Quarantining Lyretail Anthias

[czoolander]

Your experience isn’t too far off for SE Asian squampinnis anthias - they commonly show a 40% mortality rate over the first 40 days. If you can get them from East Africa or Sri Lanka, that rate is lower.
Jay

If they have a 40% mortality rate it kind of begs the question should these fish even be available for public purchase? Seems kinda selfish of myself and other reefers to be subjecting anthias to the home aquarium

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

If they have a 40% mortality rate it kind of begs the question should these fish even be available for public purchase? Seems kinda selfish of myself and other reefers to be subjecting anthias to the home aquarium

I agree.
I should have mentioned Australia as a good source as well.

Jay

 

[Neptune 555]

@Jay Hemdal Doing research on Lyretail Anthias as I have one in QT and now realize he has at best a 50/50 chance of survival : ( UGH I already named him! and think he is beautiful.

1. As this QT is NOT sterile... it has been going for 2 years has live rock in it, pods, and I am sure ich...(last batch of fish mandarins/firefish introduced ich into my 180 gallon DT 2 months ago) I have not gone fallow for 60 days... Does this mean that this tank has enough bacteria so my anthias will not be affected by the likely uronema??

2. I am only QT b/c of velvet...? How long does this fish need to stay in QT to ensure it does not have velvet?

Just an update: My 180 did get ich 2 months ago after 10 years of being ich free : (. BUT so far no fish have died... the blue tang was most affected but he seemed to pull through. I am devastated to have a tank with ich in it... and choose the anthias b/c I read that they are not prone to ich?. BUt I did want to update that I did not treat at all I absolutely kept my hands out of the tank for weeks.. and he seemed to recover. (until the next stressful event).

 

[Neptune 555]

@Jay Hemdal Doing research on Lyretail Anthias as I have one in QT and now realize he has at best a 50/50 chance of survival : ( UGH I already named him! and think he is beautiful.

1. As this QT is NOT sterile... it has been going for 2 years has live rock in it, pods, and I am sure ich...(last batch of fish mandarins/firefish introduced ich into my 180 gallon DT 2 months ago) I have not gone fallow for 60 days... Does this mean that this tank has enough bacteria so my anthias will not be affected by the likely uronema??

2. I am only QT b/c of velvet...? How long does this fish need to stay in QT to ensure it does not have velvet?

Just an update: My 180 did get ich 2 months ago after 10 years of being ich free : (. BUT so far no fish have died... the blue tang was most affected but he seemed to pull through. I am devastated to have a tank with ich in it... and choose the anthias b/c I read that they are not prone to ich?. BUt I did want to update that I did not treat at all I absolutely kept my hands out of the tank for weeks.. and he seemed to recover. (until the next stressful event).

OK I just called LFS where I purchased red lyretail anthias... They confirm they do not treat copper. They were using Maracyn - a non antibiotic fungal fish treatment.

Sooo if not being treated by copper... if my fish does not show signs of velvet in 14 days can I add him to DT? Assuming that if he had velvet and it is such a quick killer it would show up? His behaviour is good. Hiding a bit... but when I am not in the room he swims and he is eating.