Anthias - Aquarium Creations

Anthias

Anthias make excellent fish for the reef aquarium. Once they are properly acclimated to the aquarium and feeding well, they tend to be rather disease-resistant. They are terrific for viewing, always remaining out in the open. In the wild they feed primarily on large copepods and other planktonic foods, so they will not harm corals, clams, anemones or crustaceans in the aquarium. Aquarium feeding we find it best to feed finely chopped frozen Mysis, clam, and prawn. Micropellet feeds are also helpful for anthias, providing a more varied diet and reducing the reliance on live foods. They tend to be relatively peaceful, with only a few exceptions they can and often are kept in groups. In the wild, these groups are called shoals. Typically you will always find Anthias in mixed shoals consisting of a few males and more females. If you want to have a group of the same species of anthias, be sure to select females all about the same size, and unless your aquarium is large, 250 gallons or more, stick with just one male of the species. More males than one in smaller aquariums will result in excessive aggression.

Aquarium Conditioned
Fathead Sunburst Anthias
Serranocirrhitus latus
Picture of Fathead Sunburst Anthias

Identification: The Fathead Sunburst Anthias also known as the Fathead Anthias requires several caves or hiding places where it can rest and avoid intense reef lighting. Anthias species are all hermaphroditic. This means that if a dominant male dies, the largest female will often morph into a male and take its place in the hierarchy. These fish are completely reef safe and should not bother any corals, clams, or invertebrates. They are best kept singly unless you have a larger tank of 100 gallons or more. When keeping in groups it is best to select individuals of various sizes and to add them all at the same time. Suitable tankmates include other passive such as gobies, basslets, small wrasses, pygmy angels, and small tangs. Feed frozen preparations containing mysid shrimp, brine shrimp, and other finely chopped marine meats twice per day.

Tank Recommendations: The Fathead/Sunburst Anthias requires a tank of at least 70 gallons. Anthias do not like a great deal of light therefore they need low-to-moderate light with lots of hiding places. It is best housed with peaceful tankmates such as gobies. If keeping more than one, it is ideal to introduce all anthias at the same time.

Food and diet: Anthias are planktivores and feed primarily on zooplankton, tiny animals found in the water column. They benefit from several small feedings throughout the day rather than one large feeding. The best feeding for anthias will come from a healthy microinvertebrate population in your aquarium with a constant supply of copepods and amphipods available for food. Having a refugium attached to your aquarium makes the proper supply of food available any time through the steady supply of live food sure to keep any planktivore content. What should you be feeding your anthias? You have to add meaty foods (finely shaved seafood, frozen Cyclops, fish eggs and carnivore foods) at least three times a day. If you do not feed enough food, it will become more and more emaciated and will gradually perish.

Level of Care: Moderate

Acclimaton Time: 3+ hours

Reef Compatibility : Excellent

Approximate Purchase Size: Small: 1-1/4" to 2"; Medium: 2" to 3"; Large: 3" to 4"

Small$189.99 Medium $209.99
Large $259.99

Aquarium Conditioned
Dispar Anthias
Pseudanthias Dispar

Identification: Dispar Anthias are also called the the Madder Sea perch, redfin anthias, or Peach Anthias. A smaller species with Males reaching a maximum size of 4 inches in the wild and females less. Males have a brighter red dorsal fin than the females do and males lack any red on their tail. The female has red on the tail and may display a yellowish-orange on the top and pale lavender to white on the underside. Dispar Anthias are an open water swimmer that does very well in groups which are called shoals. A Peaceful fish, don't keep Dispar anthias with aggressive or large fish species. They do best when you keep a group of 6-10 dispar anthias together. Keeping several members of the same species is best. They are also more likely to feed in captivity if there are several other members of their species present. If purchasing more than one, order one male to go with 6 or more females.

TankRecommendations: Dispar Anthias are a relatively shallow water shoaling species and as such they can do well in brightly lit reef aquaria. Many other Anthias CAN NOT handle bright lighting. Tanks less than 100 gallons should not house more than one male with six or more females.

Food and diet: Anthias are planktivores and feed primarily on zooplankton, tiny animals found in the water column. They benefit from several small feedings throughout the day rather than one large feeding. The best feeding for anthias will come from a healthy microinvertebrate population in your aquarium with a constant supply of copepods and amphipods available for food. Having a refugium attached to your aquarium makes the proper supply of food available any time through the steady supply of live food sure to keep any planktivore content. What should you be feeding your anthias? You have to add meaty foods (finely shaved seafood, frozen Cyclops, fish eggs and carnivore foods) at least three times a day.

Level of Care: Moderate

Acclimaton Time: 3+ hours

Reef Compatibility : Excellent

Approximate Purchase Size: Small 1-1/2" to 2"; Medium 2" to 3"; Large 3" to 4"

Small$69.99 Medium $79.99
Large $89.99

Aquarium Conditioned
Evansi Anthias
Pseudanthias evansi
Picture of Evansi Anthias

Identification: The Evansi Anthias, Pseudanthias evansi, is also known as Evan's Anthias, or the Yellowtail Goldie. A super bright and colorful anthias, perfect for a reef aquarium. They have a long slender body with the upper half being covered in yellow and bottom half in pink. Like many Anthias they are an open water swimmer that does very well in groups which are called shoals. They do best when you keep a group of 4-8 Evansi anthias together. Don't keep a solitary speciman in your tank - they need other anthias friends. They are also more likely to feed in captivity if there are several other members of their species present. Evansi Anthias like most anthias are a hermaphroditic species and in the absence of a dominant male, the dominant female of the group morphs into a male to take its place. Therefore if you purchase a group and place them in your tank if there is not a male present the most dominant female will become the male.

TankRecommendations: Provide a 70 gallon or larger tank with large amounts of live rock for hiding and grazing on micro fauna.

Food and diet: Anthias are planktivores and feed primarily on zooplankton, tiny animals found in the water column. They benefit from several small feedings throughout the day rather than one large feeding. The best feeding for anthias will come from a healthy microinvertebrate population in your aquarium with a constant supply of copepods and amphipods available for food. Having a refugium attached to your aquarium makes the proper supply of food available any time through the steady supply of live food sure to keep any planktivore content. What should you be feeding your anthias? You have to add meaty foods (finely shaved seafood, frozen Cyclops, fish eggs and carnivore foods) at least three times a day. If you do not feed enough food, it will become more and more emaciated and will gradually perish.

Level of Care: Moderate

Acclimaton Time: 3+ hours

Reef Compatibility : Excellent

Approximate Purchase Size: Small 1-1/2" to 2"; Medium 2" to 3"; Large 3" to 4"

Small$69.99 Medium $79.99
Large $99.99

Aquarium Conditioned
Squareback Anthias
Pseudanthias Pleurotaenia
Picture of Male & Female Squareback Anthias

Identification: Unforgettable combination of colors the Squareback Anthias, Pseudanthias pleurotaenia is also known as the Pink Square Anthias, Squarespot Anthias, Purple Blotch Basslet, or Squareblock Anthias. While all anthias can be a bit challenging to keep long-term, the squareback anthias is one of the easier species to maintain. Many of the anthias species are bright colored, but only a few can match the glowing color of the adult male Squareback Anthias. The Bright Pinkish tint of the Squareback under a proper diet will glow like a store-front sign. Under evening aquarium lighting there's not many fish that look much better. The squareblock anthias larger size makes it an even more stunning addition to the home aquarium.

TankRecommendations: To keep a shoal of Squareback Anthias, you will need an aquarium of 150 to 180 gallons or more. An aquarium of 75-gallons is sufficient for a solitary squareblock anthias, but a much larger aquarium is required to keep a shoal of this fish. Requires rockwork to swim through and hide in. Many of the anthias that live at greater depths lose their bright colors with time in captivity. The best way to maintain color intensity is to keep anthias in a moderately lit aquarium (e.g., a deepwater reef aquarium with slightly less bright lighting) and to feed a varied diet high in color-enhancing pigments.

Food and diet: Anthias are planktivores and feed primarily on zooplankton, tiny animals found in the water column. They benefit from several small feedings throughout the day rather than one large feeding. The best feeding for anthias will come from a healthy microinvertebrate population in your aquarium with a constant supply of copepods and amphipods available for food. Having a refugium attached to your aquarium makes the proper supply of food available any time through the steady supply of live food sure to keep any planktivore content. What should you be feeding your anthias? You have to add meaty foods (finely shaved seafood, frozen Cyclops, fish eggs and carnivore foods) at least three times a day. If you do not feed enough food, it will become more and more emaciated and will gradually perish.

Level of Care: Moderate

Acclimaton Time: 3+ hours

Reef Compatibility : Excellent

Approximate Purchase Size: 3" to 4"

Male$129.99 Female $99.99

Aquarium Conditioned
Lyretail Anthias
Pseudanthias squamipinnis
Picture of Lyretail Anthias

Identification: :The Lyretail Anthias (Pseudanthias squamipinnis) is a true beauty which comes from the waters of the Indian Ocean. One of the more popular home tank anthias because it is always active, it is also sometimes called the Scalefin or Warpaint Anthias for its vivid markings, especially in the males. Relatively hardy and one of the easier to keep anthias, they usually eat very well, and adapt readily to captive life. They are an excellent choice for the first time anthias keeper. The Lyretail Anthias is best kept in small harems of one male and anywhere from 3 to 10 females. If the aquarium cannot handle a group of 3 or more anthias in a male-female harem, then it is best to keep only 1 in the tank.

TankRecommendations: To keep a shoal of Lyretail Anthias, you will need an aquarium of 125 to 150 gallons or more. Though the Lyretail Anthias generally occupy the middle of the aquarium, it appreciates the availability of several hiding places. Many of the anthias that live at greater depths lose their bright colors with time in captivity. The best way to maintain color intensity is to keep anthias in a moderately lit aquarium (e.g., a deepwater reef aquarium with slightly less bright lighting) and to feed a varied diet high in color-enhancing pigments.

Food and diet: Anthias are planktivores and feed primarily on zooplankton, tiny animals found in the water column. They benefit from several small feedings throughout the day rather than one large feeding. The best feeding for anthias will come from a healthy microinvertebrate population in your aquarium with a constant supply of copepods and amphipods available for food. Having a refugium attached to your aquarium makes the proper supply of food available any time through the steady supply of live food sure to keep any planktivore content. What should you be feeding your anthias? You have to add meaty foods (finely shaved seafood, frozen Cyclops, fish eggs and carnivore foods) at least three times a day. If you do not feed enough food, it will become more and more emaciated and will gradually perish.

Level of Care: Moderate

Acclimaton Time: 3+ hours

Reef Compatibility : Excellent

Approximate Purchase Size: 3" to 4"

Male$79.99 Female $69.99

Aquarium Conditioned
Randall's Anthias
Pseudanthias randalli
Picture of Randall's Anthias

Identification: Living in the Central Pacific and Marshall Islands the Randall's Anthias is also called the Randall's Fairy Anthias and Randall's Fairy Basslet. Randall's Anthias, like most Anthias, are peaceful and can be kept with other peaceful reef tank community fish. The Randall's Anthias is one of the smaller Anthias species with a max size of 3 inches. Male Randall's Anthias' sometimes become striped in red and magenta while females will have a yellow nose. The Randall's Anthias dwells in the lower portion of a tank but appreciates the availability of several hiding places. Anthias species all share the trait of being hermaphroditic. If a dominant male perishes, the largest female will morph to take its place. If two or more females are placed into the aquarium, one of the females will change into a male.

TankRecommendations: To keep a shoal of Randall's Anthias, you will need an aquarium of 100 gallons or more. An aquarium of 60-gallons is sufficient for a solitary Randall's anthias. Requires rockwork to swim through and hide in. Many of the anthias that live at greater depths lose their bright colors with time in captivity. It has been suggested that this occurs because of being kept under unnaturally bright lighting. The intense lighting often found over reef aquariums, may actually cause anthias fish to fade. The best way to maintain color intensity is to keep anthias in a moderately lit aquarium (e.g., a deepwater reef aquarium with slightly less bright lighting) and to feed a varied diet high in color-enhancing pigments.

Food and diet: Anthias are planktivores and feed primarily on zooplankton, tiny animals found in the water column. They benefit from several small feedings throughout the day rather than one large feeding. The best feeding for anthias will come from a healthy microinvertebrate population in your aquarium with a constant supply of copepods and amphipods available for food. Having a refugium attached to your aquarium makes the proper supply of food available any time through the steady supply of live food sure to keep any planktivore content. What should you be feeding your anthias? You have to add meaty foods (finely shaved seafood, frozen Cyclops, fish eggs and carnivore foods) at least three times a day. If you do not feed enough food, it will become more and more emaciated and will gradually perish.

Level of Care: Moderate

Acclimaton Time: 3+ hours

Reef Compatibility: Excellent

Approximate Purchase Size: 2" to 3"

$124.99

Copyright 2020 Aquarium Creations Online
Photos are representative of each species. All marine life will be unique and variations should be expected, color and sizes may vary.