Purple Queen Anthias Issue

[aznt1217]

Hello Guys,

As you all know I got my 54 Gallon running. The water parameters are great!!! Anyway, I just bought a purple queen anthias... kind of impulse (I KNOW STUPID OF ME). But I know they are relatively difficult to keep, right now in terms of food I have frozen mysis and cyclopeeze that I can forsee as compatible with this fish. I have no idea what to do with it, any suggestions would be great. Right now it's hiding under a rock.

 

[prattreef]

They have a very poor record in captivity. If it doesn't take the mysis or cyclopeeze, I'd try some live brine shrimp and black worms to get it started feeding and then Reef Nutrition Arcti-pods. Anthias seem to love the later for some reason. Good luck, but any succes with this species will be the happy exception and not the rule.

 

[aaron23]

if you just bought them, its unlikely they will eat the first day they are introduced. wait till tomorrow or the next day and feed.

 

[aznt1217]

Well it's not even that, it's that I had NO IDEA they required 4x feeding a day! holy crap. I'll definitely wait a few days to see if it feeds. Just wondering what I should do after that if it doesn't.

Worst case scenario if it dies... do I take it out of the tank or do I leave it for my scavengers to do their work?

FYI if somebody wants it I would gladly trade it for a frag or even peppermint shrimp.

 

[aaron23]

take them out after they die, you dont want them fouling your water.
4x per day is optimal, but 2 or more times per day is fine IMO

 

[muntai]

how many did u buy? i hope u didnt get em at ft.

 

[aznt1217]

I bought one only. I did get him at fishtown. I got my Jawfish from there and he has been doing fine. I know it has a bad reputation, but damn... relatively good prices though

 

[Tim]

Did you quarentine?

 

[meschaefer]

reasearch before you buy. Every time. Very few people are succesfill with them and the people who are have the resources and time to provide the level of care necessary.

All anthias are dificult to keep.

 

[aznt1217]

Was swimming before... can't find it right now. Willing to let go for like 8 bucks or peppermint shrimp if someone is willing to pick up.

 

[MikeyZO]

Hey Aznt, what ever happened with this fish? I ask because my brother's gf picked one up about a week ago, and as far as I know she has had no luck with flake food, frozen mysis, or live brine (althgouh it may have started eating and no one tells me lol). I know it only started swimming around a few days ago after they introduced a few chromis... now it schools with them.

 

[aznt1217]

This was a long time ago... and the fish needless to say disappeared the day after the post. Probably food for my vicious hermit crabs. From what I hear you can ween them gradually onto pellets (Thera-A or small spectrum).

Try to use Arcti Pods. Generally speaking it's a shy fish, but now that it schools it could be better.