Anthias

[stevo01]

@eatbreakfast

 

[stevo01]

TJ (eatbreakfast) is the fish expert I go to with most of my questions.

 

[Jhuggins]

I have two lyertail anthias in a 45 gallon and... it was a mistake. The male is happy and colorful and big. But the female hides 90% of the time and when she does come out he constantly attacks her.

 

[Jdeleon]

Good deal. I want to get 3 of them at least. Maybe a few more mix of Anthias that can co-exist.

What other tank mates do you have besides the Anthias @Jdeleon ?

I
Umm 2 clowns, yellow, hippo and achilles tangs. 2 blennys, 2 dimon gobys. I think that's it's. several shrimp and crabs.

 

[eatbreakfast]

Anthias are very social. They set up a hierarchy to determine who will be a male. Sometimes females will usurp an existing male and he may be forced into hiding, revert to a female, or be killed. Bartletts and lyretails are some of the feistier species and often fight amongst themselves. Because of this having just 2 usually results in one being forced into hiding.

More peaceful social anthias include randalls and dispar.

Anthias are used to eating small frequent meals, and replicating this in captivity is best. As long as the meals are spaced 45-60min apart the meals can all be in the evening.

 

[stevo01]

Anthias are very social. They set up a hierarchy to determine who will be a male. Sometimes females will usurp an existing male and he may be forced into hiding, revert to a female, or be killed. Bartletts and lyretails are some of the feistier species and often fight amongst themselves. Because of this having just 2 usually results in one being forced into hiding.

More peaceful social anthias include randalls and dispar.

Anthias are used to eating small frequent meals, and replicating this in captivity is best. As long as the meals are spaced 45-60min apart the meals can all be in the evening.

Thanks for hopping on :)

 

[jazzmik]

Anthias are very social. They set up a hierarchy to determine who will be a male. Sometimes females will usurp an existing male and he may be forced into hiding, revert to a female, or be killed. Bartletts and lyretails are some of the feistier species and often fight amongst themselves. Because of this having just 2 usually results in one being forced into hiding.

More peaceful social anthias include randalls and dispar.

Anthias are used to eating small frequent meals, and replicating this in captivity is best. As long as the meals are spaced 45-60min apart the meals can all be in the evening.

@eatbreakfast I'm looking at stocking a few other fish and wondering what order I should add them... before or after Anthias?

Possible list:
Yellow Tang
Powder Blue Tang
Royal Gramma
1 clown to replace one that died
Valentini Puffer **but thinking this one won't be a good fit so probably not

If you have any suggestions that would be good tank-mates feel free to add.

thanks

 

[ahiggins]

I have a dispar anthia thats in with a midas in the frag tank. She eats once a day. I wish I could feed more but I go to work before her lights turn on :(

 

[ahiggins]

Anthias are very social. They set up a hierarchy to determine who will be a male. Sometimes females will usurp an existing male and he may be forced into hiding, revert to a female, or be killed. Bartletts and lyretails are some of the feistier species and often fight amongst themselves. Because of this having just 2 usually results in one being forced into hiding.

More peaceful social anthias include randalls and dispar.

Anthias are used to eating small frequent meals, and replicating this in captivity is best. As long as the meals are spaced 45-60min apart the meals can all be in the evening.

no way.....so if I feed at 6 when I get home from work, I can feed again before thier lights turn off at 9pm?!
Ive never tried to feed them like that before.

 

[eatbreakfast]

@eatbreakfast I'm looking at stocking a few other fish and wondering what order I should add them... before or after Anthias?

Possible list:
Yellow Tang
Powder Blue Tang
Royal Gramma
1 clown to replace one that died
Valentini Puffer **but thinking this one won't be a good fit so probably not

If you have any suggestions that would be good tank-mates feel free to add.

thanks

Most of those shouldn't pose an issue whether added before or after.

I'm a fan of purple tilefish, longnose and flame hawks, and starry blenny.

 

[eatbreakfast]

no way.....so if I feed at 6 when I get home from work, I can feed again before thier lights turn off at 9pm?!
Ive never tried to feed them like that before.

I would feed about 20-30 minutes before lights out.

 

[ahiggins]

I would feed about 20-30 minutes before lights out.

huh.....well that makes me feel a lot better about not being able to feed in the morning lol my little clown always has a belly full of food at bedtime

 

[1stNoel]

I just bought a harem of lyretails for my 300 gallon tank. 1 male; 6 females. I also bought 1 Evansi and he hangs with the group.

Knowing these fish prefer to feed often, I bought an Eheim Automatic Fish Feeder, stocked it with Hikari and PE Mysis pellets, and programmed it to disperse food 5 times a day.

I also feed twice when I'm home: one is Reef Chili (the anthias love it), and the other is frozen foods like LRS and PE Mysis mixed with some Reef Nutrition products.

As you can tell...I try to spoil my fish. Just need to watch tank parameters: with NO3 currently holding at 8, and PO4 holding at 0.08 (which is where WWC keeps their PO4 at).

Strongly recommend the feeder. Eheim one is $33; built well and runs quiet (I had initially bought a cheaper one and it felt cheap and ran LOUD).

My goal is to stock like 30 anthias in my tank. Their colors are strikingly beautiful.

 

[sid.scuba]

Also try using masstick, my lyretails go bezerk over it. Stick it to the glass, they will nip it throughout the day till it lasts

 

[sid.scuba]

My blue eye, lyretail anthias

 

[Devaji]

I just bought a harem of lyretails for my 300 gallon tank. 1 male; 6 females. I also bought 1 Evansi and he hangs with the group.

Knowing these fish prefer to feed often, I bought an Eheim Automatic Fish Feeder, stocked it with Hikari and PE Mysis pellets, and programmed it to disperse food 5 times a day.

I also feed twice when I'm home: one is Reef Chili (the anthias love it), and the other is frozen foods like LRS and PE Mysis mixed with some Reef Nutrition products.

As you can tell...I try to spoil my fish. Just need to watch tank parameters: with NO3 currently holding at 8, and PO4 holding at 0.08 (which is where WWC keeps their PO4 at).

Strongly recommend the feeder. Eheim one is $33; built well and runs quiet (I had initially bought a cheaper one and it felt cheap and ran LOUD).

My goal is to stock like 30 anthias in my tank. Their colors are strikingly beautiful.

nice I was looking at the ehiem auto feeder a while back I hear they get good reviews. it has nevee messed up for you and dumped tons of food in the tank. like most I would like some I am thinking dispar. hmm might just have to rethink the possibility with an auto feeder.

anyone else using the ehiem?

 

[LBReefer]

nice I was looking at the ehiem auto feeder a while back I hear they get good reviews. it has nevee messed up for you and dumped tons of food in the tank. like most I would like some I am thinking dispar. hmm might just have to rethink the possibility with an auto feeder.

anyone else using the ehiem?

I'm using it and have not had issues *knocks on wood*

 

[eatbreakfast]

I agree. You can't go wrong with the Eheim autofeeder.

 

[Devaji]

good to know guys, now I can think about them again. I feed 2x a day most days anyway. but with a the feeder sure would make things easier.
how did you train your fish to eat the food? I still cant get my reef tank on NLS pellets.

 

[stevo01]

I struggle getting my fish to eat anything besides frozen. The Marcia anthias will eat some pellets but is quickly turned off by them after eating a few. The lyretail wont touch them. Clowns seem to like them. One wrasse will eat them if hes hungry enough and the other wont. Neither will the cardinals or firefish.

So i continue to try to hand feed dried foods a few times a week. Hoping i can eventually install the ehiem feeder. It be so handy when on vacations.