Anthias for Sale: Best Anthias Species, Care Requirements, and Feeding Guide

Anthias for Sale: Best Anthias Species, Care Requirements, and Feeding Guide

If you have ever watched a reef documentary and wondered what those clouds of small, jewel-bright fish hovering over coral heads are, the answer is almost always anthias. They are the fish that make a reef look alive in a way that nothing else can match. A small group of anthias swimming in your tank does not just add color. It adds movement, depth, and a sense of the open ocean that transforms the whole display.

But here is what nobody tells you before you buy them: anthias are demanding fish. They are not for brand new tanks or hobbyists who feed once a day and walk away. Get their feeding and environment right, though, and they will reward you with years of stunning display.

What Makes Anthias Special?

Anthias belong to the family Serranidae and live in large, social groups on wild reefs. Most species are protogynous hermaphrodites, meaning all fish start as females and the dominant individual transitions into a male. Males are typically more colorful and larger than females. This biology makes them fascinating to observe in a reef setting.

They are reef-safe across the board. Anthias will not bother your corals or invertebrates. They are mid-water swimmers that prefer to hover and dart near rock structures rather than picking at the reef. In a large, mature reef system, a small harem group of one male and two to four females creates a behavior display that most hobbyists never forget.

Best Anthias Species at Dr. Reef’s Quarantined Fish

Dr. Reef’s carries 12 anthias species, ranging from beginner-friendly to rare collector grades. Here is the full lineup with current pricing from drreefsquarantinedfish.com:

• The Dispar Anthias ($59.99 to $80.99) and Ignitus Anthias ($59.99 to $80.99) are the most affordable options and are among the hardest anthias for hobbyists stepping into this group for the first time. The Stocky Anthias ($64.99 to $74.99) is another accessible entry point with a bold, compact build that stands out in a mixed reef.
• The Lyretail Anthias is the most iconic species in the hobby. Available as both Female ($79.99 to $91.99, rated 5 stars by Dr. Reef’s customers) and Male ($89.99 to $103.99), the Lyretail is the gold standard for reef color. Its vivid orange and pink tones under reef lighting are what most people imagine when they picture anthias in a tank.
• The Resplendent Anthias, also called the Tierra Anthias ($79.99 to $103.99), brings deep-water elegance with soft pinkish hues and flowing fins. The Carberryi Anthias ($89.99 to $103.99), Red Bar Anthias ($89.99 to $103.99, 5-star rated), and Squareback Anthias ($89.99 to $126.99) round out the mid-range options with outstanding color variety.
• For intermediate to advanced hobbyists, the Bartlett’s Anthias ($109.99 to $149.99) offers a beautiful pink and yellow color form that photographs brilliantly under blue reef lighting. The Bimac Anthias ($139.99 to $183.99) is a rare find with distinctive spot markings that set it apart from every other anthias in the hobby.
• At the top of the collection sits the Blotched Borbonius Anthias ($699.99 to $804.99), one of the rarest and most breathtaking deep-water anthias available anywhere. It is a serious collector fish and genuinely one of the most spectacular marine fish you can own.

Anthias Care Requirements

Anthias need a tank of at least 75 gallons for a small group. They prefer moderate to strong flow, open swimming space in the upper and middle water column, and plenty of live rock for shelter. Water quality must be pristine. Keep nitrates below 10 ppm and maintain stable temperature between 74 and 79 degrees Fahrenheit with salinity at 1.023 to 1.025.

Never keep a single anthias alone. They are social animals and solitary anthias will stop eating and decline rapidly. A harem group of one male with two to four females is the ideal setup. If you start with all females, the dominant fish will naturally transition to male.

Feeding Guide for Anthias

Feeding is where most hobbyists struggle with anthias, and it is the most important part of keeping them alive long-term. In the wild, anthias are zooplankton feeders that pick tiny food particles from the water column constantly throughout the day. You have to replicate that behavior in a tank.

Feed small amounts three to five times per day. This is not optional. Anthias have fast metabolisms and will waste away on once-daily feedings no matter how much you give them in one sitting. Frozen mysis shrimp is the single best food for most anthias species. Enriched brine shrimp, cyclopeeze, and small pellets are all excellent supplements.

A broadcast feeding approach works well. Squirt food directly into the current so particles float naturally through the water column. Anthias are instinctive drift feeders and this triggers their natural feeding response far more effectively than dropping food into still water.

Pellets and quality flake foods are valuable for convenience, especially during weekdays. Train your anthias to pellets early by mixing them in with frozen foods at every feeding. Once they are eating pellets consistently, maintaining them during shorter feeding windows becomes much more manageable.

Buying pre-quarantined anthias from Dr. Reef’s means your fish arrive already eating prepared foods. This is a significant advantage because newly imported anthias that have not been conditioned often refuse food entirely for the first week and sometimes longer, putting them at serious risk.

Why Buy From Dr. Reef’s Quarantined Fish?

Anthias are among the most vulnerable fish in the hobby when it comes to stress-related disease and shipping mortality. Their sensitivity to poor conditions means that buying from a source that cuts corners on health protocols is a recipe for heartbreak.

Dr. Reef’s puts every anthias through a full medical quarantine before it ships. The fish arrive treated, eating, and observed for health. Every order ships overnight via UPS, Tuesday through Thursday, for Wednesday through Friday delivery. Free shipping applies on orders above $500, and payments are accepted via PayPal, Stripe, and Venmo.

With 12 species available from $59.99 to $804.99 and a 24/7 email support team, Dr. Reef’s is the right place to start whether you are buying your first Lyretail Anthias or hunting down a Blotched Borbonius for a showpiece display tank.