Question about Tuka Anthias

[Oilers]

I was in BA checking out the maxi mini anenome and I noticed that they have the Tuka Anthias in stock as well. They are very pretty, I tell ya. However, the person at BA told me they are not easy to keep since they don't eat much and therefore tend to starve to death. I am wondering if anybody has been successful with them? What kind of food do you feed them? I would like to get one but I want to make sure they have a good chance of survival. Thanks.

[naesco]

I was in BA checking out the maxi mini anenome and I noticed that they have the Tuka Anthias in stock as well. They are very pretty, I tell ya. However, the person at BA told me they are not easy to keep since they don't eat much and therefore tend to starve to death. I am wondering if anybody has been successful with them? What kind of food do you feed them? I would like to get one but I want to make sure they have a good chance of survival. Thanks.

Follow the advice of the BA and find another fish you like that has a reasonable chance of surviving in your tank.

[Oilers]

Thanks naesco. I did take the advice of the BA person and walked out of the store empty handed.

[ScubaSteve]

Ya, it's one of those fish that if you see it eat at the store you buy them all, if not it's pretty unlikely that any if them with eat. Purple queens are the same way gorgeous fish though.

[Oilers]

Yeah, I asked them to put some mysis shrimp into the tank to see if any of them would eat. There were about 15 of them in the tank. Not even a single one of them touched the food. I know at that moment I should leave them where they are. At least that way, I don't have to see them dying.

[StirCrazy]

Yeah, I asked them to put some mysis shrimp into the tank to see if any of them would eat. There were about 15 of them in the tank. Not even a single one of them touched the food. I know at that moment I should leave them where they are. At least that way, I don't have to see them dying.

I hate it when people make statments and don't tell you why.

Anthias are a very trickey fish.. then eat constantly in the wild and don't do well for long periods with out food, so this translates to 3 or 4 feedings per day. also for swimming room they need a larger area than a tang, not because 1 anthias needs the room, but because you need to buy them in groups of 9 or more. so you buy 1 fish, or you buy 9+ fish. so now your looking at a 120 gal min. also if you look at there spawning habits they go verticle so hight of tank is an important size also. were talking over 4 foot tall as a min to replacate there natural space requirments for spawning.

all in all not a beginner fish and they have huge needs.

Steve