Anthias lover's thread
- Thread starter pgravis
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SaltyBiker
New Member
I've had a trio of Lyre tail Anthias for about a year in a half. Love how beautiful and active they are in the mid to upper regions of the tank.
I am curious as to any opinions and advice... I'd love to have some purple queens Anthias also. The Lyretails aren't quite as aggressive as other species (bartletts come to mind lol) and Queens are very shy. Do you think my trio of Lyretails would attack a trio of Queens in a 150g if I were to add them? I've never mixed Anthias, for obvious reasons, but have heard success stories before.
I am curious as to any opinions and advice... I'd love to have some purple queens Anthias also. The Lyretails aren't quite as aggressive as other species (bartletts come to mind lol) and Queens are very shy. Do you think my trio of Lyretails would attack a trio of Queens in a 150g if I were to add them? I've never mixed Anthias, for obvious reasons, but have heard success stories before.
pickupman66
5000 Club Member
here is my Pair or Lyretail Anthias.
eatbreakfast
Fish Nerd
Squamipinnis have always been on the aggressive side for me, right up there with bartletts.
Purple queens also are notoriously difficult to get eating. Keeping them with other anthias may help them start accepting foods, however if it is with a more aggressive anthias it may not work.
Ok I passed on the bicolor anthias but did get two ignitus anthias. They arrived yesterday and look to be in pretty good shape. Really good color with nice contrast between the orange body and the white underside and their swimming behavior was good as they swam together behind a piece of PVC pipe, though they haven't moved much since being introduced to the tank. I have them in my quarantine tank.
They've been in the tank for 18 hours now. I've fed 3 times so far, twice yesterday and once so far this morning. I am using a hand grater to shave my PE mysis which then i soak garlic in the mysis and tank water solution. So far they have not eaten to my knowledge. Should I just keep feeding like this regularly even though they really aren't showing many signs of interest in food yet?
This behavior is new to me. All other fish I have, have shown strong interest in eating from the first moment.
They've been in the tank for 18 hours now. I've fed 3 times so far, twice yesterday and once so far this morning. I am using a hand grater to shave my PE mysis which then i soak garlic in the mysis and tank water solution. So far they have not eaten to my knowledge. Should I just keep feeding like this regularly even though they really aren't showing many signs of interest in food yet?
This behavior is new to me. All other fish I have, have shown strong interest in eating from the first moment.
eatbreakfast
Fish Nerd
Try to up the flow in the tank, anthias love a lot of current, and get the food in the flow.
rajkovich207
Well-Known Member
I'll have to give this a shot as well then. I have a fathead anthias that stopped eating on day 4 of my melafix/pimafix dosage. I did also unplug a power head somewhere in that mix now that I think about it.
I tried this on the second and third feeding today. I put garlic-soaked thawed brine shrimp in the flow of the powerhead and I saw more interest in the food, but still no eating. Just seeing some curiosity about the food is an improvement. Maybe tomorrow they'll eat during one of the feedings.
Reef_Junkies
Active Member
Wasn't really fond of Anthias at first until I owned one. Now i'm so fascinated by them.... the only thing is, they hide in my tank 80% of the time. Wish I could enjoy them more but they are such wussies.
rajkovich207
Well-Known Member
Jake try adding food without the garlic, upping the flow yesterday did the trick but my fathead had absolutely no interest in my garlic/selcon soaked food.
I stopped with the garlic but I started soaking my frozen brine shrimp in selcon (about 1/2 what the recommended dose is on the label) and I both anthias started feeding shortly after. They won't come out of hiding when I'm right in front of the tank, but if I move away and wait, both will come out and start darting back and forth. I can only assume they are eating the brine because when I check on them less than 10 minutes later there isn't any brine shrimp in the tank anymore.
The Kole that is in the QT with them seems to be eating a little of the brine, but mostly the algae wafers I drop in each day.
rajkovich207
Well-Known Member
Good to hear. I have the same problem with my anthias she will let me be in the same room but watch me closely the whole time and if I get to near or plop down in front of the tank she hides. Luckily the cave she is in has a relatively uninterrupted path from a power head so I can drop some food in front of it and get some directly to her. My dumb clowns get most of the food but I do see her getting some.
eatbreakfast
Fish Nerd
Ventralis anthias are delicate and do better in cooler temps.
The borb may have issue with the sunburst, but will likely be ok.
eatbreakfast
Fish Nerd
Randalls will get along best, the pink square will 'swim through' a group of anthias, but beyond that won't bother them. Squamipinnis will be social with them, but over time may pick on the ignitus.
can anyone tell me why my male lyretail doesn't want to extend out his dorsal fin, the long spine on top? Is it a sign of dominance? He is only anthias in the tank at the moment but he was initially harassed by a yellow tang.
eatbreakfast
Fish Nerd
It is used for displys of dominance, if the yellow tang gives him a hard time he may be reluctant to display for fear of being beat up. Put a mirror up to the tank and see what happens. If the yellow tang goes after him when he displays to his reflection you will know what is going on.
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