How many people on here have and do keep anthias alive?

[EmilyB]

My bartletts seemed pretty healthy, I also fed a variety including homemade. They were pigs.

They were however the only fish to die when a red cucumber died in a power head.

[justinl]

By all accounts that I have read, lyretails (P. squamipinnis) are by far the hardiest. technically they aren't really anthias because they are genus Pseudanthias, but most people call them anthias anyways. I have a single female that has recovered from a pretty severe case of popeye and some aggression from a blue damsel if it means anything; only had her a few months now.

random tips: feed often in smaller quantities. NLS pellet is perfect but definitely supplement with mysis and cyclopeeze. variety is key (good rule for any fish). make sure YOU see them eat in the store or wherever you buy from. word of mouth means nothing. peaceful tankmates only; to a degree, lyretails can hold their own usually though.

[wickedfrags]

A beautiful fish, but generally speaking they should be left in the ocean. Squampini are your best bet, and Dispar can also do well long-term. Most experienced hobbists have given up on the species do their cost and poor rate of survival.

Purple Queen/Tuka are generally considered the most difficult to keep (sorry michika!).

Originally Posted by michika

When I looked at getting some P. tuka I read that they all should be treated for internal parasites.

[naesco]

Originally Posted by wickedfrags.com

A beautiful fish, but generally speaking they should be left in the ocean. Squampini are your best bet, and Dispar can also do well long-term. Most experienced hobbists have given up on the species do their cost and poor rate of survival.

Purple Queen/Tuka are generally considered the most difficult to keep (sorry michika!).

Tried several times and several species. They did well for a while and than started just dropping off one by one.\

Would never try them again.

Thanks all for being honest. Too many times we just hear from the one or two lucky ones keeping these difficult to keep fish leaving the impression that they are easy to keep when they are not.

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

This is another fish I have tried several times and species and never had luck. All die within months. I have one lyretail that lasted about 8 months and then jumped

Another fish that I have to say should for the most part be left in the ocean. There are just certain species that for whatever reason do not last in aquarium. IMO hundreds dying for every one that does seem to thrive is far too high of a price for the species to pay.

Having said that, I would love to find a species that does do well in captivity.

[michika]

Originally Posted by wickedfrags.com

A beautiful fish, but generally speaking they should be left in the ocean. Squampini are your best bet, and Dispar can also do well long-term. Most experienced hobbists have given up on the species do their cost and poor rate of survival.

Purple Queen/Tuka are generally considered the most difficult to keep (sorry michika!).

I came to a similar conclusion, and thus, my tank was not ever populated by the beautiful 30+ harem I saw. Still they are beautiful, but they aren't intended for my system(s).

[tang daddy]

Wow everyone thanks for the replies!!

Great honest inputs and it seems that most cant keep them for over a year, with that said looks like I'll need to find something colourful yet hardy anyone have any suggestions?

First of the fish in my system:
120g with 55g sump

display- 1 mystery wrasse (soon to be relocated cause of aggresion)
1 golden rabbit fish
1 bar goby
9 blue eyed cardinals
1 red striped shrimp goby (aka wheeler goby)
1 small regal tang (also to be relocated once bigger)
2 chalk bass
1 orange/purple pipefish

sump- 1 seahorse
1 green pipefish
1 orange spot shrimp goby
1 orange stripe goby

mostly sps with a few lps so not angels!!

[naesco]

Yes, I recommend 5 female flasher wrasse along with two male flasher wrasse all of the same species.
The reason for the two males is that when they school together the males flash to impress the ladies.
You have to special order females in though as they are seldom carried by lfs

[justinl]

+1 on flasher wrasses. for some reason, i find people tend to overlook wrasses. I would also encourage you to look at Halichoeres species, especially H. chrysus. I think lyretails would be a very viable option for you as well since they generally do a lot better than true anthias species. on a side note, Im surprised that you have a pipefish in your display tank... wouldn't have thought they could compete with the active tankmates you have.

[tang daddy]

Thanks naesco and Justinl for the inputs on the flasher I'll have to look into that.

Justin the pipefish I'm quite suprised aswell cause generally they dislike lots of high flow.

I've had it for a year and the first few months thought it was a gonner as I never saw it. Up late one night I was like what the fart!!

It's alive, so from that point I made it a must to feed it from a metal planting tong. It would hide under the crevice and come up sniff the dangling mysis and then do a head nod and snap the mysis in half then after go for it's head and other remaining pieces.

It's about 7in long now when I got it was 4in and it's by far my most favourite fish no one is intrested in toughing him as he's so skinny and has razor sharp thorns on his chin, which tells me he's a male. I've tried a few times to catch him when the lights are off so I can relocate him into my sump with the other slow eaters however he's really fast swimmer so I'll let him be for abit.