Feeding My Squareback Anthias – 09/03/08
Hello guys great site,
<<Greetings Roy, we’re happy you think so>>
Well, I purchased two squareback anthias,
<<Ah, Pseudanthias pleurotaenia…a very nice though large species…and can be quite aquarium hardy, once acclimated/adjusted, in my experience. I do hope your tank is of some size (180g+) for keeping a pair>>
male and female, about 5 days ago. Until yesterday both hadn't shown interest in food,
<<This is not uncommon… Persistence is key; offering a varied selection of foods a couple times a day>>
and then the female started to eat my mix of frozen brine, mysis and bloodworm.
<<Very good>>
The male anthias is still not showing any signs of interest and I am beginning to worry.
<<Mmm, I see…and concur with your concern. Hopefully the sight/actions of the female feeding will trigger a similar response in the male…soon>>
I have read some similar posts but must tell you that I cannot acquire any live shrimp at any fish stores in the area at all....
<<I understand>>
Would you recommend any websites where I could get these and if so what do I buy?
<<You can try Reed-Mariculture (http://www.reed-mariculture.com/mysidshrimp/) for live Mysis shrimp... I’ve also found frozen glass worms to be useful for enticing these and other finicky feeders. Either one of these is a much better alternative than live or frozen Brine Shrimp, in my opinion. Do also obtain and try some New Life Spectrum pellets for these fish. Though they likely won’t take to the pellets right away, I have been able to get this and other Anthiine species to feed upon them…and if/when they do this can mean much to their long term health and vitality…truly>>
I really do not want to watch my fish just starve. Please give me any suggestions at all.
<<I hope I have been successful re>>
Thank you very much.
Roy from Texas
<<I’m happy to try to help Roy. I wish you luck and I would be very interested to hear how these fish fare. Regards, EricR from South Carolina>>

Re: Feeding My Squareback Anthias – 09/04/08
Thanks for the advice EricR,<<Quite welcome>>I would want to know exactly how to house these expensive live shrimp once I get them... I hope I'm not asking too much but I really don't want to waste money on these guys for them to just go to waste, 115 dollars is a lot of money after all.<<Indeed it is…I hope that includes shipping. Housing these critters would be best in an in-line refugium with some sort of matrix for the shrimp to hide in/from one another (are highly cannibalistic), like Chaetomorpha macroalgae or a shallow layer of live rock rubble…of course this also makes them tougher to capture for feeding to your fishes. These live shrimp may well be a “last resort” effort…I would try the Glass Worms first if it were me>>Thanks so much guys!<<Wishing you luck! EricR>>

Ventralis Anthias Not Eating – 06/24/07
Hi WWM crew,
<<Hello Art>>
Three days ago, I added a Ventralis Anthias to my very peaceful 55-gallon reef tank (Helfrichi Firefish, Candy Basslet, Blue Gudgeon Dartfish, Neon Goby, Yashia Goby, Mandarin).
<<Mmm…a stunning but decidedly difficult to keep Anthiine species>>
The etailer who sold it to me said he was eating Mysis shrimp (from past experience, I trust this etailer).
<<I see>>
None of the other fish have picked on the Anthias-- in fact they are almost oblivious to him, and the lights (VHO) don't seem to bother him either, as he spend a lot of time out in the open.
<<Yes…often quite adaptable re the light intensity>>
My question, of course, is about feeding him.
<<And likely your greatest hurdle here>>
He is snapping at things in the water that I can't see, and has been doing this since the first day, but I don't see him eating large pieces of Mysis shrimp.
<<This is not uncommon as these fishes/most all Anthiines feed by snatching plankton from the water column…often very “tiny” plankton. Unless you have a large and mature plankton producing refugium plumbed in-line to this tank I am doubtful the Anthias is getting much to eat. If the Anthias was indeed feeding on Mysis before, it may have been put “off its feed” temporarily from the stress of capture/transport to your system>>
I am concerned that he cannot sustain himself on whatever it is that he is eating.
<<Indeed>>
It is difficult to feed him because when I approach the tank, he darts into his cave. By the time he comes out, the food has either been eaten or has sunken to the bottom.
<<Perhaps some additional flow in your tank is called for here>>
I am feeding him 3 times a day with Mysis, Cyclop-Eeze, Rotifers and Brine.
<<Hmm, the Cyclop-Eeze is an excellent feed that usually stays suspended for some time with a bit of water flow…are…perhaps “this” is what the fish is “snapping” at. And too, if you are using the freeze-dried/flake version of this product I highly recommend obtaining/trying the frozen version as this more readily “mixes” with the tank water>>
There is also a continuous hatch and feed Brine shrimp feeder in the tank, so there may be some live Brine shrimp available, if you believe these devices work.
<<Mmm, maybe…do be sure to prevent the empty cysts from entering the tank/being ingested by the fish as these are not digestible and can cause “blockage” problems>>
I have tried feeding with the power heads on and off, and also putting the Mysis shrimp in frozen, so that hopefully it will be drifting down into the water column as he emerges from his cave, but without success.
Again, he appears to be eagerly eating something, but he's not going for the big, meaty pieces of shrimp.
<<And this is fine, as long as the fish is getting enough of the “small” stuff. Something else you might try is Sweetwater Zooplankton. This is a soft, palatable, planktonic food that will sometimes entice those finicky feeders. Another option that I often use for Anthiines is Glass Worms…yes, Mosquito Larvae. I haven’t found many marine fishes that wouldn’t snap them up…and even though not of marine origin, they are still quite nutritious>>
I have kept other Anthias successfully before, and I knew this fish was one of the most difficult.
<<Indeed>>
If you have any additional advice on the feeding habits and preferences of this fish or suggestions on how (or what) to successfully feed him, I would really appreciate it.
<<I have made a few…do give them a try>>
As always, thank you for your excellent help!
Art
<<A pleasure to share. And Art…I would be interested to know how this fish fares/what it does decide (hopefully) to eat. Eric Russell>>

Re: Ventralis Anthias Not Eating – 06/25/07
Hi Eric,
<<Hello Art>>
Thanks for getting back to me so quickly and for the suggestions.
<<Quite welcome...I hope they prove useful>>
I will look for the Sweetwater Zooplankton.
<<Ah good, will be a terrific supplement for all your fishes. The only downside I've found with this product is that it will start to "go bad" about three weeks after opening the container, though personally I've never had a problem using it up within this time frame...it's not all that large of a jar...>>
This afternoon, I fed (the Ventralis Anthias) a mixture of Cyclop-eeze (yes, it's the frozen kind), Rotifers and Brine Shrimp, and to my surprise, the Anthias ate the Brine Shrimp-- who knew the fancy fish liked junk food?
<<Mmm, I would caution you "to not" feed Brineshrimp for fear of "training" this fish on to this mostly worthless (in my opinion) food item>>
He also ate the small stuff.
<<Much better...but some diversity is needed here...the Sweetwater product will hopefully prove useful and there are some other "refrigerated" Zooplankton products available that could prove of benefit. And do let me mention the New Life Spectrum pelleted foods...I have had several Anthiine species (and have witnessed several more) that would gulp the tiny 1mm pellets down with gusto. This is a very high quality and nutritious food that is well worth a try, and another that could/would benefit all your fishes>>
Have you ever tried feeding Frozen Blood Worms to Anthias?
<<I have>>
Do you think they would go for it?
<<Is worth a try...though I have had much better results with the frozen Glass Worms. Do also try soaking all the foods in Selcon or Vita-Chem...aside from the obvious benefits, I find this often makes foods more interesting/palatable to the fishes>>
On another note, I have thought about adding another fish (the gobies I have are only 1 to 1.25", and the Candy Basslet, Firefish, Anthias, and Mandarin are each about 2"). I am considering a Pygmy Possum wrasse, about 1.25", if I can find one that small. Would this wrasse be compatible with my peaceful tank?
<<Do take "mature" sizes in to account when choosing fishes for this tank, but in this instance yes, I think the Possum Wrasse would be fine>>
The other option is a Cherub Angel that I have in another tank, also about 1.25".
<<Not what I would consider a "peaceful" fish>>
I like the looks of the Angelfish better, but I am afraid he is too aggressive for the Anthias-- if he continues to feed, I don't want to rock the boat with a more aggressive feeder ( and a more aggressive fish, period, although he is not a cave dweller like the wrasse, so he occupies a different niche). What are your thoughts?
<<I think more than the Anthias is at stake here... I have seen on more than one occasion, the decline/eventual demise of Firefish species from the addition of aggressive and/or overly active fishes to their system. There's every chance the Cherub Angel would fit in just fine, but I think the Possum Wrasse is the better risk here>>
Also, I have a Blood Red/Fire/Scarlet Cleaner Shrimp in this tank--also about 2". Is he likely to eat my 1" gobies?
<<Is a possibility...though I don't think it is "likely">>
Should I remove him?
<<As long as it is getting enough to eat (leftovers from the fish feedings), I would be inclined to keep it for its utility as a biological parasitic control>>
Thanks for your help, as always
<<Always welcome>
Art
<<Regards, Eric Russell>>

Lyretail Anthias Feeding Habits  – 05/08/07
Hi WWM crew,
<Hello.>
   Peter here again,
<Hi Peter, Adam J on this end.>
I love your site and would like to thank you all again.
<You are welcome and thank you too.>
First off, I researched a bit on Lyretail Anthias from your site.
<Good.>
I am planning on buying them.
<Are amazing animals when placed into the right environment.>
I have a 90 gal tank running for 6 months now.
<I would prefer a tank of at least a year old for zooplanktivores like Anthias, do you have a refugium?>
I have a couple questions to ask about them.
<Okay.>
Which would be better to buy, 1 male 1 female or 1 male 2 females?
<The latter if you have the room…for aggression issues…better for the male to spread his “actions” on to a group not an individual.>
Will they have to be fed Mysis shrimp at least once a day?
<That and other zooplankton and small pieces of meats (marine origin)…preferably more than once a day though.>
Or can they're meals consist of flakes/freeze dried/pellets 2-3 times a day.
<If you can get them to accept this, great! However I would still often feed the above. Cyclop-eeze is not a bad option either.>
While other days include Mysis shrimp. Also, when they are big enough, can they eat live ghost shrimp like longnose hawkfish?
<Perhaps but not likely, they are zooplanktivores like I mentioned above…feeding habits are similar to Genicanthus angels…if you are familiar with them. A fishless refugium will help a lot if you don’t already have one.>
Thanks a bunch everyone.
<Anytime Pete, Adam J.>

Anthias rescue from/by Jager  - 05/20/2006
ok gang I have an issue that involves saving an anthias.
My LFS got one in after our owner thought it be a good fish for the display.
  a beautiful example of a Pseudanthias pleurotaenia female.  
<Social animals...>
After getting to work to find them trying to add this fish in a tank full of damsels, then thinking it go great in the Canthigaster /Huma Huma tank...... I decided to 1. kill the daytime fish guy, cause he's an idiot this week.
<Yikes>
2. I called the distributor to find out what if anything the girl was eating in their possession.  lo and behold, (am so not surprised......) that they didn't get it to eat at all I promptly took the anthias home to recuperate from the trauma of being netted between tanks so many times, and to start feeding. she was Q/T ed for a week and in with cleaner shrimp then baking soda and freshwater dipped prior to adding to my tank, as I didn't think being in a ten gallon q/t was going to help her in the least.
<Mmm, this species almost always feeds...>
I have it sampling sea urchin blood worms, and various mixed marine predator shrimps that are mixed in algae, but only if in a total cloud ala plankton.   this fish is really just wild caught apparently.
Issue 1.  getting the best mix of foods.  I am waiting on Reed from reed mariculture to send me the samples he promised from IMAC, among them is various zooplankton cultures etc. Was going to blend up the various foods that I have that she is nipping at when in cloud form, and see if target dosing wont entice her to feed as well, But what blends of protein to algaes should it be getting?
<Not important, really>
more to the meat side I would think, but anyone had good luck with commercial blends or did you make your own?
<Most any zooplankter/tors... will take pellets (Spectrum) once trained on. The real "trick" here is to have this species in a small grouping...>
I have the ability (from keeping puffers) to go full meat to partial meat and veggies (formula one and two etc)  but while I wait for the samples id love to get her eating on something easier to handle that she will recognize easily and want to feed on.  She is deathly afraid of the cubed foods and hides in the other side as they break apart. and wont touch anything until the puffer pulverizes it for her.  There is NO aggression in the tank toward her from the Porc, I have stayed up all night watching the tank (being sick does have its good things) and have witnessed nothing except the anthias rubbing on the Porc in a weird way that doesn't look disease worthy but almost similar to a clownfish hosting dance.
issue 2 more flow or less.  she's the only anthias ive seen that isn't cruising the entire tank and enjoying the higher flow areas.
<Hide more than not... once again, if there were a dominant male, perhaps another female...>
she chills with the Porc puffer and follows the Porc around the tank much like a little dog.  thing is she's a good 5 inches.  I was working on getting about 3000-4000 gph through a closed loop system going, but am not sure that would help due to her current behavior.  She does swim quite a bit just not choosing to stay in the higher flow areas.
my plan atm is to
1 get one area at least with a good chaotic high flow and one calmer side to see what she likes atm.
2. get her to feed on more variety,
3.  find out if I can find her a permanent big tank (several hundred gallon ) home.  cause in the long run she wont be happy by herself.
<Bingo>
in the good news department I don't have to save more anthias from my store after explaining the HUGE losses wed have because most people cant get them to feed or don't have enough space, and enjoying telling the daytime guy that he's an idiot.
<... Make friends with Kool-Aid... Bob Fenner>

Squareback Anthias - 08/04/05
Hi, I've had a Squareback Anthias in a 110 gallon tank with lots of live rock and other reef safe fish and inverts.
<<Lots of flow too I hope.>>
Everything is fine in the tank and everyone is eating but the Anthias.
<<I have one of these magnificent fish as well, a bit more than 4"...a fat, sassy, and beautifully marked male.  He eats just about anything but pelleted foods (yep, eats flakes).>>  
In fact, I've had it for about 3 weeks and I've never seen it eat.
<<Mmm...not encouraging...did you see it eat before you purchased it?>>
I've tried a variety of frozen foods and even live brine shrimp and I still haven't seen him eat.  My question is, how long can a fish live without eating??
<<A surprisingly long time...but three weeks is worrisome to me...especially with Anthiinae.  These fish are typically used to picking food from the water column all day long.>>
Any other suggestions??
<<I've seen a few of these fish waste away in other's/dealer's systems, mostly due to rough handling during shipping I suspect...always best to observe them eating before buying.  One food I've found particularly helpful with finicky eaters is frozen glass worms...aka mosquito larvae.  I've had Copperband Butterflies and Fathead Anthias that wouldn't touch Mysis shrimp in the beginning, suck these babies down like fishie candy.  Once I had them eating the glass worms I was able to get them to feed on the Mysis, and assorted "plankton" too.  The Fatheads even got to where they would eat anything that fell in to the tank...sadly, it didn't keep them from going Samurai on each other, even in a 375g tank...but I digress...  A three week food strike does not bode well for the Anthias, but I would give the glass worms a try nonetheless, and maybe even blood worms and Sweetwater Plankton.  You never know what might just strike its fancy.  Good luck, EricR>>

Lyretail Anthias in a Hunger Strike
Hello. I bought a Lyretail (male) Anthias 3 mos. ago in a 55 gal (4 mo.s old).
<Kept by itself? This/these Anthiines are social species by and large>
He had a voracious appetite until about 2 weeks ago. He does not eat anything. I've tried the foods that he always ate, and some new ones to no avail.
Foods tried and he used to eat:
1) Frozen - Marine Cuisine (his favorite - the first food he was eating).
2) Frozen Mysis shrimp
3) my own blended food of shrimp, squid, clam frozen food.
I've also tried:
1) Cyclop-Eeze
2) Sweetwater Zooplankton
3) Spectrum One flakes and pellets
4) Live Brine Shrimp (yea, he just looks at them) I've also mix up the food above, but it doesn't help.
He still waits for me by the tank opening during feeding time, but when I put the food in, he usually just watches. Sometimes he would put it in his mouth, but then spits it out. He does not show the same ferocity he used to have when coming after the food. Last week, I added a yellow wrasse that was in QT. I was hoping the Anthias will eat once there is competition for the food. It did not work.
<Good idea though>
No aggression is present between the two fishes. He is still lively, good color, does not look thin and he still comes to me when I approach the tank. I just don't see him eating.
<Mmm, maybe he is consuming some goodly amount of "other" life from your LR, substrate... do you have a living sump/refugium?>
I have noticed that he spends more time at the back of the tank and I have seen him picking something out of  tank walls. He also seems to have stopped fighting his reflection.  Is there anything else I can do to help my Anthias eat?
Any theories on why he stopped eating?
<I would try some live foodstuffs... Mysids, brine shrimp, even freshwater foods... He may have stopped eating due to a lack of social cues... Please read on WWM the article, archived FAQs re Anthiines: http://wetwebmedia.com/anthiina.htm>
Oh.. tank parameters:
~70 lbs live rock
10g sump
10g refugium
Nh3 = 0
Nitrite = 0
Ca = 350
dKH=10
pH 8.3
temp= 80 f
Other tank inhabitants:
2 turbo snails
1 yellow wrasse (eats well, active, fights his reflection)
1 frogspawn
1 open brain
2 green star polyps
<If you can find some, I might add two females of this species to your system as well. Bob Fenner>

Re: Lyretail Anthias in a Hunger Strike
Hello. Thank for the advice.
<Welcome>
Well I tried feeding my Anthias bloodworms and he passed on it. I fed him live Mysis shrimp and he went after them like he used to eat. BUT, several minutes later, I see him throw-up the shrimps he just ate. Most of the shrimps were still whole although they seemed dead. He did not try to chase after any shrimps after that.
I am still trying different things and I just ordered some Golden Pearls today. He is eager to eat, but he spits it out (or throws up).  I believe he is beginning to thin. Can he have something lodged in his throat? 
<Not likely>
If that is probable, any advice on how I can check/remove it? Will it kill him if I grabbed him with my hands while I force him to open his mouth?
<You didn't respond to my previous question re this fish being solitary... this species lives in groups... Almost always only does well in number. Bob Fenner> 

Re: Lyretail Anthias in a Hunger Strike
Thank you for the reply.  The fish is the only Anthias.
My research showed that it was okay to keep one
Anthias, especially for a small tank like mine (55g).
<Your research is incorrect>
I have one yellow wrasse with him now and I have two
small ocellaris in QT.  I am looking for alternatives
to stocking 3 Anthias in my tank because I am afraid
my tank is not big enough them.  I've read some
opinions that my tank should be at least 180gal in
order to house a group of Anthias.
<Depends on the species...>
Anyway, I guess I'm at a crossroad.  I can try buying
a couple of female Anthias and change my stocking
plans, or give away my Lyretail and redo my stocking
plans - without a Lyretail.  
Thank you Bob.  I use  the wetwebmedia a lot and I
know it has helped me keep my animals alive and well.
<I would trade this animal in if you can... to someone who has the same species... Bob Fenner>

Feeding Fresh Foods
Hi Bob,
I have two questions. 1. Do you need to feed fresh seafood to your saltwater fish? 
<can be very nutritious, is recommended for many fishes and corals>
If so do I just go to the local store and buy fresh shrimp, clams and squid and put it in a blender and then freeze it? 
<sounds good... be sure to freeze it as you have stated. Never feed raw fresh for risk of disease transmission. In fact... studies have shown that previously frozen foods have less bacteria and more nutrition because they are frozen quickly after catch and "preserved" whereas fresh raw foods are kept chilled only for an extended time>
I assume you wouldn't cook it because it's not cooked in the ocean and it would be too hard to chew. 
<actually no cooking because it destroys nutrients>
I have the following Saltwater fish so you know a little about what I'm trying to feed. A pair of Maroon Clownfish, a Purple Tang and a Scott's Fairy Wrasse in my 55 gallon. In my 46 gallon I have a Coral Beauty Angel and a Foxface rabbit fish. 
<you have a mixture of omnivores and herbivores>
I'm concerned about my Fairy Wrasse because I want him to have a good meat based diet. 
<exactly... try Gammarus and mysids froze from the LFS freezer too. Also, fresh (jar) Sweetwater Plankton... a find for Anthiines>
I feed Formula one and two flake and some tetra flake. Seaweed sheets once a week and the frozen Pygmy Angel food along with Frozen Brine Shrimp. 
<all fine but the brine (a hollow useless food)... do add some higher protein crustaceans to the diet like krill, shrimp, mysids, Pacifica plankton, etc>
I'd appreciate any advise on the fresh frozen food you can provide.............Thanks again........Chet Get more from the Web.
<best regards, Anthony>

- Anthias not Eating -
Hi there crew,
<Hello, JasonC here...>
I purchased a male pink square Anthias not quite a week ago.  He is in my 20gal quarantine right now and has been hiding in a piece of PVC I have in there since he arrived.  My water parameters seem ok (0 Ammonia, 0 Nitrite, 40 Nitrate, 8.2PH). My problem is that I haven't seen him eat anything since he arrived. <Hmm...> They fed him in front of me at the LFS so I know he was eating at that point. <Ok.> I've tried Prime Reef, Formula Two (he ate that at the LFS), Flakes, Mysis, and Blood worms but it just sits in the tank until I take it out several hours later.
I leave the tank light off but I have never seen him come out of the pipe. I hate to watch him starve to death. <I agree with you there.> I wasn't worried about him not eating for the first few days but now that its nearly a week I am concerned.  He's all alone in quarantine so he's not being bullied by anything.
Any thoughts? <Yeah... try live brine, or any other live foods you can get a hold of. With any luck the live food will excite the fish into eating. Once the live foods start to work, start mixing in the other foods and wean off the brine shrimp. I would also rinse with it well the brine before you feed with it. Last though, and I can tell you've already asked... do try to keep in the mix the same items they were feeding at the store.>
Thanks,
Andy
<Cheers, J -- >

Loss of Appetite
Hello Crew,
<Hi there, MikeD here>
I am at a dilemma because my Anthias has not been eating for more than 2 weeks<Very bad. this fish's metabolism won't let it last long at this rate>. All methods to coax it to eat prove futile<As in?>. It just remain stationary hiding behind the rock hardly moving. Previously this same fish has been eating like a pig but all of a sudden it just stopped eating. I have tested the water parameters and all appear to be ok<Define OK? ANY ammonia or nitrite is not OK>. I change 20% water every 5days<Great>. Adding insult to injury, I purchased a bottle of Selcon and dropped 10ml of it (as per instruction) into the display tank and now the tomato clown is following suit, it has not been eating for 4 days already. My tank is 120gallons reef comprises of protein skimmer and sump, filters etc.
Kindly advise me what to do.<It's time to do some detective work here. First off, have you tried adding LIVE brine shrimp to the tank? While not a great food, very few smaller fish can resist "dinner on the hoof. I suspect that your tank is either contaminated (have you ever treated it with copper or formalin?), that you have ammonia higher than you realize is dangerous, or that you may have a faulty unit that's allowing voltage into the water, such as a dying power head or heater. Watch closely, try the live brine, and keep up your water changes. Try to get exact ammonia and nitrite levels as well, ok?> Thank you for your time. Regards Richard

Help with Quarantine follow up 4/28/05
Hi Adam, Thanks for all your advice. I lost one Anthias, but the other is doing really well. Only problem now is that he won't eat anything except the brine shrimp fry. He refuses Mysis and Cyclop-eeze. Any suggestions on how to get him to take other food.
Thanks. 
<Sorry for your loss. To coax your remaining Anthias to take other foods, try offering the new foods mixed in with the brine nauplii. Another good strategy is to invoke Pavlov... Figure out a way to signify feeding time to the fish. A consistent change in lighting, current, placing an object next to the tank, etc. (even your approach can work if the tank is in a low traffic area) can be used to train the fish to expect food when it sees that change occur. The change must be consistent and must be unique to feeding time, and it may take many days or a couple of weeks to work well. Best Regards. AdamC.> 

Anthiine Care
Hi Bob,
Thanks for the reply :) It's really good to have some to talk to that knows what they are talking about.
<Yes, or at least "has reasons that they can/will state" for their apparent opinions>
 I was wondering if you could help me and answer some questions. Please note
that I am a beginner when it comes to reef tanks. I brought a pair of
orange Anthias about 2 weeks ago and to this day I have not been able to
get them to eat anything. The tank is a couple of months old. I have tried
marine flakes, brine shrimp and those algae flakes, but no luck. I asked
the LFS and they told me they will eat the flakes. I have observed 
them eating algae growing in the tank (the green kind).
<Hmm, welcome to our hobby, and rest assured, I will try to help you...
Please take a look on our website: www.WetWebMedia.com under the Marine
part, Livestock, the Basses, subfamily Anthiinae (the Fancy Basses)... are
these fish Pseudanthias squamipinnis pictured there? (the females are all
orangish...) As you will know they are zooplanktivores in the wild, eating
small crustaceans, worms, other invertebrates and small fish 
larvae in theater column... you should try offering foods like these, frequently (a few
times a day) in vigorous water movement... Also, notice, that like most of
the subfamily, these fish live in large aggregations (with one male typically)...>
It looks like the Genus Nemanthias; Threadfin Anthias, the picture of the orange one in middle.<Okay>
Bad news, today I looked at the tank and one of the Anthias is gone and one
is looking quite sad. I suspect he will be gone in a day or less. I >knew
>something bad was about to happen! The cleaner shrimp is hanging 
>around the>Anthias now like it knows something is going to happen to it!
<Yes, I suspect you are correct>
>Humm, this was not supposed to happen. I did a lot of research to make sure
>I would not have these problems. I even told the LFS I was a >beginner. When
>a brought the corals, I picked ones that I knew were hardy and for
>beginners. They are doing fine in the tank but the LFS gave me some >for free
>(because I spent a lot of cash that day). The ones he gave me (SPS) >are
>looking sad now. Should I take them out of the tank and can they do >any
>damage? He gave me some mushrooms also, they look like they are >doing fine
>so far.><I would leave the small polyp stony corals in place... they have
>relatively little living tissue and their passing will do no real >harm...
>if they perish. You know many of this artificial designation are not>easily kept...>
>I will invest in a good hang on the side protein skimmer today and >see what
>happens and let you know. Should I keep my Eheim filter running with 
>the>skimmer or should I replace it with the skimmer?
><Do get, use the skimmer IN ADDITION to the Eheim... they are 
>complimentary>>At this point I wish I had
>the tank modified and a sump installed, things would have been a lot 
>easier>if I had done this.
><Yes, woulda, coulda, shoulda... an aspect of our human experience>
>Again, many thanks for your help, I really appreciate it!
><A pleasure my friend. Bob Fenner>Warmest regards
>Lucien Cinc

Feeding a new Anthias
Dear Mr. Fenner,
This morning I received a Square Box Anthias from Flying Fish. It is a beautiful fish and is now swimming in my reef tank along side of a female that I have had for 6 months. I am worried about getting it to eat for the first time. I recently lost another new Square Box as I could never get it to eat. Do you have any suggestions on how I can be successful? I know that it might take a day or two for it to settle in. I have Mysis, Spirulina enriched brine, Emerald Entree, Zooplankton on hand. Someone suggested small feeder guppies also. Any insight from you would be appreciated.
<Any live mysids? This is my fave choice... try offering toward evening... with lots of water circulation to move the food about... And do consider first soaking the foodstuffs in a vitamin preparation... this also serves as an appetite stimulant. Bob Fenner>

- Square-spot Anthias, Follow-up -
Hi,
Just wanted to let you know that Sascha, my 6" Squarespot Anthias, is eating again! <Most excellent!> I've attached a picture of him.  I tried everything I could think of to tempt him to eat but nothing seemed to work.  Finally, a full three weeks to the day that he stopped eating, he finally took some of my homemade refugium mush (liquefied clams, mussels, oysters, krill, Spirulina powder, Cyclop-eeze, Selcon, Nori - held together loosely with agar powder). <Is sometimes how it happens... just when you are wondering, "Will this fish ever eat again?"> He wouldn't eat much at first but he took a little more with each meal and started taking different foods too. <Great news.>
I can't tell you how much I appreciate your words of encouragement.  I was sick with worry that he wouldn't make it.  Now his appetite is as voracious as ever and he has his colour back too.  Sascha and I say thank you! <My pleasure.>
Susan
<Cheers, J -- >

Re: Feeding a new Anthias
I just called around to the LFS in the area. The closet one that has live
Mysis is 40 miles. I'm on my way. Thank you for your help.
<You will be pleased with the results... a few days of feeding this live crustacean and the dead format, other foods ought to be taken. Life to you my friend. Bob Fenner>

Anthias Feeding!
Dear Mr. Fenner,
I wrote to you last Saturday regarding my new Square box Anthias male that
was refusing to eat. I took your advise about the live Mysis shrimp.
Finally, yesterday he has started to eat. Even ate the frozen Mysis and
Emerald Entrée that I fed the rest of the tank. Whew, I was really anxious
over this one.
<Ah, me too! There are specimens, occasions in which no feeding occurs...>
Thank you again for your help. I now have high hopes that this particular
fish will live a long time in his new home.
Regards,
Susan
<Thank you for the follow-up. Congratulations on your success. Bob Fenner>

What In The World Do You Feed Anthias?!?
Dear Robert,
On Friday, October 19'th of 2001, I was the last person to win twice at the SCMAS (Southern California Marine Aquarium Society) Meeting for a raffle. But lo and behold, nothing else was left (no equipment - no light bulbs, no fish food, no R.O. Unit, no brushes, no water pumps, etc. - all the dry goods were gone!!!). Equally gone were the live goods (no Black Cap Gramma, no Blue Regal Tang, no Yellow Tang, no beautiful corals left, etc. - everything taken!!!). The only thing that was left up for grabs that no one else wanted (and woe is me) were 2 very breath taking but super duper hard to care for Anthias!!!
<What species?>
I tried to exchange them after the meeting and tried to give them away to anyone, but to no avail!!! Sigh!!! Everyone, including me, knew what the implications are of ending with any of these beauties and I seem to be stuck with them. So the ultimate question, in your expert opinion, what do I feed these poor dears till I get rid of them and ask my friend Michael to exchange them for something more manageable and easier to handle?!?
<Perhaps one of your larger systems has sufficient "small life", particularly swimming crustaceans... "copepods", amphipods... for this species to subsist on... otherwise, you can try culturing same, buy them from outfits like Inland Aquatics... try vitamin-laced live brine shrimp... wean them onto prepared foods...>
I ended up with a reddish orange Anthias with a little pinkish or lavender square in its side. Your book did not show a picture of this larger of the 2 Anthias. So I really cannot identify what this is.
<Take a look a the pix on this part of the WWM site: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/anthiina.htm
Sounds like a male Pseudanthias pleurotaenia...>
It refuses to eat. The other, you call it Anthias Squamipinnis and so far, it likes finely chopped shrimp and crab that I normally feed to the Soldier Fish who is just as equally finicky as these 2. But I feel, that it is not eating enough. It is not spitting it out, but it isn't eating as much, either. I'd appreciate any insight you can toss my way. If they still don't eat the whole day today, I have no choice but to exchange them at Strictly Fish come Monday morning which is tomorrow October 22, 2001. Can you help me please?!?
<I would exchange these fishes>
After all, I've only been in the fish and coral keeping hobby since June of 1998, hardly an expert since my goal is to keep what I have on hand alive for as long as I can. 
I honestly wanted to win some dry goods (R.O. Unit my 1'st choice) or a coral or manageable fish. But this?!? I already know for sure that both of these are just simply doomed in any of my tanks. It is such a pity as they never seem to hide and are always up and about and swimming everywhere. I just wish that they didn't bother buying these 2 and placing them in the raffle. Maybe someday when they know how to make these guys live, maybe I shall be up to the challenge of caring for them. But obviously, not right at this moment. I just don't want to be responsible for their demise. I do hope to hear from you soon. And thank you in advance for your time and infinitesimal patience you seem to bestow upon me.
<A pleasure my friend. BTW, had a call from Marc.T re 12/15, the combined party at Johns... will likely see you there. Bob Fenner>
Sincerely yours, 
Aleida Ann Graichen
The Mariner Editor

Touchy fish acclimation and feeding
Howdy Bob!
<Howdy, Chief! Anthony Calfo in your service while Bob sits in a corner trying to crack brazil nuts open with his forehead>
Because of all your good counsel and website information, my
personal contacts are at least dwindling in their frequency.
Thanks again, and I hope you will help me with a two-part question.
< I shall do my best>
Because my local LFS is dealing with some water-quality issues,
and I still have a backlog of pre-paid fish coming in, I have
taken to having them notify me ahead of their arrival (via
air freight), and I go right down when they get them in, and
bring them home. Naturally, this isn't as nice as if they had
been living and eating there at the LFS for a period of time,
but it is my present reality.
<we do the best we can with what we can>
Anyway, I carefully follow your guerilla guide to acclimation of
my new arrivals, but it is my impression that by the time I remove
them from their "combo-freshwater-shipping-water-with-blue-green-
additives" mix, they appear more sluggish and 'wiped-out' than
the ones from the same batch who go through an 'LFS standard'
acclimation (of gradually adding tank water into their bags and
then releasing). Watching my fish in their cat-litter-box they
just seem to sit and sometimes their back end curls around a bit
towards the front. I don't want to stress them further, so
I don't poke & prod, and usually, after about 5 to 7 minutes, I
gently transfer them to my lights-out acclimation tank. Sometimes
they speed away when I put them in, sometimes they just seem to
barely sink to the bottom, and hang out.
<quite natural>
So, part 1 of my question is this: Is this normal for a fish going through this kind of dip / acclimation treatment, and (just for reassurance) is it still better because of the reduced risk of disease than just mixing waters and releasing?
<indeed...cannot mix waters>
Part 2. In last night's delivery, I received a male/female pair
of purple queen Anthias (they didn't have lyretail). I know they
are much more touchy fish, but they were beautiful looking
<Arrgghhh... not the best reason when unprepared>
and I had spoken to someone who had had three in a very small and
simple reef for a long while
<more than a year and still fat at that time?>
, so I decided to give it a shot. They are still sitting on the bottom of the acclimation tank, breathing OK, and watching with their eyes, but not real motivated to eat. I am going to try "first flake",
<I'll eat your hat if they eat flake for you.. hehe. Need meaty food...may even have to resort to live>
and Mysis shrimp, but wondered if you had any good ideas about how to tempt one of these pretties into eating?
<frozen mysids and Pacifica plankton are good whole foods in the long run...a good specialized homemade recipe like in Bob's CMA will be better. In the meantime, try gut loaded live guppies or ghost shrimp if the fish are large enough, or enriched live brine (Selcon) if still small>
Thank you so much for your help. Sincerely, Jim Raub
<keep us posted please. with kind regards, Anthony>

Anthias and Angel tribulations
Mr. Fenner, 
<author and friend Anthony Calfo in your service>
I have just recently been introduced to your websites and books from a very good friend who is a professional saltwater aquarist in the Chicagoland area. I must say that your advice is very straightforward and good. 
<its a good thing for you then that I am a very convincing fibber <wink>>
It has helped me stage my first reef tank, which is currently doing very well. I have a few questions on a certain type of Anthias I bought from a "PetCo".
<Aiiiieeeee! Those two words mentioned in the same sentence are like salt in my eyes...did you say "Anthias" and "[name of a Super Pet store]"?!? Argghhhh>
Now trust me, I never buy fish from these guys, but I felt that if I did not take these two newly added gorgeous Anthias, they surely would have died in a week or two (I DO NOT normally do this, as I hate to give them business for their SW fish, but I *couldn't* let these Anthias just die).
<alas, my friend... I must remind you of what you already know: your purchase not only did not guarantee their survival, but has contributed to the re-order and likely death of more like creatures. By contributing to the sales of inappropriate animals (at least in some merchants hands) you have not only contributed to, but stimulated the commerce in the very trade of that ill-fated fish through such channels. The best way to get retailers to not stock animals outside of their means/skill set is TO LET THEM die (the ill-fated animals, not the retailers...although given to chose...hmmmm?) in their tanks. These stores are not operating charities... if aquarists stop buying inappropriate livestock, then they will stop selling them. Economics. And even if that weren't true... you never want to buy into that mess under any circumstance. My apologies... I didn't mean to jump up on a soapbox...but I am a short fellow <>
The plan being that I will look after them, and if I don't want them, I can give them to a proper Fish store that can take care of them.
<if you want the challenge, that's one thing and admirable. But again, the reason stated does not wash... changing hands through yet another tank in the chain of custody may be the straw that breaks their back...too much handling/moving>
So I took them home without even knowing their real species (they were sold as "pink Anthias") and only a good general knowledge of Anthias (I was a former marine biologist/Dolphin trainer). The Anthias are a very light pink all throughout, with maybe a very slight color difference from top to bottom...more a different shade of pink really...they are still juvenile so hard to tell. Also, they have rather rounded faces, but have the traditional forked tail. 
Anyhow, I would like to know the kind of fish they are (if you can discern from my very vague description). They haven't been too eager to eat flake or frozen brine,
<neither food is appropriate or useful...try mysids, Pacifica plankton and live grass shrimp if the fish are large enough... even gut-loaded feeder guppies, believe it or not>
but I am going to buy some more live brine shrimp tomorrow. 
<a truly awful and low grade food unless you plan to gut-load it with brewers yeast/Selcon, etc>
They seemed to become healthier as soon as I put them in my tank (my tank has excellent water conditions, strong water motion, plenty of live rock (Berlin system setup) and sand (2-3 inch bed), skimmer, as well as a huge mass of Caulerpa from afore mentioned friend, that came with tons of copepods). 
<excellent... I'm Cuckoo for Copepods!>
They shook their bodies and flexed their fins almost immediately. As I type this email, they have been getting cleaned by my shrimp for about 20 minutes now and both of the fish won't leave the station. I figure that much of it is irritating mucus and scales on their body from the horrible water conditions of the store.
<not to mention the three to five hands that they have been through in the chain of custody from the point of collection, though shipping, transhippers, wholesalers, the retailer and then your tank> 
Now for some problems. While I don't anticipate too high of a stress level within the tank for these fish, I do have a rather territorial Flame angel...you are going to lecture me, aren't you...
<I'd love to (especially about the reckless ignorance of quarantine) but I feel as though I've done enough already...hehe>
The flame has shown some rather weak attempts at shooing away the Anthias, but no actual biting...but he does succeed in shooing them away...he is hogging the water current I suspect. I was thinking about adding some more "niches" within the aquaria by adding some more live rock and sort of dividing the tank into two or three distinguishable areas. 
<without actual bites, the intimidation is undo stress, of course>
Do Anthias enjoy open water? 
<most all do indeed>
My friend has two bicolor Anthias that love the open water,
<a much hardier species>
but his Anthias are huge and well established (dominant fish). My Anthias are small and the flame is dominant. I suspect that as time moves along, the angel will become more tolerant of the Anthias,
<all bets are off>
but I would like to try and keep him from being as territorial as possible...do you think my plan with the addition of LR (allowing more niches) will help?
<pure luck if it does>
I guess to ask a more general question that might help, is how is territory really established within such a small confine...in specific with the angel or the Anthias? 
<although not directly competitive species...keep in mind the size of your tank compared to their natural range of defended territory in the wild. Any discussion to the contrary is moot>
I am thinking that right now my angel has enough cracks in the LR to glide his way through the entire tank rather easily, and so for him to keep the territory of the entire aquascape, or most of it, is rather feasible (the other fishes in the tank are "ignorable" characters, maroon clown, Chromis, Gramma, mandarin;
<a mandarin...you are killing me!<G> mature reef, productive refugium, I hope>
and the angel will only once in a while shoo some of them away). If I create a break in the aquascape, will this help the angel to keep more of a smaller portion of the tank to himself?
<above>
I have also heard that Anthias feed on plankton...
<indeed!>
I assume zooplankton and larvae. Will adding phytoplankton (DT's) aid in the production of zooplankton?
<not much on our aquaristic scale... rely on your refugium and ways to make it more productive instead>
And if so, how much phyto should I be adding? (I have one large duster, one small duster, one porcelain crab, and the usual reef cleaning crew of snails, blue leg hermits, Brittlestars...these and the mandarin are the only things I can think of that will actively eat phytoplankton or predate on the zooplankton)
<actually nothing that you have mentioned feeds decidedly on phytoplankton including the feather dusters (suspected, perhaps dubious but not proven)...dusters feed mucosally and are suspected of eating mostly bacteria and like organics... that is why so many people can breed them in captivity in tanks without natural or substitute phyto but plenty of detritus/organic sediment. You may be wasting your money on phyto without gorgonians or Nephtheids>
Sorry the email is so long, but I am rather excited when I talk about the tank. Anyways, any help will be much appreciated, and you will be happy to know that I promote your site and books over Julian Sprung's (oh my, just kidding! He is awesome too, but I do enjoy your method of teaching much better...and I do promote your site as the place to go for hobbyists). Thanks!
<Obviously I wasn't trying to earn a book sale with the lecture <smile>, but I'll plug anyway... Book of Coral Propagation, Volume One...review by Robert Fenner: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/bkcorlproprev.htm Good luck, my friend. Anthony Calfo>
Paul Lee

Anthias and feeding
Thanks for making the Hobby Fun!
Hi Bob et. al.,
<et al member Anthony Calfo in your service>
Just wanted to say "thanks," for making what can sometimes be
such a stressful hobby so much fun!!!!
<a pleasure for all of us indeed>
After reading over the feeding FAQs again I feel sooo much
better about my fishes and what they're eating.
<excellent>
Recently we've added two beautiful Anthias to the tank (Evansi I
think) and I'd been stressing after reading all the notes in the Anthias
FAQ. But they're eating like a charm, and seem to be quite happy bouncing about. I'm worried though, that I'll have to bump up my feeding schedule to once a day (right now just 2-3 times a week.) What do you guys think?
<wow... even for the hardiest Anthiines, once a day may not be enough. They are notorious for needing small frequent feedings to survive long-term. Indeed, this has been one of the stumbling blocks with such fishes. Do try to feed 1-3 times daily with very small portions. Overall this is best with most fishes although not always necessary.>
Should I start out with fewer feedings and "up the ante" if they get skinny? 
<heck no... too much ground to be lost by doing so. Begin with once daily if you feel that you must keep it to a minimum>
I'm assuming I'll notice ;-)
BTW, I feed 'em just a lil' bit of Ocean Nutrition Brine Shrimp
Plus and dose 3 pumps of Bio-Plankton.
<dramatically reduce the brine shrimp feedings... it is a very low grade food that will suffer your fishes by attrition (mostly water) if it is a staple (more than 25%). Do yourself a GREAT favor (I assure you that you will write back saying WOW did this work)... mail order or buy local a jar of Sweetwater Plankton (to be refrigerated)... this is an incredible food for Anthiines and ravenously consumed by most fishes. Trust me , my friend>
Really, sincerely, thanks again - so much! You guys are to be commended for your generosity, kindness, and most of all knowledge!-Jon
<thank you so kindly, it is very redeeming to hear it said. Best regards, Anthony>

Re: Thanks for making the Hobby Fun! (Anthias and Feeding)
Just a quick additional question about the food. The food I'm using is actually a frozen variety with what looks like quite a
variety of protein rich ingredients (shrimp, mussels, clams, etc.) Just so happens to be called "Bring Shrimp Plus." It also claims to have lots of good minerals and vitamins.
<hmmm... sounds good on paper, but the name implies that Brine Shrimp is the staple ingredient and that cannot be good in the big picture. Added vitamins and minerals are dubious at times as to their usefulness and ready assimilation by marine animals. Best bets are naturally occurring in whole prey items (mysids, Pacifica plankton, zooplankton from a fishless refugium, etc). Just reminding you of the top shelf options. A lot of industry professionals that I know wouldn't take anything with adult brine shrimp in it for free>
Definitely going to pick up the Sweetwater plankton. 
<excellent... you won't be disappointed!>
Just wondering if what I have been feeding really is crap (so to speak ;-).
<its funny you should mention "that"... I was just thinking of an analogy for enriched brine shrimp products...hehe: you can polish a turd, but its still a turd. Ha! How's that for sage advice?!>
Lastly, will the clownfish and 2 pajama cardinals be fine with the
Sweetwater plankton as well? 
<indeed a very appropriate food for them, but no one food can be complete. Do mix up the diet still>
Or should I find a better more nutritious frozen food for 'em?
<just a nice variety overall of say 4-6 foods. Make sure that some have significant HUFAs in them (supplemented is OK in this case... they are not naturally synthesized by many marine animals... can be obtained in planktons)>
Thanks so much. Its amazing how quickly y'all reply, and with such concise intelligent answers. Thank goodness the Hobby has folks like you. -Jon
<thank you, my friend. Best regards, Anthony>