can i add another anthias

[steallife904]

Less than a week ago I bought 2 lyretail anthias. Believe both where females. The spent the first 3 days in a acclimation box for other fish to get use to them. Had them in tank for 2 days and yesterday 1 of them was dead. No clue why, both where eating and I feed a couple times a day. The single one is still in there going strong swimming with all the other fish. My question is can I buy 1 or 2 more females and add in or will this one now kill anymore I try to add?

 

[heritage]

You should be fine. Depending on how big the remaining fish is I would try to get 2 smaller fish. The bigger more aggressive fish will turn male. Or try a male and female.

Both fish orange in color ?

 

[ThRoewer]

Were those fish properly quarantined?
Anthias are known to come down with Uronema infections.
I would first try to figure out what killed the fish before adding more.

 

[Dmorty217]

were those fish properly quarantined?
Anthias are known to come down with uronema infections.
I would first try to figure out what killed the fish before adding more.

+1

 

[steallife904]

I did not quarantine properly I will admit that. I had them in an acclamation box for 3 days then released. They where not harassed by others, I can confirm that. Sadly just got home and the other one is MIA. Everyone else fine. Checked parameters just in case. No fluctuations, everything where it should be. I know the LFS so stopped by to ask. They tell me I may have starved them... I no they eat a lot so had my auto feeder set to drop pellets and flakes 2 times during day. I feed frozen rods every other or every 2 days. LFS said the anthias will not eat/cant live on pellets. I cannot confirm this anywhere. Could this be issue?

 

[Uncle99]

In a 72g, I would keep just one.
In a 150, I might try three.

 

[heritage]

There is really no way to know for sure why the fish died. My fish are feed twice a day and doing just fine but they will only eat frozen foods. I originally had 5 but after some time the male killed the 2 bigger females. A 72 gallon tank is on the small size for these fish.

And always Qt, I use ttm and observe new fish for any signs of infection.

 

[steallife904]

I will give it another shot and feed them frozen more instead of the pellets. My tank is a 150 also. thank you,

 

[ThRoewer]

You should definitely quarantine the fish properly. It's not just to keep diseases out of the main tank but also helps with conditioning new fish to the foods you can offer them.
But diseases not making it into your display tank should really be the primary goal.
Anthias are frequently coming with Uronema and once that parasite makes it into your tank it's game over. It can't be eradicated by anything less than a full tank sterilization.

 

[heritage]

I will give it another shot and feed them frozen more instead of the pellets. My tank is a 150 also. thank you,

You will be fine with 3. Did the other fish die ?

 

[steallife904]

Only fish lost where the 2 new anthias. Everyone else good.

 

[ThRoewer]

Only fish lost where the 2 new anthias. Everyone else good.

Ever heard of a thing called incubation period? It can take weeks until the next fish shows symptoms.
Do yourself a favor and invested into a quarantine tank. Putting new fish straight into the display tank is recepy for disaster.

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