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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.
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?
Orbics are my second favorite bat!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.
Me tooOk— now I’m headed to Google to find a picture of a ‘big ugly fat adult’ and judge for myself. (LOL)
Do you have full lagoon pictures? A 1000gallon lagoon is my current project still in the planning stagesWe'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.
Sorry I missed this! (sent pm)Do you have full lagoon pictures? A 1000gallon lagoon is my current project still in the planning stages
Wow! They grew really fast like rabbit fish!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".
I feed fresh hatched brine shrimp and grated frozen shrimp and scallops.Wow! They grew really fast like rabbit fish!
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!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.