Tip to treat Ventralis anthias and other fragile fishes

[chingchai]

I am about to get these fishes so I need lots of information of how to treat them, with what kind of medicine and any special care?
Hope you guys can share your experience and knowledge in this thread.
Thanks a lot.

 

[roktsintst]

How many are you getting?

Is QT setup and ready with no other fish?

 

[chingchai]

How many are you getting?

Is QT setup and ready with no other fish?

About 16 of them.
Yes, my QT is ready and have no fish.
This QT used to treat so many fishes with no problem.
But this time I want to try some medicine.

 

[Matt_Wandell]

Hi Ching,

I would not treat P. ventralis with any medicine unless you see very good evidence of some disease outbreak. Stress kills the vast majority of P. ventralis, plain and simple. Medicine will not help that. The stress results from improper decompression, shipping, handling, and lack of good QT. Giving them a large dark tank with plenty of live rock hiding places, clean water, no aggressive tankmates, and frequent feeding are the best way you can keep these fish healthy. I think if you can keep your QT tank dim and a bit cooler (>74 degrees) you're in great shape.

 

[auem]

ching,haven't you tried ventralis once or twice before..?did all of them perished//?

 

[LemonLemon]

in my experience, more ventralis = lower chance of success.

they seem to do better in smaller numbers of them, and bigger numbers of other anthias. that way the other anthias act as dither fishes and the ventralis will be less shy.

a group of other anthias and 3-4 ventralis works best.

IMO 16 ventralis all together is just too many.

 

[chingchai]

Hi Ching,

I would not treat P. ventralis with any medicine unless you see very good evidence of some disease outbreak. Stress kills the vast majority of P. ventralis, plain and simple. Medicine will not help that. The stress results from improper decompression, shipping, handling, and lack of good QT. Giving them a large dark tank with plenty of live rock hiding places, clean water, no aggressive tankmates, and frequent feeding are the best way you can keep these fish healthy. I think if you can keep your QT tank dim and a bit cooler (>74 degrees) you're in great shape.

Matt. Thanks a lot.
That is what I did try before but not receive a good success.
However, I will try again.

 

[chingchai]

ching,haven't you tried ventralis once or twice before..?did all of them perished//?

I lost so many of them. Sad story.
Some died in just couple days.

 

[chingchai]

in my experience, more ventralis = lower chance of success.

they seem to do better in smaller numbers of them, and bigger numbers of other anthias. that way the other anthias act as dither fishes and the ventralis will be less shy.

a group of other anthias and 3-4 ventralis works best.

IMO 16 ventralis all together is just too many.

Lemon. Thanks.
Good tip.

 

[LemonLemon]

Lemon. Thanks.
Good tip.

not saying it's not possible, just easier to acclimate them like this.

i have a friend with 9 ventralis and all are surviving.

 

[jmaneyapanda]

Hi Ching,

I would not treat P. ventralis with any medicine unless you see very good evidence of some disease outbreak. Stress kills the vast majority of P. ventralis, plain and simple. Medicine will not help that. The stress results from improper decompression, shipping, handling, and lack of good QT. Giving them a large dark tank with plenty of live rock hiding places, clean water, no aggressive tankmates, and frequent feeding are the best way you can keep these fish healthy. I think if you can keep your QT tank dim and a bit cooler (>74 degrees) you're in great shape.

Agreed. Save I *might* consider treating them with prazipro. But only after they were eating strongly.

 

[copps]

Chingchai where are your ventralis originating from?

 

[chingchai]

Chingchai where are your ventralis originating from?

John. They are coming from Hawaii.

 

[copps]

That means that they are originating from Majuro in the Marshall Islands... these are very new to be collected from there, but the crop is good. I was just in Hawaii for a few weeks and saw them there... so excited I had some sent to me when I got back. Were your others you tried also shipped from Hawaii?

 

[chingchai]

That means that they are originating from Majuro in the Marshall Islands... these are very new to be collected from there, but the crop is good. I was just in Hawaii for a few weeks and saw them there... so excited I had some sent to me when I got back. Were your others you tried also shipped from Hawaii?

Yes, the others were from Hawaii as well.
The male has red color on his tail.




Any tips to recommend?

 

[mrwilson]

Wish those weren't so difficult to keep; they are absolutely spectacular. Best of luck with them this time around, Ching.

 

[klepto]

How thoroughly have you looked into the diet of this species? I couldn't find anything on Fishbase regarding diet.

Perhaps others can share what their ventralis are eating..

 

[LemonLemon]

i've had ventralis anthias shipped in from hawaii shipments but they are always the ventralis ventralis and never the ventralis hawaiiensis.

why is this so?

 

[chingchai]

How thoroughly have you looked into the diet of this species? I couldn't find anything on Fishbase regarding diet.

Perhaps others can share what their ventralis are eating..

For my experience, most of my fishes including Ventralis start to eat with this food.
http://www.hikari.info/tropical/t_22.html

 

[chingchai]

i've had ventralis anthias shipped in from hawaii shipments but they are always the ventralis ventralis and never the ventralis hawaiiensis.

why is this so?

Don't know either.
But Ventralis hawaiiensis is more fragile. Right?