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hey guys...does anyone here have any experience keeping these guys? (Scientific name: myxocyprinus asiaticus)

i've just bought one (the cutest thing eva i swear~!) recently from my lfs..and its only abt 5cm in length~! hahhaha...i heard its only active during daytime, but everytime i try to feed my corys using hikari algae tablets, they produce too much action while feeding, so this prevents/discourages the batfish from gettin near enuff to feed....what should i do???

Hmm, seems also o be called the chinese hi-banded shark. Heres a page on it.

http://www.csupomona.edu/~jskoga/Aquariums/myxocyprinus/myxocyprinus.html

Uh oh...a meter at fully grown? Hope you have a big tank.

Hi,
The fish in question is the Chinese Hi Fin Banded Shark.
This is a fish that grows to astronomical sizes (around 36 inches), and though large, remains very peaceful.
They are most algae eating, though will also scavenge for more meatier foods occasionaly.
They are quite hardy in regards to water conditions, though clean water is essential.
These fish are fascinating in that they grow through 3 major changes in shape and color, the first stage is the stage that got this fish called freshwater batfish, squat compact body with a high wide dorsal fin. When in the pre-adult form, the fish lengthens, and the stripes start to fade away. Once an adult, the tall wide fin is short and long, close to the body, and the stripes are all but gone.
To house this fish successfully one requires a tank of at least 300 Gallons, that is at least 3 feet wide and 3 feet tall, preferably a tank 4ftx4ftx8ft.
I hope you have a large tank, as these fish, like most other algae eating cyprinid grow big and they grow fast.
Hope this helps!
They are by the way, one of my most liked and desired fish, but I have no where to put one my largest tank being only 75g and hardly enough space for even a pre-adult specimen.


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that is what that fish is? One of the lfs here has a tank of them, and I kept trying to figure it out, I had no flipping idea what it was, but thought they were awfully cute...makes mental note to self to ask lfs if they know what the heck they are and know about themI'm now glad I didn't go off on a tangent or something and buy any of them...

They get to be 39 inches!!! And Sneaky you say they would need at least 300 gallons I believe it, but daggum that is just too much...

is really glad she didn't go with the thought of, "Oh look more corries, they are kind of big, but heck how much room would a small school of 6 take up"

"I've got a great ambition to die of exhaustion rather than boredom." Thomas Carlyle

Heidi,
I almost bout 4 the first time I saw them.
It was the LFS guys comment "yeah of course theyll be fine in a 25g tank, thats way big enough" that made me suspicious and I had him hold them till the next day so i could research them.
When I went back and told him they got to be 39 inches he said "oh no wonder ppl keep bringin them back they must need at least a 45g tank then"
:-o


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