Purple queen anthias

[Acronuts]

Hello everyone,
I am interested in keeping a small harem of these gorgeous fish.
I know very little about them and want to find out as much as I can.
How many I can keep in a 180g reef tank?
Besides mysid shrimp what else will they need to eat?
Is there an area that these fish come from that are healthier than others?
Will they fight any exsisting anthias in the aquarium?
Are they ok with the brighter metal halides than lets say t-5's?
Thanks in advance!

 

[CaptainAhab]

Depending on what else is in there.. well... lots...

Gr8 schoolers

 

[ccCapt]

They are very, very hard to get to eat. Probably 1 of the hardest, if not THE hardest anthias to keep.
Much better choices are lyretails or bartletts, both of which are easy to get eating and easy to keep.

 

[melosu58]

I have the bartlets and they are much easier.

 

[pat8you]

Very active fish. Especially the male of the group which will constantly move between females. Optimal is feeding them multiple times a day. This may be to much nutrient input depending on your system. Some people have been fine feeding them less. Will have to let the people with more experience with them chime in on that.

I believe they eat most meaty foods as long as they are in small enough pieces for them to eat. May have to start with some thing they will eat and slowly mix in other foods with that to get them to transition to the new food.

 

[Acronuts]

I have a bartlett. I started with three total and one has survived and doing well. Most people say that the purple anthias should be kept in the ocean because they are just too difficult to keep.
I just wonder at what point in the hobby did they try. Was it early or was it after they had plenty more experience?