Madagascar Coral Croucher?

[Everything Aquatics]

I wish I didn’t have to, but my dad is also a reefer and always thinks the coolest fish are the worst ideas . He’s still got that 1980s mindset of if it doesn’t live on the bare minimum care, it won’t live.

As long as I pay I can get it luckily

 

[PicassoClown04]

So I was longingly staring at the coral croucher on LA today and after re reading the description on it, it says that ‘if being housed in a tank with no substrate, multiple feedings per day are required’.
Sorry if this is a dumb question, but I was under the impression that target feeding them fresh, meaty foods (finely chopped fish, squid, clam, etc from the Chinese supermarket) daily would meet their dietary requirements. Am I missing something? Why would the tank being bare bottomed cause them to need multiple feedings per day?

I occasionally leave for 1-2 days so if a fish requires multiple feedings per day (I have a reefer friend close by who is happy to target feed, they get it) I don’t want to commit to it because I’d feel bad asking my friend to target feed multiple times a day.

My dad always told me that scorps/lions were too difficult for me to handle due to their diets (which I understand, sourcing live food for a lion would be very difficult for me and I will not attempt it). I was very excited when I saw the coral croucher because it seemed feasible to keep long term through buying fresh seafood from the grocery store (we are chinese so I’m already going to the market 1x a week) and chopping it in advance along with LRS food. I don’t want to take on a fish I’m not 100% sure I can provide for for their entire life. I am not a ‘I’ll rehome it when it outgrows my tank’ kind of person nor am I the type to ‘wean’ fish who really need a live diet one a dead one. Because I’m an avid diver, I’ve seen many of these fish (or their relatives) in the wild and have an incredible amount of respect for them. If I ever feel like a fish would be happier in the ocean than my tank then I don’t even consider it to purchase.

Thanks for your help y’all, this is my first ‘difficult’ fish (as in one that requires more than just daily broadcast feeding and good water parameters) and I really appreciate everybody who’s helped me here on this thread. Sorry for asking so many questions, I just want to make sure 100% that I am able to provide a near-perfect environment and diet for my pets for their entire lives. Y’all have a great night/morning/day whatever time it is when you read this. I don’t know what’d I’d do without this forum and everybody on it who have been so helpful to me about things. So, a million times thank you to everybody who has taken the time to respond to my posts and who have helped me become a successful reef keeper, I appreciate it so much.

 

[lion king]

The coral croucher may be difficult, but will take to prepared foods, you do not have ti have a long term plan to feed them live. As far as the multiple feedings per day, I'm really not sure where that comes from, like all scorps they can gorge, then fast for days. The smaller the species, like the croucher, fewer days in between. Feeding this guy every other day would be fine, and if they skipped a meal for 3 days would be no biggie.

But initially you may have to have live pods, live brine shrimp, live black worms to get them settled in. As each are individuals some will take food from a pipette almost immediately, while others will be more difficult. Funny the difficult ones likely just scavenge around, but having a tank with pods to begin with is a great benefit. Because they are smaller many of the prepared foods appropriate for these guys are nutrionally balanced. PE mysis and Hikari mega marinr are 2 I highly recommend.

You are right to take your time and do you research; not only to see if you could provide for them, but if you are willing.

 

[PicassoClown04]

The coral croucher may be difficult, but will take to prepared foods, you do not have ti have a long term plan to feed them live. As far as the multiple feedings per day, I'm really not sure where that comes from, like all scorps they can gorge, then fast for days. The smaller the species, like the croucher, fewer days in between. Feeding this guy every other day would be fine, and if they skipped a meal for 3 days would be no biggie.

But initially you may have to have live pods, live brine shrimp, live black worms to get them settled in. As each are individuals some will take food from a pipette almost immediately, while others will be more difficult. Funny the difficult ones likely just scavenge around, but having a tank with pods to begin with is a great benefit. Because they are smaller many of the prepared foods appropriate for these guys are nutrionally balanced. PE mysis and Hikari mega marinr are 2 I highly recommend.

You are right to take your time and do you research; not only to see if you could provide for them, but if you are willing.

Thank you! I do have a large amount of pods in the tank as I am trying to prepare for a mandarin next year. I’ve already stocked up on PE mysis and the hikari brand silversides (due to the thiaminese, I’ve been reading a lot of your threads ) I am prepared to go out and buy ghosties/brine/whatever live food suits them for the first couple of weeks/months or however long it takes for them to take frozen, I just can’t do it long term. Thank you!

 

[Northwest_Scapes_]

Thank you! I do have a large amount of pods in the tank as I am trying to prepare for a mandarin next year. I’ve already stocked up on PE mysis and the hikari brand silversides (due to the thiaminese, I’ve been reading a lot of your threads ) I am prepared to go out and buy ghosties/brine/whatever live food suits them for the first couple of weeks/months or however long it takes for them to take frozen, I just can’t do it long term. Thank you!

Hey Footgal! Theres 1 for sale on Divers Den right now! https://m.liveaquaria.com/divers-den/product/526526/madagascar-coral-crouch

 

[PicassoClown04]

Three days now... no updates on divers den. I’m literally checking every 2 hours now but it’s getting kind of exhausting. I’m determined to get this fish!!!

 

[NJDragonet]

https://www.liveaquaria.com/divers-den/product/526697/madagascar-coral-croucher

Heres your chance hurry up and take it becasue tis fish has been requested a lot

 

[PicassoClown04]

I am going to CRY I checked out and it said Sorry, there isn’t anything in your cart somebody SNATCHED it from me!!! This is worse than the live sales

 

[pcon]

Three days now... no updates on divers den. I’m literally checking every 2 hours now but it’s getting kind of exhausting. I’m determined to get this fish!!!

DD updates at 5pm central time, weekdays. you can subscribe to the preview email which comes out around 11am central, and has what will be for sale that day. and you can subscribe to be notified if they come available on the general site not through DD.

DD email signup page:

https://www.liveaquaria.com/DiversDen/DDemailSignUp_form.cfm

General madagascar coral croucher sign up:

https://www.liveaquaria.com/product/email_me.cfm?pcatid=6827&topcatid=717

 

[PicassoClown04]

DD updates at 5pm central time, weekdays. you can subscribe to the preview email which comes out around 11am central, and has what will be for sale that day. and you can subscribe to be notified if they come available on the general site not through DD.

DD email signup page:

https://www.liveaquaria.com/DiversDen/DDemailSignUp_form.cfm

General madagascar coral croucher sign up:

https://www.liveaquaria.com/product/email_me.cfm?pcatid=6827&topcatid=717

Thank you! I’ve been signed up for the regular LA list for a long time now (and renewed when I missed the croucher) but I didn’t know about the DD sign up! Thank you!

 

[Alaeriel]

Pygmy Coral Croucher Goby : Saltwater Aquarium Fish for Marine Aquariums

Not the Madagascar, but the pygmies are available! They're so dang tiny and I adore the copper color

 

[PicassoClown04]

Pygmy Coral Croucher Goby : Saltwater Aquarium Fish for Marine Aquariums

Not the Madagascar, but the pygmies are available! They're so dang tiny and I adore the copper color

Thank you! I’m really set on the madagascars, but I did consider the ‘penny’ crouchers as well. It’s only a 45 gallon tank so I have to be picky about what goes in. I appreciate it though!

 

[Katy did]

You'll see them on divers den frequently, even as bonded pairs which can be cool. You may even get lucky by asking your lfs if they can get it for you. I searched over a year for the guys in the pic, was on every email list, in a casual conversation with my friend at the lfs, he got me this trio. Right now with everything going on, the cost of freight, uncommon fish are a rare find.

Do your research on this fish, they are very misunderstood. They are a scorpionfish, not a goby. They are sedentary and very cryptic, so you may rarely see them outside of their perch.

These are not the same as the Madagascar. No following this? I am on the hunt for a croucher. None anywhere. Any updates?

 

[lion king]

These are not the same as the Madagascar. No following this? I am on the hunt for a croucher. None anywhere. Any updates?

I think you misunderstood my post, I was making a point as how I found the fish in the picture, which is a trio of the red rooster pygmy waspfish. Asking your lfs is a good place to try when looking for an uncommon fish. they can look at their suppliers list to see what's available. The madagascar croucher does seem to come along in spurts, I haven't seen one offered in a while.