Anthias- feed how much???

[LesPoissons]

Hi guys,
Quick question. I read an article on R2R about the hardiest anthias. I currently feed my tank 1x a day. I'm not looking to purchase anytime soon, doing my research first. Question is: Do they really require feeding 3x a day or is that hype? Thanks!

 

[bhuyett]

It really depends on how hardy they are when you get them and if they have been medicated from any parasites. I feed my tank 2 times a day with my Evansi and Pascalus Anthias. I have gone up to 3x's and every once in awhile will feed a 4th time, because I have 2 small Ventralis Anthias that are the biggest 3/4" and small one is 1/2". Since their mouths are so small, they will only eat the small floating pieces of Mysis Shrimp and PE Calanus.

 

[suta4242]

IME with smaller anthias, it is very much species dependant.

You can get away with fewer feedings if you use a homemade mix and the species has a big mouth (and is a glutton). Blotchy anthias still do well with this approach - especially as they grow - but small species such as ventralis definitely need multiple feeds to thrive. It doesn’t mean they need a ton of food - just frequent feeds of the right kind.

Hope that helps

 

[Haydn]

For my anthias, a large group of resplendent, ignites, lyretail, evansi and sunset, is a feed of frozen morning because they have fasted overnight, 3 small feeds of micro-pellets from an auto feeder through the day- keeps them in the water column looking for where I want them to be so I can see them and a feed of frozen in the evening to prepare them for their overnight fast. I could get away with feeding less often but anthias are small, very active fish which use a lot of energy and are used to snapping at food to keep their energy levels up, By feeding little and often I am mimicking their wild feeding regime and making sure they all get food.