anthias / new fish help

[Bluephish13]

Im looking for a new fish for my 90 just like another reefer just posted, but i do not want to jack the thread . I was set on anthias.

JUst want to get some of your opinions on what i should do.

I have a 5" hippo tang, 2 o.clowns, mandarin, and sixline. Had them all for 2 years plus. Just moved them all from a 60 to a new 90 so territory is still being disputed. I figured this would be the best time to get new fish.

1) Anyone think i am already fully stocked with my current fish?

2) I want to do a small school of 3 so one can turn, but would 3 anthias females plus my current fish be pushing max stocking levels for a 90? I personally think my octo 150 over skims for my current fish load. Are anthias considered big waste producers?

3) If you think 3 is out of the question. Do any anthias do well as a single, or suggest a diff. fish.


5) Is it rare to find 3 females at a local store? Would 3 be something that needs to be ordered.

6) Anyone have some solid links to anthias care, sexing, ect.

Thanks

 

[superkat]

hoping Mel will post as well, since i'm not sure what her count is with her anthias...but we both got about 7 or 8 at the same time....they are big big eaters...all the time...and water changes become a challenge. I am down to two as of today. There were 3 yesterday, but I just added a carpet nem and believe that's where the 3rd one went. If i had to do a schooling fish choice over again, i would probably go with something different.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

excellent Anthias info in Scott Michael's "Reef Fishes Volume One'. (A must IMO.)

more info (make sure to click on link to part two at the bottom of the page):
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-09/hcs3/index.php

 

[Bluephish13]

Thanks gary !

Kat i can imagine 7-8 is a chore. Well hopefully you get to keep the last 2

I have looked for other small schooling fish, but really not many other options to get a school going. Small cardinals, or chromis.

 

[tmz]

I've kept 3 bartlet's anthias , they grew large, didn't school, skirmished with each other frequently.
I have a pair of squampinis anthias( lyretails) now and they are doing nicely, I would have bought 3 but only two were available at the time.I bought females; one of them is growing a spike on the dorsal fin and is a bit larger than the other indicative of morphing to a male. If you want to spend the money and can find find a healthy one the borbonious (splotched anthias ) is a very pretty and interesting fish.

Some anthias species like the squarespot (pseudoanthias pieurotaenia ) and the fat head( serranocirrithus latus)do not like brightly lit tanks and will tend to hide in caves and such under bright lights and some are fine with it

I think you have rooom for a few anthias.