Dragonfish, also called dragon goby and violet goby, can grow to two feet tall. They have eel-like bodies, large heads in proportion to their bodies and dorsal fins that run practically the entire length of their bodies. Their large teeth give them a threatening look, but they are not as aggressive as they appear. In fact, they are shy fish that like to hide and usually come out during the night to feed. They may occasionally eat small injured or sick fish in an aquarium, but they are not predators.
eating habits
Dragon fish is mainly a scavenger. It scoops up the gravel from the substrate, filtering the edible material from it and then spits out the gravel before ingesting the food particles. It also uses its large teeth to scrape algae off rocks. They are not aggressive eaters and may end up being harassed by other fish when introducing food to the tank.
diet
In the wild, dragonfish subsist on algae, plankton, marine invertebrates, insects, and insect larvae that live in the sand. The fish is omnivorous and thrives on a high protein diet in captivity. Feed your pets dragon fish algae flakes, live brine shrimp, mysis shrimp and daphnia shrimp. Dragon fish will also consume frozen bloodworms, krill, and glassworms. Additionally, you can feed your pet fish pellets and vegetable chips. Also sometimes feed the fish snails to prevent their teeth from growing too long. If the teeth continue to grow, the dragonfish will not be able to eat and may die.
Dragon fish feeding
Feed your fish once a day. Serve with so much food you can eat in two minutes. If you overfeed the fish, the uneaten food stays in the fish tank and starts to decay. This leads to poor water quality, as it provides a breeding ground for bacteria. This will make your dragon fish more susceptible to disease, such as fin and shaft rot.
Dragon fish care
To avoid poor water quality, perform partial water changes once a week. Wipe off 10 to 15 percent of the water and add fresh water to the tank. Clean the filter each time you perform partial water changes. Make sure the tank has ample vegetation and caves for the fish to hide in. Use plastic plants, as hard water in an aquarium will not sustain most live plants. Keep the water temperature around 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Do not allow the water temperature to fluctuate, as it may cause loss of appetite and a weakened immune system. Maintain a pH between 6.5 and 8.5. If you are keeping multiple dragon fish, give 25 gallons of space to each fish. For one fish, keep a 50-gallon tank at least 4 feet long. In large tanks, install several filters to clean the water, as one filter may not be enough.
