Anthias question

[hootie51]

I really like anthias, but I only have a 40 gallon so I always thought they were out of the question, but tonight I was looking at live aquarias selection and I noticed that on several of the species it said that if you are only keeping a single fish a 25 gallon is sufficient.
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+20+84&pcatid=84
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+20+56&pcatid=56
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+20+2264&pcatid=2264
Is this true? Is it better to keep anthias in a group rather than as a single fish? I also have a b/w occy and a possum wrasse. Is adding a single anthias something i could consider?

Thanks for the help
Steven

 

[tewkes]

Do not listen to what places tell you. They are trying to sell you stuff and probably know that the majority of folks don't have 200 gallon+ tanks. Yes a juvenile anthias could live in a 40 gallon for awhile. Hell, so could many fish but not very long.
If you're dead set on getting a anthias look into the smaller species like the bartletts. They don't get quite as big as other such as lyretails.

 

[danfrith]

You might be able to get away with one in your 40g. Maybe a bartletts or somthing.

 

[hootie51]

I'm not dead set on getting one I just really like them, but if it is not suitable for my tank I certainly will not put in there. I don't it's fair to the fish. I'll do some more research on the bartletts. Do you anything about the highfin perchlet?

 

[CarlC]

You would be fine keeping a single fish that is only the smaller side in that size tank and long as you have lots of flow and good water. The three species you chose would be fine as a single but they are species that are hard to aclimate. Very few of the species you listed make it past a few month's unless properly aclimated.

If your looking for something on the easier side go with a bartlett or lyretail.

Carl

 

[hootie51]

Thanks for the reply CarlC. I'll look into a bartlett. When you say you have to acclimate them well do you mean they have to be drip acclimated for a while and then acclimated to the lights and all that good stuff? I do usually drip acclimate all my fish but are there any extra steps I wound need to take? Also, I know that many species need to be fed several times a day, is the bartlett like that? thanks for the help.

 

[CarlC]

The delicate species need to be kept isolated in a QT system for a month or two until they are acclimated to captive life. Most often these fish just perish if thrown into a display. The quiet time in QT allows you a place to deworm them and get them feeding on the foods you will offering. Even the shortest amounts of time between collection and their final destination takes a heavy toll on their fat reserves. A stressed fish is much more suseptable to disease and parasite infection.

No new fish touch's my display water until atleast a month in QT.

Maybe SDguy will chime in. I have never kept bartletts. My anthias get fed no less then 3-5 times daily and sometimes they get fed up to 10 times if I am home for a majority of the day. I would much rather feed a few smaller meals a day then one large one. Once you have them eatting flake or pellets a auto feeder comes in real handy.

Carl

 

[Chibils]

A sunburst can be kept easily in a 40. They're not as active as most other anthias.