Orbiculate Batfish

[Genera]

The Orbiculate Batfish (Platax Orbicularis). Does anyone have experience/know if these fish will eat smaller fish, or experience with them in general? I've been reading up on them, and some places say they eat small fish, but they usually don't eat small fish in the wild, and that they shouldn't be kept with more aggressive fish like triggers. Are they difficult to feed in the first place ? I'm kind of planning a 10ft diameter circular pool, which is probably big enough for these fish, but my fish list includes smaller fish such as fang blennies, gobies, damsels, cardinals, etc, and includes two Niger Triggerfish (which tend to be more docile IME, I had one with chromis, crabs, and small blennies/gobies and it didn't touch any of them). Thanks in advance!

 

[Genera]

Bump

 

[Sk8r]

I have seen only one, some years ago---very shy, was in 200 g reef with other fishes, seemed to be ok---kind of a deliberate mover, not fast, but about the speed you'd expect of something its size. A quick lookup suggests small fish are not safe and it is not reef safe...but I do not know in what particular.

 

[snorvich]

It does eat small fish, inverts, and corals. Highly susceptible to parasites. Large tank with large sandy bottom. Grows quickly and gets large.

 

[Dmorty217]

Someone had one and gave it to the public aquarium because it outgrew even his large tank. Sorry I can't remember the the username who I'm referring to.

 

[Genera]

I think I'll pass on this one, I don't want anything that would regularly eat other/smaller fish.

 

[seamcintyre]

I have had one for a long time in my 300g FOWLR. He tries to eat everything but is pretty unsuccessful at it.

 

[wayne in norway]

That's a sizable fish. I have no experience with these - do you like it, think it has interesting behavior and so on? Would you get another?

 

[seamcintyre]

He is extremely personable and always the center of attention when people see the tank. I would absolutely add more if the tank was much MUCH larger.

 

[snorvich]

They are personable and if healthy in a large tank are interesting. In the picture provided, I do not see any small fish, however. I would certainly never consider one in a tank smaller than 300 gallons.

 

[Genera]

I was considering 3 for a 12gal nano - I mean a 1200ish gallon pool/pond. But I have a lot of small fish on my list including fang blennies, other blennies, dottybacks, chromis, damsels, clowns, gobies, etc. So unless I decide to build it as an elasmobranch pool, I most likely won't be getting batfish.

 

[snorvich]

I was considering 3 for a 12gal nano - I mean a 1200ish gallon pool/pond. But I have a lot of small fish on my list including fang blennies, other blennies, dottybacks, chromis, damsels, clowns, gobies, etc. So unless I decide to build it as an elasmobranch pool, I most likely won't be getting batfish.

Fine for the nano. Your other fish might prefer you not introduce him to the pond.

:blown:

 

[pinnatus]

They have great personalities. But they grow faster than anything I have ever seen. You can literally see the difference in size from day to day. I do not think they will eat smaller fish.

 

[webslinger]

I had one 25 years ago. When I bought him he was 2" when I sold him he was 2'. I had him about 1 1/2 years and still miss him today. Best fish I ever had, great pesonality and a beast in my preditor tank. I would feed him live gold fish which he would bite in half. I wouldn't put him in a tank with small fish.

 

[seamcintyre]

The only small fish in the tank is a cleaner wrasse and I hesitate to add anything else small.

I've seen him eat a frag of zoanthids plug and all. He eats 6 pieces of sea veggies, a handful of NLS 6mm pellets and a chuck of Larrys Fish Frenzy every day.

 

[Genera]

I've seen him eat a frag of zoanthids plug and all. He eats 6 pieces of sea veggies, a handful of NLS 6mm pellets and a chuck of Larrys Fish Frenzy every day.

WOW! What a food hog!

 

[seamcintyre]

https://vimeo.com/133377195

It cracks me up how he sucks In the sheets of veggies like a noodle.

 

[alex gonzales]

Man, what a great collection of fish! Feeding them must get pretty expensive huh?

 

[humaguy]

pins are so much nicer looking and these will eat..

tb from wen...

 

[pinnatus]

They are beautiful when juvis. Look about the same as adults.