually 1 piece of food that is around mouth sized (maybe 1/4"ish). Typically its a silverside chunk or jumbo mysis but he will take squid, table shrimp pieces or salmon when he's really hungry.

[matholamew]

I have a baby Sargassum who is about the same size as yours. See my thread http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2158285.

I feed mine some guppy fry about once every other day. I get them very small from my LFS. Since I got him he has grown slightly and is doing very well. I want to try some ghost shrimp but cannot find any small enough. I will have to try some mysis or silversides.

[nirvanaandtool]

Originally Posted by matholamew

I have a baby Sargassum who is about the same size as yours. See my thread http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2158285.

I feed mine some guppy fry about once every other day. I get them very small from my LFS. Since I got him he has grown slightly and is doing very well. I want to try some ghost shrimp but cannot find any small enough. I will have to try some mysis or silversides.

Try freezing gutloaded ghost shrimp and pinch off their tails before feeding them. I would feed my Warty just the heads/guts so he could actually eat them since most ghosts were too big.
From this I got him onto frozen jumbo mysis.

[matholamew]

Originally Posted by nirvanaandtool

Try freezing gutloaded ghost shrimp and pinch off their tails before feeding them. I would feed my Warty just the heads/guts so he could actually eat them since most ghosts were too big.
From this I got him onto frozen jumbo mysis.

Great idea. I will have to try that, thanks.

[solitude127]

Originally Posted by matholamew

I have a baby Sargassum who is about the same size as yours. See my thread http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2158285.

I feed mine some guppy fry about once every other day. I get them very small from my LFS. Since I got him he has grown slightly and is doing very well. I want to try some ghost shrimp but cannot find any small enough. I will have to try some mysis or silversides.

Originally Posted by nirvanaandtool

My wartskin is the same size as yours. I feed every other day - usually 1 piece of food that is around mouth sized (maybe 1/4"ish). Typically its a silverside chunk or jumbo mysis but he will take squid, table shrimp pieces or salmon when he's really hungry.

Thank you for the suggestions.
Guppy fryling is an acceptable diet for anglers? I'm new to angler and want to make sure. thanks

[nirvanaandtool]

It's best to get them onto a variety of frozen food but gut loaded guppies and ghost shrimp are good starts

[solitude127]

Originally Posted by nirvanaandtool

It's best to get them onto a variety of frozen food but gut loaded guppies and ghost shrimp are good starts

can you explain "gut loaded"? Does that mean feeding the guppy a certain food so that it's in the guppies belly when it gets eaten? If so, what type of food would you "gut load" a guppy with?

[namxas]

You're correct. "Gut-loading/enriching" live prey items means feeding them something nutritious so that it's in their GI tract at the time they're eaten.

A good quality marine flake food is a great enrichment, as is spirulina, beta glucan, and carotenoids. Vitamins C, B1, B6, and B12 are also good, altho Vitamin C can simply be dosed into the tank, as the fish can take it in via their gill structures.

[nirvanaandtool]

Originally Posted by namxas

You're correct. "Gut-loading/enriching" live prey items means feeding them something nutritious so that it's in their GI tract at the time they're eaten.

A good quality marine flake food is a great enrichment, as is spirulina, beta glucan, and carotenoids. Vitamins C, B1, B6, and B12 are also good, altho Vitamin C can simply be dosed into the tank, as the fish can take it in via their gill structures.

Yep. This exactly. Sorry should have explained it in the post.

I typically gutload with marine flake or pellets cause it is the easier to gutload with but have used mysis, cyclopeeze & spirulina at times.

You essentially take prey items that aren't that nutritious (especially ghost shrimp - notice how clear they are?) and make them a nutritious meal for your predator.

[solitude127]

Here's my fish. Hopefully he does well

[nirvanaandtool]

Awesome coloration. I love the white warties.

Good luck with him!

[solitude127]

Originally Posted by nirvanaandtool

Awesome coloration. I love the white warties.

Good luck with him!

Thanks. He's liking guppies so far. At some point, I'll try and get him off guppies and onto silversides.

When you feed silversides, how do you hand feed these fish?

[nirvanaandtool]

I don't hand feed. I use a stealth stick for all my predators (THIS).

I place the food chunk on the 50lb line and wiggle it in front of the angler. At first it took some time but now all I have to do is show him the food and its chowdown time.

[solitude127]

Thank you for the link. I'll try that.

[matholamew]

I have been afraid to feed frozen thinking that he would never take to it. I think this has changed my mind on that.

[namxas]

You'd be REALLY amazed at how well the stealth stick works...we came up with it in response to a couple of our fish biting a normal feeding stick and going "stick shy", and a fish that has gone stick shy is REALLY hard to re-wean.

Here's a little vid of the stick in action:

http://http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=aXwe7zKhPQw

[nirvanaandtool]

Originally Posted by matholamew

I have been afraid to feed frozen thinking that he would never take to it. I think this has changed my mind on that.

Gotta have the patience to wean them. Some fish are easier than others.

Here was my progression for my angler.
Guppy Fry -> Ghost Shrimp -> Live Ghost Shrimp on Stick -> Frozen Ghost Shrimp on Stick -> Jumbo Mysis on Stick -> Silverside/Table Shrimp/Salmon/Squid Chunks

Get them good and fat on live and then move over to the frozen ghost shrimp. They should take to it pretty easily. Then move to jumbo mysis - that may take a little convincing but they eventually move to it. Then work on other frozen food. Sometimes when I'm trying something new, I'll put a little of the new food on the stick with a piece of mysis in front of it. He focuses on the mysis and chomps down, learning the taste of the new food.

[alexandernewell]

Do you think they can actually taste the food? I figured they would have something like a sense of smell but I didn't think they would have developed a sense of taste as they usually swallow foods whole.

[namxas]

I've seen plenty of fish spit out foods they don't care for, and typically, after that, they won't rise to that particular food. Can they taste like humans? I dunno, but they can taste something.

[nirvanaandtool]

Originally Posted by namxas

I've seen plenty of fish spit out foods they don't care for, and typically, after that, they won't rise to that particular food. Can they taste like humans? I dunno, but they can taste something.

Yea this...
I fully believe they can taste food. My angler will spit out foods he isnt fond of (particularly salmon) but will absolutely inhale his favorite foods (mysis, silversides).

[solitude127]

Is a guppy diet bad for these fish?

[jarrod13]

Just to wean them no, but long term yes, they're freshwater fish and don't provide the proper nutrients