Are anthias on live aquaria too expensive?

[Miami Reef]

Males are 50 each
Females are 55

I have a 300 gallon tank and I wanted to get a group of anthias, but I don’t know if this price will drop and if I should wait.

Also, I was thinking of getting lyretail. I feed the tank twice a day, I’ve had bad experiences with dispair anthias and also lyretail in the past. The died off when I only fed once a day.

will twice feedings be better? I also want to mention that I feel frozen. I can’t have automatic pellets because I have fish that will eat the pellets before the anthias can get to them, but frozen feedings allow if an equal distribution.

If I need to bump up my feedings I would do it for these anthias, but is it worth giving them another shot when I’ve had bad luck with them in the past?

 

[Haydn]

When you say group how many are you considering. May I suggest rather than lyretailed you look at Scribbled (bimacularis) I have found them more tolerant of others than lyretailed and IMO much more colourful.

May I ask what other fish you have in the tank and how is is decorated. I have found anthias get easily stressed if there isn't enough sleeping spaces or big robust fish blundering about.

I have also found the more anthias you have (within reason!) the easier it is to keep them but don't crowd them- I have over 60 (5 different species) in my 550 gall, I feed 3 times per day, callanus, micro pellets and mixed frozen.

As for cost I'm afraid I can't comment that is for you to decide. I will say one thing anthias are not a fish I would buy 'blind' there are just too many variables about them which can go wrong.

 

[Soylent Wrasse]

Everything on Liveaquaria is too expensive. They are banking on the name. Their current prices are the highest in the industry.

 

[nereefpat]

Everything on Liveaquaria is too expensive. They are banking on the name. Their current prices are the highest in the industry.

I agree. Compared to LFS, LA prices have become really high.

 

[guylaga]

FWIW my LFS has Lyretail for $35 and Dispar / Bartletts for $45

Seems to be inline with LA except for the Bartletts.

 

[ajjw0828]

I don't think that's ridiculous. I believe my LFS is $50 a fish. More like $70 for a male I believe.

 

[Soylent Wrasse]

FWIW my LFS has Lyretail for $35 and Dispar / Bartletts for $45

Seems to be inline with LA except for the Bartletts.

Does your LFS have a box charge too? Not trying to bust your chops, but LA isn't the same as it was even a year ago.

 

[nereefpat]

And lyretails on LA are 50, Dispar 45, and Bartlett 80.

 

[takitaj]

I got a pair of them a few months ago at Lfs (Petco). I think I paid $39 each. One was a bit larger than the other and turned into a male in a few weeks. The male is so much different now they almost seem like different species. I feed varied "off the shelf" frozen foods twice a day and they seem to be pretty healthy. Definitely carnivores and mine will only eat meaty foods, no pellets. The male is a good 3 1/2" and the female about 2".

As far as behavior goes they are mid water fish and are always out and about. The male darts at the female constantly, probably to keep the female from changing and to assert his male dominance. I've found them to be pretty easy fish to keep. I've read you should get 1 male to 1-3 females.

The lights are just coming on so I can't get pics yet, sorry.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Everything has become but not too much more than price at my LFS

 

[ca1ore]

As has been noted ad nauseum, fish prices have gone up a LOT over the past 18 months. Lyretails used to be around $30, now they're $50 in many places. I recently bought six females from my LFS for $35 each - on sale from a regular price of $50. Bluezoo is $50 also. NYAquatic has them still for $30, though I live locally to them so cannot say how they do shipping.

 

[guylaga]

Does your LFS have a box charge too? Not trying to bust your chops, but LA isn't the same as it was even a year ago.

I cannot say for sure, the prices I quoted are just what the stickers on the their holding tank say.

 

[jaganshi066]

Lyretail females are still about $25-$30 where I live

 

[Sarcazian]

You may about as much as live aquaria, but I recommend TSM since the fish are quaratined and I have had nothing but great results from them - both fish and some colors i've picked up when getting fish.

Anthias

Also referred to as wreckfish, reef fish, seaperch, swallowtails and jewelfish, anthias are a large family of saltwater fish made up of over 200 different sub-species. They are characterized by their vibrant coloring and shoaling behavior and are regarded as one of the most beautiful and one of...

tsmaquatics.com

 

[CanuckReefer]

Lyretail females are still about $25-$30 where I live

Then you are getting a heckuva deal....these Live Aquaria prices aren't too out of line imo, unless they arrive dead. Yellow Tangs on the other hand... oh my...

 

[Sarcazian]

Then you are getting a heckuva deal....these Live Aquaria prices aren't too out of line imo, unless they arrive dead. Yellow Tangs on the other hand... oh my...

yeah, the Hawaii ban certainly is not helping with their inflated prices. I wonder how many people are spending $500 for a tang that once was 20-40 bucks?

 

[CanuckReefer]

yeah, the Hawaii ban certainly is not helping with their inflated prices. I wonder how many people are spending $500 for a tang that once was 20-40 bucks?

It's outrageous. Mine 17 years old was 35.99 or something like that back in the day, ok inflation 70-80 bucks, the ban....oh my.... still 50 bucks or so for an Anthia shipped IN GOOD CONDITION, is imo reasonable, no?

 

[Zoa_Fanatic]

LA has gone to the birds. Their shipping is trash now and the quality of product people are getting is terrible. Tons of bad reviews on here. Not gonna order from the anytime in the future.

 

[polyppal]

Everything on Liveaquaria is too expensive. They are banking on the name. Their current prices are the highest in the industry.

When Live Aquaria cost more than a LFS, its time to give up on them

 

[Zoa_Fanatic]

When Live Aquaria is more than a LFS, its time to give up on them

Not even the prices, they shipping out sickly and diseased fish. And then arguing with people when the shipping dates they send stuff out on are dates a buyer specifically told them not to ship on. I would trust them with cheato.