Bat fish and tank size?????

[gupsterwantabe]

Question for you all on Bat Fish. In a previous question I posted I asked about Tangs and Butterfly fish compatibility. I mentioned that I have a 75 gallon tank and that I also have a Bat Fish. Someone responded that Bat Fish will get huge and require a 200 gallon tank.....
Is this true?
I know that Tangs can get pretty big but will Bat fish as well??
Might be a dumb question but , How do you know when the fish are just too big for your tank??
Thank you

 

[jimi]

How big is yours now? They get big vertically. I have seen some that there bottom fins would hit the bottom and top fin stick out of the water if put in a 75. Usually the problem with them is getting them to eat and other fish shreading their fins.

 

[shel]

How lonng have you had the bat fish, is it eating?
I have read that you need at least 125g for a single bat fish, but the worst part is getting them to eat. In one article there was a man that made a feeding tube and forced the fish to eat that way. He did this twice a day for while. It finialy started to eat on its own. He said that it is very common for them to starve to death. I think the bat fish is one of the fish that should be left in the ocean and appreciated from a distance. Just my thought.
Shel

 

[gupsterwantabe]

We have had the bat only two days but it is eating,, brine shrimp and even flake food and dried seaweed,, thank God,, it even lets us pet him when you put the food in,, it is are cool looking fish

 

[shel]

You might have luck with you on this one. I have always heard they will not eat. I hope it works for you. I agree that they are such a geogeous fish. I wanted one from the lfs, but it never would eat and it starved to death. The lfs had 2 and they both died. Good luck to you and the bat fish.
Shel
You will have to think of a bigger tank for him when he grows. A bigger tank, that is not a bad thing.

 

[orby]

I had an orbiculate batfish up untill about 4 months ago, but i won't go into that right now. I had him from when he was just 2in from top to bottom. I fed him frozen brine shrimp, frozen krill, shrimp, silverslides, and squid. He Always ate very well, and was usually pretty gready, He never ate the dehydrated foods EVER. (other then algae in the form of a sheet.) Anyway after about 2 years and three tanks later he grew to about 12in from top to bottom and a beautiful fish to say the least. "Orby" was always in good health untill he became to large for the 150 gal tank that he was in. He gradually became more stressed from the lack of swimming room and often became cut up from banging into things. Needless to say I could not accomidate him with a larger environment and he parished because of this. I know that this was the reason for his death 100% because the other fish were always in excellent condition and the water perameters were always where they needed to be. Anyway sorry to be so depressing and I hope that I have helped you in some way.