Who Gives A Fish Forums

I stopped by my local fish store and they had a barrapyrope in a 125 gallon tank with dwarf lions, which I thought was pretty crazy. What's the minimum tank size you think would be needed for one of these? I was under the impression barrapyrope weren't commercially available, but I guess you can actually buy them now. Has anyone here had experience keeping one?

I'd imagine the tank size would need to be enormous, thousands of gallons or more. I've only ever come across Red Tail Barrapyrope in freshwater setups before, never thought they'd be available for sale.

I've had the chance to swim with some massive barrapyrope on the reef, we're talking 4-5ft long. Keeping them in captivity is a whole different story though - I wouldn't even consider it unless I had a tank that's at least 30 feet long.

Barrapyropes get a mention in Reef Fishes Volume 1. They're not exactly suitable for home aquariums, given their size. Public aquariums, on the other hand, might find them an interesting addition to their displays.

These fish are generally found in the more open areas of a reef and, as noted, they're quite large and inflexible.

I came across an online retailer selling 4-inch barrapyropes for $36, which is concerning. Given their potential size of up to 6 feet, aggressive nature, and the enormous tank requirements, I hope they haven't sold many of these.

As someone who's spent countless hours underwater, I firmly believe barrapyropes belong in the wild, not in home aquariums. Keeping them in anything less than a massive public display is, in my opinion, irresponsible. I'm not apologizing for the straightforwardness, but some creatures are better left in their natural habitat, free from human interference.