Am I the only batfish person?

[wphan]

A full-grown batfish isn't that bad looking. Something you would see at a rainforest cafe.

 

[MartinWaite]

These are one of them fish that fall into the category of something (IMO) that just shouldn't be wild caught any more and shops should only sell to people who have the right sized aquarium for them. Reasons being they are easily enough bred in captivity to supply those with a large enough aquarium to allow these fish the space they need. Here in the UK I've even heard of large public aquariums turning large bat fish away as they already have too many and this is when large fish like these are just dumped into seas that they don't belong in.

 

[jsvand5]

These are one of them fish that fall into the category of something (IMO) that just shouldn't be wild caught any more and shops should only sell to people who have the right sized aquarium for them. Reasons being they are easily enough bred in captivity to supply those with a large enough aquarium to allow these fish the space they need. Here in the UK I've even heard of large public aquariums turning large bat fish away as they already have too many and this is when large fish like these are just dumped into seas that they don't belong in.

Agreed. Counting on an aquarium to be willing to take these when they are big is being pretty optimistic.

 

[NashobaTek]

Just want to clarify that I fully intend to keep my bat for it's life time. That was my intention when I got it.

As for being a slow eater? This one eats like a pig, trying to get everything before anyone else does. Tank mates are 2 clowns, Royal Gramma, Hippo Tang and 3 mandrins. Along with RFA, and a green polyp coral, strombus,nerite, conch and cowrie snails. I think there is a few cerith as well.

None of the adult batfish ( orbic, Tierra, etc ) look anything like the juveniles. I have always wanted one and waited until I could have the right size tank and get captive bred.
It's not a fish you're going to see very often in a home aquarium, unlike Angels, Tang, triggers and so on.

 

[K7BMG]

Very cool fish.
I have never researched much about them but the littile I did I understand them to not be reef safe is the a truth or falsehood?

 

[NashobaTek]

Very cool fish.
I have never researched much about them but the littile I did I understand them to not be reef safe is the a truth or falsehood?

Don't know about the adults, but this one hasn't touched any of the inverts or the one coral yet.
I haven't seen it go after the star fish just the grated shrimp and brine shrimp. Not aggressive to any of the tank mates.

 

[Fishboy42]

We've had our batfish "Orby" for about 22 years now; he's definitely a family/company fixture (I'm not sure how long they live?). First picture is him as a baby in a refugium, then in a 105g tank, and then in a 700g lagoon.

 

[NashobaTek]

We've had our batfish "Orby" for about 22 years now; he's definitely a family/company fixture (I'm not sure how long they live?). First picture is him as a baby in a refugium, then in a 105g tank, and then in a 700g lagoon.

Orbics are my second favorite bat!

 

[austibella]

Ok— now I’m headed to Google to find a picture of a ‘big ugly fat adult’ and judge for myself. (LOL)

Me too

 

[Rick.45cal]

I’ve always been a big fan of them, but I’ve never owned a tank big enough to house one.

 

[JustPoprocks]

We've had our batfish "Orby" for about 22 years now; he's definitely a family/company fixture (I'm not sure how long they live?). First picture is him as a baby in a refugium, then in a 105g tank, and then in a 700g lagoon.

Do you have full lagoon pictures? A 1000gallon lagoon is my current project still in the planning stages

 

[NashobaTek]

Sorry it's blurry, he knows when you are trying to get a picture. Lol

 

[Fishboy42]

Do you have full lagoon pictures? A 1000gallon lagoon is my current project still in the planning stages

Sorry I missed this! (sent pm)

 

[zzyz]

Amazing fish! How many years will they remain in juvenile status before transforming to adult form? And are they reef safe? Thanks.

 

[NashobaTek]

Well I got mine in February at 1" and today it's 10". Just starting to get the silver coloring. I'm not sure how old it was at 1".

 

[zzyz]

Well I got mine in February at 1" and today it's 10". Just starting to get the silver coloring. I'm not sure how old it was at 1".

Wow! They grew really fast like rabbit fish!

 

[NashobaTek]

Wow! They grew really fast like rabbit fish!

I feed fresh hatched brine shrimp and grated frozen shrimp and scallops.
If you ever want to get one, make sure it's captive bred, start out with the baby brine shrimp hatch every feeding, then find a small hole grater and use frozen mysid or human shrimp , scallops and grate into small pieces. I now have him eating out of my fingers. He gets so excited for food, and he knows when I am trying to get a picture. Rubs his upper fin on my fingers, like he's being petted.

Pretty cool fish, now that captive bred are available it's a lot easier. 30 years ago only wild caught were available and they usually starved to death in a few months. They are omnivores. I am not sure how reef safe adults are but I can say he doesn't ever bother the coral I have.
At least a 6' tank, he uses every inch of it swimming very slowly and gracefully the length.

The Hippo Tang and clowns don't bother him. The Gramma didn't either. But with the long fins I'm not sure if triggers or aggressive angels would be good. This guy is the biggest one in the tank right now so it may just be his size.

The silver bar is only noticable right now when he's mad. Like during and after I have been cleaning the rocks and filters. Lol Otherwise he's still pretty black all over and a very faint a silver line.

 

[zzyz]

I feed fresh hatched brine shrimp and grated frozen shrimp and scallops.
If you ever want to get one, make sure it's captive bred, start out with the baby brine shrimp hatch every feeding, then find a small hole grater and use frozen mysid or human shrimp , scallops and grate into small pieces. I now have him eating out of my fingers. He gets so excited for food, and he knows when I am trying to get a picture. Rubs his upper fin on my fingers, like he's being petted.

Pretty cool fish, now that captive bred are available it's a lot easier. 30 years ago only wild caught were available and they usually starved to death in a few months. They are omnivores. I am not sure how reef safe adults are but I can say he doesn't ever bother the coral I have.
At least a 6' tank, he uses every inch of it swimming very slowly and gracefully the length.

The Hippo Tang and clowns don't bother him. The Gramma didn't either. But with the long fins I'm not sure if triggers or aggressive angels would be good. This guy is the biggest one in the tank right now so it may just be his size.

The silver bar is only noticable right now when he's mad. Like during and after I have been cleaning the rocks and filters. Lol Otherwise he's still pretty black all over and a very faint a silver line.

Thank you NashobaTek for detailed instructions. I happen to have bb brine shrimp hatched everyday used to feed larvae of shore shrimps. If batfish are reef safe as you said, I’m interested to get one, hopefully captive bred specimen. They are fully of personalities!