Getting Anthias to Eat

[hobgoblin]

Hi all,

Just got 2 Anthias 2 days ago. A purple queen and a dispar.

Can't seem to get them to feed. They do not seem to be showing symptoms of sickness.

They don't seem to be stressed also. I noticed that they tend to swim openly when no one is near the tank, and it actually swam around with my bunch of chromis.

Once I start feeding, the anthias starts looking for a hiding spot. I have fed frozen mysis, cyclopeeze, pellets, sterile plantivorous preparation- all with no success.

Just fed cyclopeeze, and saw the PQ taking a mouthful- just once.

Looking at the situation, what the next best thing to be done?

Pls help,

Much appreciated.

[Rhinopias]

Anthias is not an easy fish to keep, especially members of the Mirolabrichthys section. Dispar and ignitus are moderately hardy anthias that could be kept in captivity if provided with well maintainance and care. But the Purple Queen still remains one of the hardest anthias to kept alive in captivity (both P. tuka and P. pascalus). Some of the purple queen might started and "look'' as it is feeding, but make sure that they really "eat" not just swallow for a while and throw out the food after a second.

Some of the Purple queen might adapt themselves to live in the tank, but that is a rare case. Most of them refuse to eat and die withing two months.

Refugium may helps to get the purple feeding. As it is a place to reproduce copepod and other small living organism. Try to give them newly-hatch brine shrimp or other live food. Put them in a peaceful tank with no aggressive tankmate would also increase the rate of surviving.

[my_love]

sure

[chaniz]

Try Bartlett's Anthias . They are easier but expensive......

[chaniz]

[Bio528]

So guys can recommend which anthias to keep beside Bartlett's Anthias (ex lol) juz got a squarespot anthias if im not wrong.

at first tot of buying purple queens but not recommended.

[Bio528]

i think not squarespot, i also dunno mine is which anthias, think i show pic here guys help ID thx

[Ah-lim]

A yr back, tried to keep 2 of them, but cannot get them to feed in my 3ft tank. No aggressive feeder in my tank.

Haiz. Gave up.

Could it be that they prefer to be in a pack of more than 3 and more?

Pls advise.

[Metabolic_7]

i bought 4 Sunburst Anthias from coral farm after the 3 day start to eat

[bUrPz]

Hmmm... bought 3 dispars on sunday, yesterday one of them out in the open and very active, the other 2 hiding under the rocks... this morning one laid dead on the sandbed...

Tried pellets, frozen mysis n cyclops eeze... today only turned on blue light... hope the other comes out soon and be as active as the 1st....

any advice?

[kareen]

no references or literature.. just some personal experiences notes...

They need clean water. If water quality is not there, it will just disappear one by one....

So far, all the anthias I have bought, I have not seen them ate any pellet before. Cylopeezees form of food (frozen/dried/alive) seems to be the next best things to offer especially in the begining.

Offer many interval small delicious meals is another tactic for them.

Experience on purple queen anthias tells me to avoid them forever. They should be left in the ocean. Even if 1 in the group survive, they will not last long when another group of anthias are introduce into the tank. The new group of anthias somehow will bully the loner till death.

[Underwater]

From what i was told by some reefers who tried Purple Queen, the same advice was given: "Don't waste money and fish lives by buying Purple Queen". Reasons none of them succeeded keeping them long in captivity.

But i have tried Randell and Lyretail anthias. Both eats frozen mysis and pellets readily.

[bUrPz]

Sigh... now 2 out of 3 left... of which only 1 active... should i get a few more to try boost up their morale, and give the hiding one more courage to come out? shall get the shop to show me which is actively eating when i pick the fish though....

[tjchan]

my PQ also KO one by one even when eating readily...

[black tank]

From what i was told by some reefers who tried Purple Queen, the same advice was given: "Don't waste money and fish lives by buying Purple Queen". Reasons none of them succeeded keeping them long in captivity.

But i have tried Randell and Lyretail anthias. Both eats frozen mysis and pellets readily.

If water quality is good then add a few more anthias to about 5 to 6 and not necessary the same. Blue eye anthias is a good choice to get other to feed. i have a purple queen, sunset, sunburst, 2 blue eye and a bartlet for more than a year. Purple queen took 2 week to start feeding only on brine/mysis shrimp while the rest on pellet. hope could help.

[Dazza]

yep agree with the bros comments here... I hv tried many types of anthias. Even got my purple queens to feed but still dont last long. So far only anthia that i hv tried n hv very gd survival chance is the bartletts. Just pay a bit more but its worth it in the long run.

[kareen]

Sigh... now 2 out of 3 left... of which only 1 active... should i get a few more to try boost up their morale, and give the hiding one more courage to come out? shall get the shop to show me which is actively eating when i pick the fish though....

I don't know your tank size.... but for me in my 4 footer, the older anthia residents died after I introduce new group of anthias.... At that time, I hardly have any fish at all. I observe some agressiveness between the anthias before the death... so I give up hope of having the beauty of school of anthias in my 4 footer.... Currently only have 2 anthias of the same type in....

[bUrPz]

Sigh.... last night bought one more... which was already eating pellets in the shop... added in the tank... equating to 2 active ones eating n swimming outside... this morning removed the dead corpse of the 3rd... think shall not be adding more...