Keeping Anthias
- Thread starter chris a h
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debbie g
Member
Yea, and some are considerably hardier than others. I don't know which are which though. My question was more about if you can mix different kinds of anthias. I love each and every one, so it would be great to have one of each of 5 species. Tough decision. If you find out anything, let me know, I'll do the same. I'm gonna see if one of my books are more specific. Good Luck
Debbie G
Debbie G
brooklyn johnny
Active Member
Hi guys... I currently keep a trio (one male with two females) of Pseudanthias squampinnis (commonly known as lyretail anthias) in my 54 corner thread here , and a pair of Pseudanthias bartlettorum (Bartlett's anthias) in my 65 sps reef thread here .
There are many keys to keeping anthias. The first I should mention is the species you select. Anthias run from fairly adaptable to nearly impossible, and many of these species appear similar. While beauty is in the eye of the beholder, the two species I chose (two of the most adaptable to captivity) are also beautiful. Do strong research on the species you choose. As soon as my house is built my 180 will go up along with my other systems, and one of the species will go in the 180 and I will increase the number of females. I am in the process of planning my dream tank with the room already be built into the house now, but this ~520 gallon system is still a couple of years down the road as I want to invest in quality equipment. When this system is complete I am considering adding shoals of both species, as Bartlett's and squamipinnis appear to mix well in large reefs.
I strongly recommend Scott Michael's Reef Fishes volume one book, which has a great anthias section. The one male to many many females is cited there as it is in other places, but after observing many systems with less females of these particular species I've tried this with success.
If you have a decent size tank I'd strongly recommend gettong a shoal of just one species, as opposed to a mix of many species. Seeing a shoal of one species interact is fantastic and natural, and truly adds beauty and movement to a large reef as these fish are always showing themselves under the correct conditions. I've never seen a mix of one each of five species as you mention Debbie, but my opinion is that on top of it not looking natural, there would be endless quarells between males of the different species and instead of a well organized shoal with little aggression you'd have a disorganized jumble of different species. As I said I have not seen this tried before, but the beauty of a shoal of one male and a bunch of females of one species is a sight that is tough to beat!
One of the basic needs of anthias is frequent feedings, and again I've experienced this firsthand noticing the thinning of my male squamipinnis. Basically, anthias will not eat that much in one feeding, but rather require a little food more often than alot of food all at once. It's really no big deal, and it benefits all of their tankmates also. I get home from work and defrost some food and feed it in three or four feedings over the course of the night. On the weekends I increase this schedule. Note you're not really increasing the amount you feed too much (a little yes maybe), but rather the smae amount spread out through more feedings. They are not shy feeders as are many picky fish. They duke it out with some feisty feeders in both tanks.
I hope that answers some questions. Do not be intimidated by anthias. They are beautiful fish that can adapt well if you choose good specimens and provide the right conditions meeting their needs. Remember to choose your species well.
Hope that helps...
There are many keys to keeping anthias. The first I should mention is the species you select. Anthias run from fairly adaptable to nearly impossible, and many of these species appear similar. While beauty is in the eye of the beholder, the two species I chose (two of the most adaptable to captivity) are also beautiful. Do strong research on the species you choose. As soon as my house is built my 180 will go up along with my other systems, and one of the species will go in the 180 and I will increase the number of females. I am in the process of planning my dream tank with the room already be built into the house now, but this ~520 gallon system is still a couple of years down the road as I want to invest in quality equipment. When this system is complete I am considering adding shoals of both species, as Bartlett's and squamipinnis appear to mix well in large reefs.
I strongly recommend Scott Michael's Reef Fishes volume one book, which has a great anthias section. The one male to many many females is cited there as it is in other places, but after observing many systems with less females of these particular species I've tried this with success.
If you have a decent size tank I'd strongly recommend gettong a shoal of just one species, as opposed to a mix of many species. Seeing a shoal of one species interact is fantastic and natural, and truly adds beauty and movement to a large reef as these fish are always showing themselves under the correct conditions. I've never seen a mix of one each of five species as you mention Debbie, but my opinion is that on top of it not looking natural, there would be endless quarells between males of the different species and instead of a well organized shoal with little aggression you'd have a disorganized jumble of different species. As I said I have not seen this tried before, but the beauty of a shoal of one male and a bunch of females of one species is a sight that is tough to beat!
One of the basic needs of anthias is frequent feedings, and again I've experienced this firsthand noticing the thinning of my male squamipinnis. Basically, anthias will not eat that much in one feeding, but rather require a little food more often than alot of food all at once. It's really no big deal, and it benefits all of their tankmates also. I get home from work and defrost some food and feed it in three or four feedings over the course of the night. On the weekends I increase this schedule. Note you're not really increasing the amount you feed too much (a little yes maybe), but rather the smae amount spread out through more feedings. They are not shy feeders as are many picky fish. They duke it out with some feisty feeders in both tanks.
I hope that answers some questions. Do not be intimidated by anthias. They are beautiful fish that can adapt well if you choose good specimens and provide the right conditions meeting their needs. Remember to choose your species well.
Hope that helps...
flatzboy
Active Member
I sorry to get of topic but I have a question for Brooklyn Johnny I am setting up a 46 gallon bow front and I want to have metal halides I was thinking of dueing the same thing you did on your 54 gallon corner tank and get a 250 watt hqi pendant have a 20k bulb so I don't have to supplement it. Do you think I could have any clams with this over my 46 gal bow? What about sps?
brooklyn johnny
Active Member
Flat I'd be happy to help... just link me to either a thread you have going or start a new one... I don't mind hijacking a thread for one post, but this question requires some back and forth and I don't want to take away from Chris' anthias thread... on a side note Happy Friday all...:jumping:
debbie g
Member
Thanks a lot Brooklyn Johnny. I kinda figured that the mix would be pushing it, but wondered about firsthand experience. My tank is a 175 so I suppose I'll just go with the squampinnis shoal and and if I CAN'T RESIST getting one of the other species, I'll just get 3 for my 55 (unless your experience tells me that a 55 is too small for 3). Thank you so much. You've helped a lot and certainly answered Chris's questions too. Good luck with that monster tank! Can't wait to see it.
Debbie G
Debbie G
brooklyn johnny
Active Member
That sounds like a great plan. If you buy local, be sure they are eating well and look plump. If you buy online be sure you have a good guarentee and the site assures you will get one male and the rest females. I'm looking at how this site sells them and they have "blue-eyed" anthias for $24.99 which are clearly marked as the female lyretail anthias. Then there is the "lyretail anthias" which has a photo of a male and offers no distinction as to whether or not those are all males... and they're $19.99. That is very confusing... anyway I did get mine online and was very happy with the purchase. Be sure to feed alot and not include anything to aggressive... nothing says large reef tank like a group of these guys...
Regarding the big tank I'm excited, but my 180 will keep me busy for a while... please update in this thread when you decide to buy...
Regarding the big tank I'm excited, but my 180 will keep me busy for a while... please update in this thread when you decide to buy...
tervman
Member
Originally posted by Brooklyn Johnny
I get home from work and defrost some food and feed it in three or four feedings over the course of the night. On the weekends I increase this schedule.
Johnny, thanks for this info. I, too, love the look of the Anthias, but was concerned that I could not provide them with frequent enough feedings, since both my wife and I are out of the house all day during the week (and a number of weekend days, at the dog shows). I assume, from your posting, that feeding multiple times over the course of the evening works well for you, and that they won't starve because they are not fed during the day...correct?
Thanks.
brooklyn johnny
Active Member
Yes. In my experience the Bartlett's are the more adaptable of the two. They feed on pellets and the squamipinnis do not. They also hold their body weight better with less feeding. Just something to consider if you won't be feeding them too much...
brooklyn johnny
Active Member
While I recommend both to those with some experience, I lean towards the Bartlett's because they seem more robust and stay a little bit smaller. However, I'd worry about your damsels as they mature, as anthias don't like to be continuosly harrassed. They start out cute, but for the most part things go down hill with them, especially when you look to get things like anthias...
