Lori anthias

[manny532]

So as much as I've searched on these fish I can't seem to find much info. I'm curious if anyone knows about these guys. The following pics are some I googled. I'm wondering are they two different types of loris? Or are the ones with the yellow males? Or do they get that yellow when they simply become larger? How do you tell apart male from female with these?

 

[ca1ore]

All the Lori anthias I have ever kept look like the LA photos. Pretty easy to keep. First pictures look more like flavoguttatus to me; harder to keep. Males are typically a bit more colorful with the elongated dorsal spine.

 

[CoralsAddiction]

I had one and it was very timid. I suggest buying a school of them if you can.

 

[trackhazard]

I believe the first pictures are flavoguttatus vs. lori for the second pic.

-Charlie

 

[eatbreakfast]

Agreed, first pic is flavoguttatus, second, lori. My experience is that lori anthias are less expensive but more difficult to keep. Anytime I had any success with them is they had to be kept in large groups and started off on live brine. Flavoguttatus are more expensive but easier to keep, though not as easy as dispars or randalls.

 

[ca1ore]

Flavos are hard to find. Been looking locally for a while. Just about every other species, but no flavos.

 

[suta4242]

Agree with the other posters in that the top picture is likely to be flavo not lori.

Guess how difficult they are to keep depends on where you are and whether the fish have been handled well. In Australia, locally caught lori are considered fairly easy to keep, both species are very easy to feed but IME flavoguttatus are narky with each other.

If you buy lori, get a small group ideally of juveniles. Wouldn't buy a solitary individual or pair; they are much more at ease in harems. Locally caught lori aren't as colourful as flavoguttatus either ( except under blue lights).

HTH and GL. :wave:

 

[manny532]

Thank you for all your replies. Well looks like I purchased 6 loris. Was hoping they morphed or grew into the more colorful ones. . Oh well, still very pretty. Currently the only thing I've been able to get them to eat is cyclopeeze. How long do you guys think before they start eating other stuff? I currently feed my dt a mix blend of food I make. My last batch included jumbo shrimp krill scallop squid octopus clam oyster Atlantic salmon smelt and lobster tail all soaked in selcom and kent vitamin c. So they would be getting a good selection from that but atm they aren't touching it only the cyclopeeze. I also feed pellets and nori but they haven't touched that either. Lastly I'm curious, how do you tell the males from the females? Right now they are about 1.5-2"

 

[manny532]

Oh and also I have 5 bartletts. .. 2 males and 3 females. . One was already male and my dominant female morphed. The two males Duke it out here and there but nothing major. Would they give these guys a hard time do you guys think? Is a 225 gallon 72x30x25 fish only pretty heavily stocked.

 

[ca1ore]

Just my opinion, of course ..... but with all of the 'slim bodied' anthais, a period of QT is enormously beneficial because you can feed them almost continuously without worrying about long-term water quality problems. I've never had particular issues with the Lori, though it can take a while for them to adapt to a variety of foods. In the QT this is manageable; in the DT it may mean starvation. Mine always started out on cyclopeeze (or even better is the SF Brand Ocean Plankton), then subsequently accepted brine, small Mysis, and the smaller particles in Rods. They probably aren't ever going to take large foods like many of the broader-bodied anthias will.

 

[manny532]

Just my opinion, of course ..... but with all of the 'slim bodied' anthais, a period of QT is enormously beneficial because you can feed them almost continuously without worrying about long-term water quality problems. I've never had particular issues with the Lori, though it can take a while for them to adapt to a variety of foods. In the QT this is manageable; in the DT it may mean starvation. Mine always started out on cyclopeeze (or even better is the SF Brand Ocean Plankton), then subsequently accepted brine, small Mysis, and the smaller particles in Rods. They probably aren't ever going to take large foods like many of the broader-bodied anthias will.

I'll wait then thanks. I got a little anxious as i just lost one yesterday. I'll just wait it out. I'm curious, how long after the cyclopeeze did yours start with the other stuff?

 

[ca1ore]

I'll wait then thanks. I got a little anxious as i just lost one yesterday. I'll just wait it out. I'm curious, how long after the cyclopeeze did yours start with the other stuff?

It's been a very long time since I kept any Lori, but my more recent experience with evans and smithvanzi was about a month before they were regularly taking brine. It's also REALLY important with these fish to get specimens that don't already look thin. Almost no chance to get them to survive if they do.

 

[manny532]

It's been a very long time since I kept any Lori, but my more recent experience with evans and smithvanzi was about a month before they were regularly taking brine. It's also REALLY important with these fish to get specimens that don't already look thin. Almost no chance to get them to survive if they do.

Thanks for the tips!