Help! Anthias serial killer!

[mattsilvester]

Hi Folks,

I have 5 (had 6) Lyretail Anthias in Q-tine in a 48”x18”x21” tank. One died yesterday, after getting quite a beating from the others. I suspected that maybe she had been injured, the others saw a weakness, and murdered her………

I went home for lunch a while ago, and another one is missing – hiding, and looking quite beaten up. The other 4 are happily swimming around, and there is no signs of aggression at all. I suspect that by the end of the day, she’ll be dead also.

What can I do……. Has anyone heard of this behaviour before? They have been in q-tine for 3 weeks now.

Thanks,

Matt

[Big Boy69]

Why can't we just get along?

[_FishFreak_724]

How big is your quarintine ?? With limited space that is most likely the cause .... and if its been 3 weeks already the should be ready for your show tank ....

Another possible reason is difference in size, are some smaller that others ? , are the smaller ones being murdered ??

Over all your best bet would be to put them in your main tank for more room to minimize fighting.

Hope I Helped !!

[mattsilvester]

Thanks fish freak -

I sort of have a problem because my main tank had an ich outbreak, so I have to wait 30 days..... I am about 20 days now....

[darkcirca]

That really sucks. Do you have just one male in there, or did you purchase all females? Maybe something went wrong if some were trying to switch already?

I have 3 lyretails in my tank, one is retarded and hides all day, she doesn't even swim, but she's been alive for a month, so I have no clue. Hopefully yours at least swim around your tank when they get in!

[mattsilvester]

yep - it sucks alright.

Bought a male and 5 females...... they were getting on great until yesterday...... guess the confines of 75 gal is finalyl getting to them!

they were of different sizes..... the first one to get hammered (that died) was a medium sized one...... this is a smaller one, but not smallest - now the male, two biggest females, and smallest female are ok.......

at this stage I am expecting teh latest victim to be dead by tonight, and the next dead by morning! It doesn't seem to be the male though..... in fact I have not seen anything fighting...... seems to happen at night maybe?

cheers,

Matt

[Palani]

Maybe you should feed them more. I mean they are anthias and they have been documented to eat zooplankton 40-50 times in ONE minute! Right now they are just fighting for food and the weakest ones are the ones who starve and die. This is such an overlooked solution to planktivors. Just keep an eye out for nitrates. Good Luck.

[CarlC]

I think you need to take a really close look at your biggest female. Look for even the slightest indications of sex change.

Two things I have noticed when some Pseudanthias are changing-

1. Dispar, tuka, and cheirospilos(imported and sold as lyretail)females get very beligerant when changing. Violent fights are common and usually the smallest fish gets the most attention by the changing female. Maybe the changing female is using this as training so she can be prepared to fight a true male?

2. In these same three species the known male doesn't really bother with the chaging female except for normal chasing and the changing female keeps her distance from the known male until she is very far along with the change. Once the change is far along the male will start problems with the reverting female.

Just my obervations from a friends fish and my fish.

Carl

[mattsilvester]

Thanks guys,

well I fed them well today at lunch time, and I fed them well when I can in an hour ago..... and the "injured" female seems alot better......

Carl..... one of the females does like a bit nicer than others........

[kevin2000]

A 55 gallon tank s/b adequate for Qting those fish .. make sure they have plenty of places to hide .. lots of pvc pipe should suffice.

If your QTing because these fish had a disease issue (ich etc) then placing them back into your show tank before the show tank has been cleared of the problem will often result in a re-emergence of the same problem. 3 weeks in not sufficient time to QT if you know you have a disease issue.

[mattsilvester]

kevin,

that is my fear! I could save my "injured" anthias, but stand to loose the rest if we have to go through the whole thing again.......

cheers,

Matt