Missing Anthias

[tanksoftwiddy]

I recently purchased and put into my tank 5 Dispar Anthias. Did proper acclimation, lights out, all that good stuff. I have not seen any of them since the day I put them in. I placed them in the tank on November 7th and have yet to see them. I gave it a few days, then I started looking and can’t find them, or any evidence of them. Checked around the tank, in the sump, and in the overflow.

My tank is a well established 120 gallon reef tank. I haven’t added a fish for almost a year because the tank was doing well and didn’t want to mess with what’s good. The fish have their hierarchy, but none of them have ever been aggressive or chased anything. I was nervous that anything I put in there would screw up the hierarchy.

Is it possible they have been hiding this long and are still alive? I just find it odd I haven’t seen them, and haven’t found any evidence they were ever in there.

I also added a green mandarin at the same time and he’s doing his thing with no problems.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Pistondog]

Still hiding. Be patient.
I had a flasher wrasse hide for 3 weeks before venturing out.
Hes mostly out now.

 

[tanksoftwiddy]

Still hiding. Be patient.
I had a flasher wrasse hide for 3 weeks before venturing out.
Hes mostly out now.

Appreciate it. Figured if they are alive they’re eating whatever drifts their way. Just needed some encouragement from others who have had fish hide this long. lol.

 

[Pistondog]

Appreciate it. Figured if they are alive they’re eating whatever drifts their way. Just needed some encouragement from others who have had fish hide this long. lol.

They also may be coming out to feed after lights out.

 

[Tcook]

I’ve had 6 lyretail hide in the rocks for a week and a half. They are good at hiding in crevasses in the rocks. You won’t find them easily.

 

[zheka757]

From the sound of your msg, you didn't quarantine them, and if so, you have no idea if they where sick, and anthias known to have deadly uronema. Hope it's not the case for you, but a week and not a single sign of them would worry me to.

 

[gbroadbridge]

I recently purchased and put into my tank 5 Dispar Anthias. Did proper acclimation, lights out, all that good stuff. I have not seen any of them since the day I put them in. I placed them in the tank on November 7th and have yet to see them. I gave it a few days, then I started looking and can’t find them, or any evidence of them. Checked around the tank, in the sump, and in the overflow.

My tank is a well established 120 gallon reef tank. I haven’t added a fish for almost a year because the tank was doing well and didn’t want to mess with what’s good. The fish have their hierarchy, but none of them have ever been aggressive or chased anything. I was nervous that anything I put in there would screw up the hierarchy.

Is it possible they have been hiding this long and are still alive? I just find it odd I haven’t seen them, and haven’t found any evidence they were ever in there.

I also added a green mandarin at the same time and he’s doing his thing with no problems.

Thanks in advance.

They're probably just hiding.

 

[ninjamyst]

I have much better success putting fish into acclimation box for a week before releasing them. Did that recently with 5 anthias and none of them hid when released

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

Personally I'm surprised, 5 dispar's hiding for 6 days now, to me its very odd. They are definitely skittish fish and will hide for hours if you disturb them, but they should come out for feeding time, and missing 6 days of feedings is unusual.

 

[tanksoftwiddy]

Personally I'm surprised, 5 dispar's hiding for 6 days now, to me its very odd. They are definitely skittish fish and will hide for hours if you disturb them, but they should come out for feeding time, and missing 6 days of feedings is unusual.

That’s what I thought I was well, but you’d think if they died that I woulda found them, or some evidence of them.

 

[Reefering1]

They may just be hiding from you when you come to the tank. All my wild fish do this for weeks/ months- seems reasonable if you think about it... have you tried sneaking up on the tank and watching from a distance?

 

[tanksoftwiddy]

They may just be hiding from you when you come to the tank. All my wild fish do this for weeks/ months- seems reasonable if you think about it... have you tried sneaking up on the tank and watching from a distance?

Good idea. Hard in my house with kids and dogs. Lol

 

[gbroadbridge]

Good idea. Hard in my house with kids and dogs. Lol

You'll be amazed what you see if you put a camera on the tank when you're not there

 

[Reefering1]

Good idea. Hard in my house with kids and dogs. Lol

I find that putting my hands in the water to feed does speed things up. Once not hiding, but still skeptical, I'll hold the food until they come to my hand. Now I can pet or hold most of them. Sucks when you walk up to the tank and everybody hides, patience will prevail

 

[tanksoftwiddy]

Just to wrap this thread up. I ended up finding one of anthias, the largest one, and now he is gone. I don’t think they were sick, I think my tank and livestock are super-established, have their space, and don’t want anything new around. I believe they got bullied, I saw a hawkish giving the one I found a hard time.

Unfortunate but that may be the reef diety way of telling me I’m at my max for stocking.

Mandarin is doing Ok, but he can get under rocks, hide if chased, and still eat as the tank is loaded with pods. Lesson learned.