Freshwater Stonefish called Three-spined Frogfish or Toadfish.

Batrachomoeus trispinosus.

The Freshwater Lionfish Batrachomoeus trispinosus was described by Günther in 1861.They are a common species found throughout the Indo-West Pacific; northwestern Australia, Thailand, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, the Arafura Sea, and the Mekong delta. The species is not listed on the IUCN Red List.

Most species seen in the aquarium fish trade are exported from Thailand.

These toadfish inhabit trawling areas of coastal waters and the muddy bottoms of mangrove estuaries, as well as reefs. In the wild the diet of toadfish is quite varied, including such items fish, crabs, shrimp, octopuses, bivalves, snails, sand dollars, urchins, and polychaete worms.

The Freshwater Lionfish is quite large, reaching almost 30 cm (12 inches) in length. The head is about a third of its length, and it has a big mouth. There are spines in its skin. These can cause pain if they are brushed against with your hand. Though this isn’t really a threat, if a person is prone to allergic reactions they should be cautious. The coloring is a dark mottling of browns allowing it to blend into the environment. It sits motionless, looking much like a camouflaged brown lump, or stone, thus the name Freshwater Stonefish.

This fish is kept with some difficulties. They are actually pretty easy to care for and will be comfortable in a variety of water conditions. Yet although they are called Freshwater Lionfish, they will not be long lived in strictly fresh water. The really need to be kept in either a brackish water aquarium, or even a saltwater environment. These fish live in freshwater at low tide, that turns to brackish and then at high tide, to saltwater. Feeding can be difficult as these fish prefer live foods that swim by them. They won’t take flake or pellet foods, and they need to learn to eat dead/ frozen foods. This takes patience, but can usually be accomplished with a feeding stick.

The Freshwater Lionfish is a carnivore, a predator. In the wild they feed on live crustaceans and fish. In the aquarium feed a variety of foods including bloodworms, earthworms, river shrimp and crayfish. Some fish foods that you can offer include tilapia, rainbow trout, pollack, and cockles. Prawns and shrimp can be used in the short term to get your fish eating.

This fish relies on camouflage and stealth to get a meal so if their prey doesn’t swim directly in front of them, they may not get enough to eat. Using a feeding stick, aquarium tongs, or forceps to hold foods in front of their mouth is a good way to make sure that it is getting enough to eat. It may take awhile to get one to feed so be patient. Be careful not to overfeed these rather sedentary fish. Provide just enough so that the belly fills out slightly but doesn’t look inflated.

Some varieties of live fish and saltwater invertebrates are not recommended, at least not for the long term. These include goldfish and guppies, as well as mussels, shrimps, prawns and at least some types of squid. With Goldfish and guppies there is the risk of introducing parasites. Also, these fish and these invertebrates are rich in an enzyme called thiaminase. Thiaminase metabolizes or breaks down vitamin B1 which over the long term can cause severe health problems. The fish listed above are thiaminase-free foods.

This species is best suited for a saltwater or brackish water tank. It can only be kept in fresh water for a short time, but it cannot be permanently maintained in freshwater and live. Acclimate them to a brackish tank slowly, over a period of about a week. They must have a minimum specific gravity of at least 1.005, but a heavy brackish water of 2.5 % to 3% salinity density (specific gravity 1.020-1.024) is suggested for the long term.

Provide weekly partial water changes as needed, generally about 25 – 50%. Water changes can be quite variable, depending on salinity, tank size, and stocking density (bio-load). For example, a saltwater aquarium generally needs about twice as much water changed out as a freshwater aquarium. Do water changes as needed, generally about 25 – 50% weekly.

The Aquarium Setup.

The Freshwater Lionfish needs a brackish water or saltwater environment. It cannot be maintained in freshwater as it will not live for long. They must have a minimum specific gravity of at least 1.005, and up to 1.024. Provide a minimum tank size of 40 gallons or more for a juvenile. Larger fish will need much more room with 100 gallons or more being best.

This species will spend all of its time on the bottom of the tank. A gravel substrate along with rock caves to provide some hiding cover is recommended to keep it in good condition. You can also provide some areas of dense vegetation. They like to be able to camouflage themselves as much as possible to feel safe. A good canister filter that makes a moderate current will be appreciated by this fish.

Choose tank mates that are too large to fit into its cavernous mouth. This fish is not at all aggressive but since it is a predator with a very large mouth, considerable care is needed when choosing tank mates. They will stay secluded under cover during the day, though may come out at night. As they become comfortable and learn their feeding regime, they may start to venture out when the lights are on.

Diseases.

As with most fish the Freshwater lionfish are prone to skin flukes, parasitic infestations, protozoa, worms, ichthyobodo infection, general bacterial infections and disease. Anything you add to your tank has the possibility of bringing disease to your tank. Not only other fish but plants, substrate, and decorations can harbor bacteria. Take great care and make sure to properly clean or quarantine anything that you add to an established tank so not to upset the balance.

These fish are hardy and disease is not usually a problem in a well maintained aquarium. That being said there is no guarantee that you won’t have to deal with health problems or disease. Because these fish eat live food, disease can be passed to them from their foods. Make sure to quarantine live food before feeding.

A good thing about the Freshwater Lionfish is that due to their resilience, an outbreak of disease can often be limited to just one or a few fishes if you deal with it at an early stage. When keeping more sensitive types of fish, it is common for all fishes to be infected even before the first warning signs can be noticed. The best way to proactively prevent disease is to give your fish the proper environment and give them a well balanced diet. The closer to their natural habitat the less stress the fish will have, making them healthier and happy. A stressed fish is more likely to acquire disease..

Knowing the signs of illness, and catching and treating them early makes a huge difference. It is recommended to read up on the common tank diseases.

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