# Feeding anthias



## superfishy45 (Oct 28, 2012)

Hello I bought 5 anthias from sum a few weeks ago, and I am having trouble feeding them. They will eat but only if I over feed my tank because they hide for 1-3 min when I walk up to the tank, so if I feed a normal amount my shrimp and other fish eat it all by the time they come out. Any suggestions I am thinking they will all die within a few weeks or months if I can't get them to eat.


They are purple queen anthias.


----------



## rickcasa (Dec 7, 2011)

I've lost about a dozen myself over the past 2 months in the QT...I've just about given up on Anthias for now. And I tried everything even putting them straight in the DT. It's definitely a hit or miss with these fish. The success I've had in the past was with no isolation, straight to the DT where they learn from established fish what's good to eat. But reef plankton seems to be what they prefer....they just dont eat enough of it


----------



## superfishy45 (Oct 28, 2012)

Ya they jus wont eat which sucks because they are so nice!

The only thing they will eat for me is brine shrimp but only about 1 little shrimp a day if I am lucky, how long did yours last not eating? I have had mine for 1 month so far.


----------



## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

Add in dither fish - something that's not afraid to swim about and gives the anthias more comfort/confidence to come out of hiding. Clowns are good. When I kept mine in my qt/isolation tank, there was one clownfish in there with 6 anthias (lyretail). All the anthias ate well, eventually taking to pellets. They ate well enough that I took them through a full 8+ week qt with a one week prazipro treatment at week 3-4.

You may want to try other foods as well - cyclopeez, mysis, etc. Once they start eating, they'll get used to it and you can start mixing other foods.


----------



## superfishy45 (Oct 28, 2012)

I have a small blue tang (3") and a small foxface (3") in with them wright now. In a 72 gallon bowfront, I am running a reef octopus nwb 110 skimmer, would adding more fish be too much in a tank this size?

5 anthias 
3" foxface
3" blue tang


----------



## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

No, you can probbly add more fish, but that probably won't take care of your problem.

If you could have, I would have had a quaratine system set up. It's not just to keep disease out. Quarantine systems are VERY USEFUL to acclimate new fish to your water parameters, lighting schedule, you just mucking about and around the tank (ie, getting used to you walking by to plop food in), and observing them for diseases, fighting, etc. Also, it lets you teach them what to eat, get them used to new foods and get them used to you coming up to the tank for feeding time.

The other advantage is that, say you used a 20g tank that's fairly bare save for a few PVC pipes for hiding. When you add food, it doesn't disappear into the rocks or get sucked away into the overflow and skimmer. It just goes round and round giving the fish plenty of time to see and smell the food, come out of hiding, eat a few pieces, and then start to get used to the new food and the new feeding style. And after you're done feeding, you can easily use a turkey baster or something else to mop up uneaten food. 

For the fish you've got now, you might want to try feeding a little just so they smell/see food, and then a few minutes later add a little more, then a few minutes a little more. It gives them a chance to decide to come out to eat and gives them a chance to actually get some food.


----------



## rickcasa (Dec 7, 2011)

I've had light eaters last about a month but they just wither away and I'll find them either stuck on the powerheads or in the grasp of one of the anemones. I've had no luck with Lori's, Princess and Dispars. Lyretails I've managed to keep for months until one attacked a house plant next to the tank.


----------



## superfishy45 (Oct 28, 2012)

Ok I will give it a try feeding every few min. This was me first attempt at a reef so I didn't set up a quarantine tank(stupid me lol) I plan on setting one up when I start a bigger tank latter on.


----------



## Y2KGT (Jul 20, 2009)

If you feed dry foods such as flakes or pellets you can try an Eheim Auto Feeder. 

They can be programmed to feed up to 4 times per day and up to two meals at each interval. 

It allows you to feed the tank without getting close to the tank and therefore allow the fish to eat without being scared.
--
Paul


----------



## superfishy45 (Oct 28, 2012)

That's to bad, if I don't get mine eating soon I think I will have the same outcome


----------



## superfishy45 (Oct 28, 2012)

I was thinking about an auto feeder too, I think that would be my best chance.


----------



## Flexin5 (Nov 12, 2011)

i had 4 anthias at one point. 3 of them died, but i still have the one. all of them ate tho, but the anthias specifically got this bacterial infection. 

for my food i make a food soak. i soak flake in vitachem and add two drops of garlic extract (kent garlic xtreme). that gets all of the fish going and they all eat like champs, expecially the anthias. then i'll soak pelets in just vita chem and they kill that too.


----------



## rickcasa (Dec 7, 2011)

I use Kent garlic all the time and it didn't do the trick for me. Even poured into the water as it's reported to enhance appetite. That Vitachem seems worth a try though.


----------



## superfishy45 (Oct 28, 2012)

I have never added anything to my food I will try to soak the flakes in garlic.


----------



## Flexin5 (Nov 12, 2011)

rickcasa said:


> I use Kent garlic all the time and it didn't do the trick for me. Even poured into the water as it's reported to enhance appetite. That Vitachem seems worth a try though.


Originally I started the garlic and vitachem back in march when I had an ich outbreak. I've never really had a problem with a fish eating but all of the fish started to get fat and the ich went away. I figured that since the fish looked great I might aswell keep the food the same and so far it's been 5 months without 1 sign of ich, even with new fish introduced.


----------



## superfishy45 (Oct 28, 2012)

It is a good Idea I have some left over from when my fish had ich, it can't hurt to feed them with it


----------



## Flexin5 (Nov 12, 2011)

^all I can say is that it worked for me. The general consensus is that garlic doesn't get rid of ich but I haven't seen any sign of it in 5 months. With fish that don't eat it's an entire different thing, I had a PBT that no matter what food I gave it, it didn't eat.


----------



## superfishy45 (Oct 28, 2012)

I think the garlic boosts their immune system to help fight ich off? And if you are feeding your fish with it they will be strong and not get ich as easy. I think


----------



## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

That's the idea - although whether it's been "conclusively" proven is far from solid. As with any of the food additives or enhancers though, watch your nitrates/phosphates. those guys break down fast.

What you also want to watch out for is food size - anthias have small mouths so they tend to go after the smaller stuff. Cyclopeez is good, and if you can get it, fish roe of a small size is great - try your local fish monger. when they're cleaning fish, they often come across eggs, which usually go with the other guts into the garbage. just a few sacs can last you a long time and the fish and everything else goes insane for the stuff).


----------

