All about ANTHIAS questions

[Brew12]

http://www.oceannutrition.eu/products.aspx?Product=instant-baby-brine-shrimp
They are not live, and once opened need to be refrigerated and used within 6weeks. At least according to the manufacturer.

I thought they were live at first too, until I read this line.

"The nauplii have a very good buoyancy, as if you are dealing with a live product !!"

Was really easy to glance over the "as if" part of this quote.

 

[ca1ore]

Randalls and dispars readily take frozen, and have been relatively quick to take to dry foods IME.

Agreed. Unlike purple queens/tuka that are a MAJOR pain to feed, these don't really need live baby brine frankly. Nutramar Ova is prawn eggs and crack for fish. Irresistable to all but the most picky or sick fish.

 

[Vahanyos]

I have a Fiji in my 60g 4ft long tank. He's housed with a melanurus wrasse, 2 paired ocellaris clowns, mimic tang, starry blenny, And a Pygmy dwarf. I keep my tank at 79 and he's doing real well. Bright colors and eats like a fatty. My tank height is only 16 inches. I do have hiding spots in my rock work but he's always out and about. Never seen him try to jump either. Only thing I'll note is do not keep multiple unless it's 3 or more and they should be added together or real close in time frames.

 

[Brew12]

I was talking about feeding new anthias baby brine.
So you have seen newly captured anthias eat flakes and pellets?

I have Dispar anthias that eat pellets. In fact, they started on the pellets before they would eat the LRS I put in for them. Fish don't learn much in school about how they should behave.

 

[ca1ore]

I was talking about feeding new anthias baby brine.
So you have seen newly captured anthias eat flakes and pellets?

Maybe I was not clear .....

1. Things like the baby brine products, nutramar ova or even live hatched brine are very helpful for certain species when newly acquired.
2. Randall/resplendent are, IME, not among this group and they will readily take more common frozen fare like spirulina brine, small Mysis or calanus.
3. I did not mention anything about flake/pellets; though many species of pseudoanthias will take them, though as you note, often not when newly added.

I have, on two occasions, tried to keep tukas. The first time, in a dedicated NPS tank, I was able to keep them for over a year (along with a blueberry seafan), but they required heroic efforts to feed. Live hatched brine worked as did ova, but they never reliably took anything else. My second effort was short circuited by a uronema infection. Randall/resplendent I have kept on multiple occasions, and have never had trouble getting them to take hikari Mysis, for example. I've also had uronema/body ulceration problems with them as well though.

Just my 2 cents!

 

[potatocouch]

See photo above. Ocean Nutrition instant baby brine shrimp (freshly hatched Artemia) are in a glass jar with at least a one year shelf life. They are live. Do not put the jar in a freezer, it goes on the shelf at room temperature.

Thanks @magictalk but are you saying that we shouldn't follow manufacturer instructions?

Please forgive me as I don't mean to be rude but I am the type of person who like to ask questions if it doesn't make any sense and please help me to understand below statement from the manufacturer:

Once open, the product must be kept in the refrigerator.

 

[potatocouch]

I have only love for you @magictalk

 

[Fishf00d]

So here I go bumping this old thread. I have a resplendent and sunset that have been in my tank for a year and a half. Started with 3 resplendent and two got sick when I took down my biocube and moved my clownfish into their tank. I also tried adding a second sunset which was picked on and didn't make it. The tank is a 65 tub and i was wonder if I could add a 3rd anthias in with these two. The resplendent use to fight with the sunset but now that the other 2 resplendents died there has been no aggression. I was looking at maybe adding a Carberryi. Am I asking for trouble or should I just be happy with the 2 I have.

 

[eatbreakfast]

So here I go bumping this old thread. I have a resplendent and sunset that have been in my tank for a year and a half. Started with 3 resplendent and two got sick when I took down my biocube and moved my clownfish into their tank. I also tried adding a second sunset which was picked on and didn't make it. The tank is a 65 tub and i was wonder if I could add a 3rd anthias in with these two. The resplendent use to fight with the sunset but now that the other 2 resplendents died there has been no aggression. I was looking at maybe adding a Carberryi. Am I asking for trouble or should I just be happy with the 2 I have.

Adding an individual anthias to existing anthias can be challenging. Even though the existing species are peaceful, anthias are hierarchical and use social dominance, displays, and chasing to solidify their position. This adds stress to a new fish that is already dealing with the stress of capture, transport, and acclimation. Adding new anthias to existing ones will be more successful by adding 3 or more new anthias.

 

[Fishf00d]

Yea I can't add 3 more in a 65 tub. May just stick to a hooded fairy wrasse. Just wanted 1 more fish. I have a leopard, 2 green banded gobies, perc clown, bar goby, yasha hasa, resplendent, sunset, 1 trimma, 1 evota, jester goby, blue chromis. That's it i think. Lots of gobies. The trimma, evota and green banded really have very little bioload though.

Adding an individual anthias to existing anthias can be challenging. Even though the existing species are peaceful, anthias are hierarchical and use social dominance, displays, and chasing to solidify their position. This adds stress to a new fish that is already dealing with the stress of capture, transport, and acclimation. Adding new anthias to existing ones will be more successful by adding 3 or more new anthias.

 

[Paul B]

Magictalk, you like me are Geezers and we started the same time. It's hard to talk to thses whippersnappers without seeming cranky. As I normally am.

I have a bunch of anthias also. They, like my pipefish and mandarins get live new born shrimp a couple of times a day. I sometimes mix them with frozen Cyclopese

 

[cracker]

I have a couple anthias questions for You Folks. I'm wanting to stock a new 180 fish only . I have 4 fish so far. I pair of clowns that have moved into a rock pile & stay there, a copper band & a possible Yellow tang who is hanging out in the refugium until I decide if I will keep it. I want to try a harem of anthias again . I had the pecking order issue in the past . I would buy 3, the smallest would go 1st then end up with just one. i think I want to try 5 or 6 lyretail this time.
So Magictalk suggests getting a group of smaller ones & let them work it out.
How about getting a larger known male 1st then adding a group of smaller juveniles?
What about Qt? I won't add any fish without at least checking them out for a while. I 'm hesitant to treat any fish with meds unless I have to. I have 2, 20 longs & a 20 tall tank for qt tanks.
So if I got say 6 smaller lyretails, should I put them all in a 20 long or tall?
Or should I put 3 in each then add them all to the display at the same time?
I will work on a proper diet for these fish also.
Thanks for any opinions!

 

[Texas Reefer]

I have a couple anthias questions for You Folks. I'm wanting to stock a new 180 fish only . I have 4 fish so far. I pair of clowns that have moved into a rock pile & stay there, a copper band & a possible Yellow tang who is hanging out in the refugium until I decide if I will keep it. I want to try a harem of anthias again . I had the pecking order issue in the past . I would buy 3, the smallest would go 1st then end up with just one. i think I want to try 5 or 6 lyretail this time.
So Magictalk suggests getting a group of smaller ones & let them work it out.
How about getting a larger known male 1st then adding a group of smaller juveniles?
What about Qt? I won't add any fish without at least checking them out for a while. I 'm hesitant to treat any fish with meds unless I have to. I have 2, 20 longs & a 20 tall tank for qt tanks.
So if I got say 6 smaller lyretails, should I put them all in a 20 long or tall?
Or should I put 3 in each then add them all to the display at the same time?
I will work on a proper diet for these fish also.
Thanks for any opinions!

Following

 

[eatbreakfast]

I have a couple anthias questions for You Folks. I'm wanting to stock a new 180 fish only . I have 4 fish so far. I pair of clowns that have moved into a rock pile & stay there, a copper band & a possible Yellow tang who is hanging out in the refugium until I decide if I will keep it. I want to try a harem of anthias again . I had the pecking order issue in the past . I would buy 3, the smallest would go 1st then end up with just one. i think I want to try 5 or 6 lyretail this time.
So Magictalk suggests getting a group of smaller ones & let them work it out.
How about getting a larger known male 1st then adding a group of smaller juveniles?
What about Qt? I won't add any fish without at least checking them out for a while. I 'm hesitant to treat any fish with meds unless I have to. I have 2, 20 longs & a 20 tall tank for qt tanks.
So if I got say 6 smaller lyretails, should I put them all in a 20 long or tall?
Or should I put 3 in each then add them all to the display at the same time?
I will work on a proper diet for these fish also.
Thanks for any opinions!

As long as they are from the same batch, you can get one male and the rest female with lyretails. If they are from different batches, get all females.

For qt, put them all together in the 20l, but provide plenty of cover.

Lyretails aren't picky. Varied diets are the most nutritious.

 

[Abhishek]

I agree with everything that @eatbreakfast said . However with my limited experience with various anthias , I would always get only females and one emerge as the alpha male in due time . With change of environment , their hierarchy gets screwed and the once alpha male , might not be the alpha in the new tank .

If you have a group , one will turn to make today or tomorrow , may be even more will turn into makes .

Lyretails - I won't worry about food and they should eat LES and mysis easily . If not ROE and nutramar ova will save the day .

Regards,
Abhishek

 

[cracker]

Thank You Gentle Men ! If this comes to pass, I will get either lyretails or dispars. I will have to speak with the owner of my LFS about ordering them. see what he says concerning availability, cost ,etc. I pretty much spent all day reading about anthias & watching college ball . I will place them all in one QT ( I also have a 40 breeder I forgot about.) Could use that with a little placement imagination . I will most likely get all females. Sounds like ordering & getting a guaranteed male . Most likely go with six dispar. they are going into a 180. I have brine hatchery in the stack of stuff & have fish roe already. At least that's the game plan so far. Thanks again.