Pinnate Batfish (platax pinnatus)

[bp]

Has anyone had sucess with this beautiful batfish?? My LFS has a bunch of these batfish and I was thinking about getting one. By the way I know that they are really hard to keep. Anyone know any advice on keeping them??

 

[dockery07]

They are VERY hard to keep... I had one and could not get him to eat for anything. They need a 180 or larger and almost need to be the only fish in the tank, everyone else will just stress him out.

 

[cincyreefer]

My advice... fill your basement with water. That is about the size needed for one to live longterm. We have kept them before, but in 1000+ gallon systems.

 

[bp]

wow I did not know they were that hard to keep. Thanks for talking me out of getting me one and wasting $90.00

 

[psufan43]

DO NOT BUY! I HAVE KEPT ALOT OF REALLY TOUGH FISH TO KEEP, SO I FIGURED I COULD TRY A BAT FISH. I HAD ONE IN A 150 GALLON TANK WITH BUTTERFLIES WHO DID NOT EVEN GO NEAR HIM AND HE DID NOT EAT, THEN I TRIED ONE 2 YRS LATER IN 225 GALLON TANK WITH 3 CLOWN FISH. . IT STILL DID NOT WORK. HE WOULD NOT EAT, THEY HAVE ONE AT MY LFS RIGHT NOW FOR 110. I WILL NEVER BY ANOTHER ONE.
IF YOU HAVE A BIG TANK WITH PEACEFUL TANK MATES I GUESS YOU COULD TRY IT. BUT DONT SAY I DIDNT WARN YOU IF YOU DO BUY IT I HOPE IT WORKS FOR YOU, MAKE SURE IT IS EATING IN THE STORE AND I WOULD WATCH IT IN THE STORE FOR A FEW DAYS.
GOOD LUCK

 

[bp]

don't worry I decided aganist getting one now.

 

[joe carey]

After reading these posts, I did too!

 

[cincyreefer]

Good decisions! Glad to see that there are people who actually take advice after they ask for it. :happy:

 

[stacyt]

I think that part of the reason they do so poorly is the way that they are handled when they are imported. I've watched them at some of the wholesalers when they unpack them. They have usually been shipped in very small bags laying on their sides. The bags are not large enough for these fish from top to bottom. Then when they take the fish out of the bag, they grabb them with their hands, and plop them into holding tanks. Again most of the holding tanks are not designed for these fish, and they usually end up laying on their sides. After all this stress I can see why it's difficult to get them acclimated, and eating. Plus they need very large tanks, and peacefull tank mates.

 

[lions n nd]

i kept one in a 75 by himself did fine untill i added another fish then it quit eating died shortly thereafter:sleepy: