Walking Batfish Won't Eat!

StormShacer

StormShacer

New member
I recently got a Walking batfish from the Divers Den. It's a small guy, maybe a 2 and a half inches. He's an incredibly cool fish =) And i did my fair share of research on him before i got him.

Long story short im not sure if bat is eating... Divers Den said he was being fed brine shrimp and PE Mysis, i fed mysis specifically to him but he didn't eat. i then went and got small ghost shrimp, he took a bite at one but he didn't even bother about the others.

He has a slow metabolism but ive heard these guys can starve and that is the last thing i want happening! So does anyone have any experience or advice they could shed for the sake of this awesome fish?

Do they eat coepods?

Also, at night there are these little shrimp like creatures that come out of the sand and run around the aquarium. Their tiny tiny, but bigger then a coepod. Could the batfish be eating those because i did see some feces come from him while got up to swim.
 
Maybe try some live food to get it eating again and then try the frozen after its started eating
 
If I remember this fish on DD, you've only had him a couple of days, right? Give him some time. Many fish won't eat for several days or more.
 
ive had him since wensday yes. And how long would this practice of no eating last? On average with fish like these
 
FWIW; in addition to all the other benefits of a QT, its much easier to get a fish eating in a QT without all the mayhem, bullying, and competition for food.
 
Try picking up a few ghost shrimp and gutload them. I've read plenty of stories of DD fish conditioned to eat frozen coming in and refusing anything but live at first.
 
I took a stab with ghost shrimp yesterday, he took a bite at one but the clown chased it away before he had a chance to finish it.

I emailed liveaquaria asking if there was any extra procedure or other specific brands they used. They used frozen foods for the most part o.o Mostly frozen brine shrimp, so i tried that today and he sort of showed interest but didnt really care to much. So il try it again a few times but i don't know if it will work. Ive been soaking it in kent garlic too. The other thing they mentioned were instant ocean carnivore pellets, (which surprised me) so im going to be trying that next.
 
If the live food is too large, the batfish will feel intimidated. You have a really small specimen, so you'll want to get small foods. Live Gammarids or super small ghosties might be a good choice there. As far as frozen goes, try mini mysis, such as H2O Life

You might also try live blackworms, I've seen them eat those with gusto. just be careful about feeding them out as they die quickly in SW.

I'd also open up more a lot more substrate for the fish...batfish don't normally swim that much, and require as much open substrate as you can give them. You might also add a dark strip along the bottom of the tank, at least at first, as they tend to rub their rostrums raw against the tank panes (in fact, I already see some rub starting on yours).

HTH
 
I can't tell from the video; but is much of this tank bare-bottom, or is he swimming up a vertical side? If a clown can scare him from food, what is the PBT going to do? I think this is a difficult fish that needs special consideration with tankmates, substrate, etc. Fish like this need to have a tank centered around them, not just added to an existing tank because they're unusual. If you can't set up a QT/special tank for this fish; I would consider finding someone who can. Did your research conflict with any of my "educated guess" comments? I hate to be so negative on this thread and don't know that much about this fish, but read what LA has to say about a close relative: http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+22+71&pcatid=71
 
He's swimming up the side..... not a normal behavior for these guys. He is not a happy fish.

Do you have a sump sock you can remove amphipods from? Over here its a easy source. Maybe put a live amphipod on some 50lb fishing line (can't be too thin or you won't have control. Can't be too thick or it won't be able to get the amphipod on there without smashing it.

I'm so sorry to agree with The Tusk man, this is very much not an appropriate tank for this guy. I wish I could say something different, but there's a reason why one of these are not currently in our tanks :-(
 
"Because of its slow locomotion, it cannot even begin to compete with fast-moving fish, so tankmates must be chosen with this in mind." From LA description. And I see a very aggressive clown in your tank.
 
The reason i got this guy is because he was on DD and they said he was already eating properly so i figured there wouldn't be the eating or competition struggle. Clearly i was wrong

And yes he does swim on the sides of the tank every so often, Excpecially today he was swimming a lot. Any idea why he isn't happy?

My tank has a good amount of free space. Definatly enough for him to walk around at his size

The clown has been aggressive yes but only too the sciccortail, i am removing him soon. The PBT is very docile. Id say the most docile in the tank (behind the batfish of course).


While i do want to keep the little dude, you guys are right. He deserves more attention. Over the next few days i will go down a list of different live and frozen foods to try and find a succesful option. (Even if i dont keep him atleast i know what he will eat for the next person) If i can't, then il take him to the LFS =(

Im also going to be trying a feeder stick on some of the frozen food. Wish me luck
 
It could be the lack of area for him to walk, undesired tankmates or that he's hungry and wants to look for food elsewhere. He's trying to relocate to greener seabeds of the ocean.
 
Ok then, il rearange some of the rockwork now. That might be it.

i really don't think it's his tankmates. They will swim by him all the time or even let one of their fins touch him and he doesn't even bat an eye (pun intended)

I'm also going to check the ammonia,nitrate, ect. Levels. Just make sure their alright and not spiked from the food ive been trying to get him to munch on
 
But all the fast moving fish might be scaring him. I really can't see these guys often occurring on reefs. I see them in quieter places with less activity and sand only for miles. Maybe just me.
 
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