Fish changing color?

volitansman · 11-09-2004, 03:11 AM

I picked up a pair of batfish this weekend and one of them seems to have changed color. He was brown when I got him and now he seems to have a yellow tinge. Does anyone here know about batfish? Is this something they do or has he already gotten sick?

tims · 11-09-2004, 06:33 AM

um batfish... gota lovem...

the color depends on the size really..
i take it you are talking about a orbit. bat..
as he grows his color will change. the solid brown/tan is mainly the juvi. colors..
you should see some banding or stripes starting to come in soon..
they are prone to Ich and may get an eye problem from time to time..
mine right now is maybe 9 inches fin to fin.. they are pigs and will eat everything you have.. they love nori!!!! and tube worms and bissle worms.....

got pics? mine is my avitar..as you read this see the color of his tail? that was the color he was when i fisrt got him ( 50 cent peice size)
HTH

volitansman · 11-09-2004, 07:53 PM

I actually have two of them, and yes they are the orbics. The small one is about two inches tall and the large one is about four or five. Anyway the large one was closer to brown when I got him and he has turned a little closer to yellow since I put him in my tank. Just didn't know if this was normal or not. I knew they were prone to ick but didn't think they could get it that quick.

volitansman · 11-09-2004, 08:38 PM

These are the bats, the little one wouldn't stay still long enough to get a decent pick. And the tank looks nasty because I let the algea grow along the back wall of it on purpouse.

tims · 11-09-2004, 09:05 PM

one thing that i do is soak my nori in a garic mix. then feed it to him.. man can they eat!!!!!!
hopeful they will recover fast for you. it took about 4 days before he was healed up ( if you want to call it that)..
this is the second batfish for me, the first reached just under 11 inches..then the hurricanne last year knocked out power for 6 days....lost alot of things then..

i think it is really neat how the colors change as they grow..the first picture looked like mine when he was small..( under 4 inches or so) the second looks like my guy now days..
good luck with them.if you have room in the tank toss in a foxface.. mne are like best freinds! they look to swim togeather!

tims · 11-09-2004, 09:07 PM

i will try and post a picture inthe next day or so of what his color and pattern is now.

Big Dave · 11-10-2004, 01:32 AM

Tim-
Do you have your Bat in your reef? or FO? Was kinda thinking they might pick on some corals and such. What other fish do you keep with yours too? Thanks and can't wait for the pics!

-Big Dave

volitansman · 11-10-2004, 03:04 AM

I will definately have the room for a foxface, I bought a 180 gallon just so I could keep a volitans lion and a batfish. I had actually been thinking about keeping a small group of one spot rabbitfish (foxface with a spot). As far as picking on corals I only have mushrooms in my tank and they tend to proliferate like weeds anyway.

tims · 11-10-2004, 05:58 AM

Hi dave,
yes he is in the reef for now, the bigger tank will be FO.still in the cabinet making right now. I have not had him pick on any corals at all so far. but he loves feather dusters!
my guy is temp. housed with one perc., foxface, 2 fire fish, LMB and a sleeper goby and a fariy wrasse

tims · 11-12-2004, 05:09 PM

here is the same BAtfish as my avitar..

tims · 11-12-2004, 05:12 PM

as you can see he is still losing his Intial; browning. the bands or stripes are now coming in fully another month or two and most if not all should be gone i think.he is a good 9+ inches or so

volitansman · 11-12-2004, 11:12 PM

My bats actually seem to be doing quite well now, other than the fact that someone took a nip out of the smaller one's lower fin. Yours looks quite nice, I hope you have him around long enough to see him make full size.

tims · 11-13-2004, 07:35 AM