Anthias experts: which species for my tank?

[ThRoewer]

In this thread I came to the decision to add some Anthias to my 100 gallon tank.

So now I'm looking for some input from the Anthias experts on which species to chose and how many individuals.

It should be a small colorful species that is out in the open a lot.
They should also be as peaceful as possible among each other and get along in a smaller group (3 to 5?).
My favorite would be the Lyretail Anthias (Pseudanthias squamipinnis), but they will definitely get too large for my tank.

This is the candidate list I've compiled so far based on size (suitable additions are welcome):

• Ventralis Anthias (Pseudanthias ventralis)
  Max length: 2.75"
  Depth range 26 - 120 m
  Perfect in size and color, only the price is seriously "ouch!" and it is rather a deep water species. Further it's listed as "expert only". What makes this one especially difficult?
  .
• Carberryi Anthias (Nemanthias carberryi)
  Max length: 3.0"
  Depth range 4 - 30 m
  As a small, colorful shallow water species this was kind of my pick, but I was told in the other thread that this species may fade in color if not fed a specific diet - is this true and which food would prevent it?
  .
• Randall's Anthias (Pseudanthias randalli)
  Max length: 3.0"
  Depth range 15 - 120 m
  .
• Resplendent Anthias (Pseudanthias pulcherrimus)
  Max length: 3.0"
  Depth range 10 - 70 m
  .
• Sunset Anthias (Pseudanthias parvirostris)
  Max length: 3.0"
  Depth range 35 - 65 m
  .
• Ignitus Anthias (Pseudanthias ignitus)
  Max length: 3.5"
  Depth range 10 - 40 m
  As a rather shallow water reef species this may be the most suited, though it looks a bit dull in the LiveAquaria and Blue Zoo images.
  .
• Bartlett's Anthias (Pseudanthias bartlettorum)
  Max length: 3.5"
  Depth range 4 - 30 m
  .
• Princess Anthias (Pseudanthias smithvanizi)
  Max length: 3.5"
  Depth range 6 - 70 m
  .
• Evansi Anthias (Pseudanthias evansi)
  Max length: 4.0"
  Depth range 4 - 40 m
  .
• Dispar Anthias (Pseudanthias dispar)
  Max length: 4.0"
  Depth range 1 - 18 m - Shallow water reef species

Some info on the tank/system:

• The tank is 40" long, 28" deep and 24" tall. Further there are two 40Bs and a 10 gallon (soon 30) refugium in the system.
• The light is programmed to have a long ramp-up with a fairly long blue phase.
• The flow is designed to simulate tidal changes with periods of full blast and periods of nearly no flow:
  
  
  
  
  
• The rockwork provides lots of refuge and there are a few large caves in the back.
• The tank has an auto-feeder (Eheim) with pellets which currently feeds twice, but could be programmed to feed more often (I think 4x is the max).
• I try to feed frozen food at least twice, 1x mornings and 1x-2x evenings.
• I have several tigger pod cultures going, so quality live food can be offered from time to time and especially during quarantine and acclimatization. I would also be able to hatch brine shrimp if necessary.
• The refugium is crawling with Mysids, Ampipods and clouds of other pods.

This is the current stock of the tank:
2 Pygoplites diacanthus dux, pair (Yellow Regal Angel, 95 & 80mm, West Sumatra)
2 Amphiprion percula, pair #1 (True Percula Clownfish, Solomons) - these two never leave their anemone.
2 Synchiropus splendidus, pair (Green Mandarin Fish)
1 Chrysiptera starcki, male (Starck's Damsel, Melanesia) - a female will be added as soon as I find one.
+ lots of shrimp and crab.

Here 2 videos of the tank to get an idea of the setting:
Front view:
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wuRw2mB2oiM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Side view:
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RIJj9l7AEhM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

(The fridmani and blennies are no longer in the tank.)

So the question now is, which species would be best suited for my tank?

 

[Big E]

I have Randalls and Ignitis right now. Randall males are awesome but make sure you only have one. More males will get along but they have washed out colors being sub-dominate. The females will also be more colorful with just one male.

The Ignitus are high energy..........they constantly stay swimming against the current. & need plenty of food. Pictures don't do them justice.

Forget evansi.......I couldn't keep them alive..............they are less hardy and more difficult to get eating.

Ventralis are timid and need cooler temps long term.

Sunsets are hardy a beautiful.

I'd stay away from bartletts and lyretals if you're going to opt for some of the others............bigger a more aggressive.

Expect some dieoffs even if you QT properly.

 

[steallife904]

are there any anthias that can be kept that you don't have to feed multiple times a day??? that's the only reason I haven't got one yet, from what I have heard you need to feed all day. I feed my tank now once a day in the afternoon. I feed Rods frozen and sometimes mix in some flakes. Can any work with 1 a day feeding?

 

[ca1ore]

I'd steer clear of bartletts in a tank that size. I've got a trio in my 265, and the males are pushing 4". Princess, ventralis and evansi are all very sensitive and don't compete well for food so really need a quiet tank to themselves. I like resplendent/randalls, but they can struggle to compete for food as well. Also it hard to keep them at just one male, as they all seem to turn eventually. I started with 10 through QT; now have 5, with four males. Ignitus/dispar are kind of bland IMO, so I'd go carberryi. No experience with sunset.

 

[Winwood]

I really liked Randall's when I kept them. Out going easy feeders.

 

[Pericyte]

(not an expert in anthias, but...)

steallife904 - I have never had trouble feeding anthias once a day.

ThRoewer - You may want to consider multiple species in a group of 6 or so. The peaceful anthias stick together pretty well, and it will give you different colors that are much more vibrant than any group of a single type of anthia.

 

[Big E]

(not an expert in anthias, but...)

steallife904 - I have never had trouble feeding anthias once a day.

ThRoewer - You may want to consider multiple species in a group of 6 or so. The peaceful anthias stick together pretty well, and it will give you different colors that are much more vibrant than any group of a single type of anthia.

I think this is a good point..............I know people want to create a nice group of one species like you see in the ocean, but I tend to believe they would live longer and do better as pairs in our aquariums. Especially in smaller size tanks approx. 120g and under.

You avoid the multiple male changing problem and the males seem a lot less aggressive and the there isn't a pecking order where the lowest fish in the pecking order never gets food.

I've seen this happen many times anyways as they whittle down to a trio or pair on their own over time. I would think you can get away with less feedings per day as well.

 

[ThRoewer]

I would definitely be fine with 2 or 3 pairs of different species if that works. To me the key is that I can at least keep a pair per species (one of the reasons I ruled out flasher and fairy wrasses).

So which of the smaller colorful Anthias species on my list would do well together?

 

[Big E]

Any combination of these--
Randalls
Ignitus
Dispar
Carberri
Resplendent
Sunset

Fathead (Serranocirrhitus latus) would mix in nice too. I'm not sure how pairs do, but I've seen single specimens out 24/7 when the tank is full of other non-aggressive dither fish. They hang out in pairs and trios in the wild.

 

[Big E]

Here's a good fathead link--

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2002/7/fish

 

[acesq]

If you like ventralis, I would not hesitate to give them a shot. Yes, they are a little difficult to get eating sometimes and they are on the shy side, but I have had good success with them in my 120, where I kept a pair for over a year before I took it down and now in my 340 where I have a harem of 4 with 4 new females in QT. I maintain a temp of 78 -80 in the summer and 77-78 in the winter. They are not bothered by any of my tangs, angels, wrasses, clowns and cardinals and at feeding time, hang out below the melee with the cardinals and catch the small stuff that the bigger fish pass up. We feed LRF at least 4 times per day. The harem I have now have been together for 7 months.

 

[ThRoewer]

Where did you get your ventralis from? And which other Anthias species would be an ideal companion to reduce the ventralis' shyness? Would carberryi work?

Difficult fish in general don't scare me - fish I usually know how to deal with.
It's corals that give me headaches...

 

[jbvdhp]

Anthias experts: which species for my tank?

Ventralis!!! A buddy of mine picked up some very small females (7) coming in from the Marshall Islands I assume.

Earlier in the year they were on special sale for $60 each, and these are running roughly $85 wholesale at the moment.

Jordan from among the reef is getting them at about $100 I think, which is a good price.

I'm still waiting for them to go on sale again. So pretty.


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[ThRoewer]

Who had them at $60?

 

[jbvdhp]

Anthias experts: which species for my tank?

Who had them at $60?

I can't remember if it was UWW that had them, or if Quality had them because I vaguely remember my contact saying they were on hold for a few days (read: making sure they were alive and looking good; part of me thinks if it WAS indeed QM, it would have been more).

I initially wanted 6-7 but passed, a buddy bought 3, but lost them as he feared his larger female bimacs might have bullied them.

Oh and my contact said he sees them roughly 4x/yr and that price isn't too uncommon. I usually see them higher.


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[acesq]

Where did you get your ventralis from? And which other Anthias species would be an ideal companion to reduce the ventralis' shyness? Would carberryi work?

Difficult fish in general don't scare me - fish I usually know how to deal with.
It's corals that give me headaches...

The harem is from Shaun at Aquarium City, an LFS here in the valley. The 4 in QT are from Jordan at Among the Reef. I took them right off the plane (it is nice to line in LA) and they were all eating the following day.

I wouldn't call them shy, they just know their place in the hierarchy --- the smallest fish in the tank. They are always out in the open or under a shaded ledge, never hiding. The only other anthias I have kept them with were squampinnis. They ignored each other.

 

[ThRoewer]

LFS had 3 trios of Ventralis Anthias today.
I took these 3 because they were the ones who were out in the open the most:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/U-a1wcD2Euc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

They also had Bartlett's and Evansi Anthias, but they looked pale compared to these.

 

[acesq]

Nice. What did you pay for them?

 

[ThRoewer]

After discount 100 each.

The issue now is to get them eating. I have their tank loaded with Tigger Pods, but so far they don't look as if they are eating.

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[jbvdhp]

After discount 100 each.

The issue now is to get them eating. I have their tank loaded with Tigger Pods, but so far they don't look as if they are eating.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

Congrats!!!

How high is the flow in the tank? I've found high flow seems to stimulate them. So in QT I use a Jebao RW8 and I have it on else mode at about 1/3-1/2 power. It makes them really have to swim and when I drop food in, they really go after it in the current.



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