Purple Queen Anthias

[KSzegi]

So my hubby takes some frags into the lfs store for me for some trade/credit ...... and comes home with 4 purple queen anthias. Was told that they were easy but did best if they were fed twice a day .... ugh. Needless to say I'm a little cranked at the lfs - from what I understand these fish are about impossible to keep. Has anybody had any success at all with these and if so - how did you do it? It has only been a day and a half but so far I've not been able to get them to eat anything - they initially show some interest but won't follow through and actually eat. I know it hasn't been long yet but if anybody has any tips I want to start trying them right away as they already look a bit on the lean side.

 

[Mike&Terry]

Try live brine shrimp. Aquaph8 (Brett) has experience with them. To say they are difficult is an understatement, but if you are willing to put a lot of effort into it, it can be done.

 

[Aquaph8]

They are watching the food go by because of the size of it. They aren't hard fish to get to eat but they are extremely hard to get enough food to. Newly hatched live baby brine with the yolk sacks still attached is a great first choice to get them started. H20 life makes a mini mysis that you can use to wean them over to frozen followed by some new life spectrum .5 sized pellets. Once you get them to the pellets you can slowly move up sizes and with a little luck get them to eat decent sized pellets. This weaning process works best in QT due to numerous feedings. They prefer a strong current and their food to be moving. I found the females to be much hardier than the males and the larger fish you can start with the better. With some work tukas aren't impossible and once on at least 1mm pellets will do fine on a single feeding per day. Hope this helps, good luck with them. They are really beautiful fish.

 

[KSzegi]

Thanks to both of you for the advice! I knew the food would have to be small but had hopes of them taking the cyclop-eeze, ova or oyster eggs, maybe at some point. I will get to finding some live brine shrimp today - and getting/hatching some out too. They are gorgeous fish and I would love nothing more than to be able to keep them successfully in the tank. I'm willing to make the effort so it is comforting to hear that at least you've had some success with them Brett. Thanks again for the help, really appreciate it.

 

[Aquaph8]

All three of those foods you listed are great things to try also, they should eat them in time.

 

[MIKE NY]

starting them out with small foods like those mentioned , NutrMar Ova, cyclopeez etc works for me....it usually takes from a couple of days to a week for some to start eating. Once eating feed a few times a day more if possible to get calories into them...once eating they can be weaned onto to larger foods such as brine and .5ml pellets. ...

Brett ..I have them again ...I finally found a large pair...the male is about4" and the female about 3". I have had them for about two months now and they are eating everything small, but the male is even attempting to eat full size PE mysis. He takes them, but sometimes spits them out..overall they are both doing well.....

 

[Aquaph8]

Thats great Mike, if he's taking them at all he'll come around. Im thinking of doing a larger group eventually and starting will all females. I would prefer to wait around on larger ones but I pretty much boycotted the LFS so I gotta mail order

 

[KSzegi]

Well, at least a positive sign ....last night they all ate up at least a little bit of the cyclop-eeze that was offered..... step in the right direction!

 

[MIKE NY]

good to hear...getting them to start eating at all is the hardest part. Once they start accepting larger foods then cut down the feedings because all those nutrants will play havoc with water quality.
good luck in your search Brett...it took me a few months to find them this large...

 

[KSzegi]

Well, I'm feeling optimistic! Only been 10 days so I know it's no where near a success story yet but definitely headed in the right direction. All 4 are still alive and 3 of them staying out and even 'begging' with the rest of the fish.... eating cyclop eeze, nutramar ova, golden pearls and even some of the small pieces of roggers seafood and my homemade seafood mix.

 

[SeahorseKeeper]

That's great news!!!!

 

[Mike&Terry]

That is awesome to hear!

 

[KSzegi]

That's great news!!!!

That is awesome to hear!

Thanks!! Hopefully I can post again in a month and cal it closer to success!!!

 

[KSzegi]

Well, it's been almost 6 months so thought I would update ..... I think I can tentatively call it a success! Of the four original fish I still have 3 doing well. The 4th one was the skinniest when they arrived and just never seemed to want to eat as well as the others and just never thrived. The other three are eating well and I have managed to decrease feedings to 2x/day with the occasional 3rd light feeding if all the fish beg hard enough..lol. And just this past week I have noticed that one is now making the change into a male ..... has lost the top stripe and is getting noticable yellow on the lower jaw and sharper/pointier through the mouth.

 

[peterthegamer]

Good to hear!

 

[Aquaph8]

3out of 4 is outstanding and is really a testament to your dedication with them. I would love to see some pics when you have time.

 

[MIKE NY]

very good to hear...I lost the female a couple of months ago, but I still have the male.

 

[KSzegi]

3out of 4 is outstanding and is really a testament to your dedication with them. I would love to see some pics when you have time.

Thanks! I will try to get some pics of them, they are the hardest fish I have to take pics of, never sit still for a moment! Only pics I have of them right now are partial tank shots that they just happen to be in the frame ....lol

very good to hear...I lost the female a couple of months ago, but I still have the male.

Thats a bummer, you gonna try again with some new ladies for him or is he destined to be a bachelor now?

 

[KSzegi]

 

[Cullyisgully]

sweet im in the same boat as you was, mine wont eat now I have to get live brinne shrimp ill keep you guys up to date. do you have any update on your purple queens