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Suggested Tank
50+ gallons
Max Size
2.8 inches
Difficulty
Temperament
Description
A small, jewel-toned deepwater anthias: males show magenta-to-lavender bodies with yellow saddles and elongated, streaming ventral and dorsal fins, while females are pinkish-yellow with less finnage. Peaceful and somewhat shy, it does best in a dimly lit, mature reef tank with abundant caves, overhangs and rockwork under drop-off-style aquascaping, ideally as the first or only mid-water fish so it settles and feeds. It is fully reef and invertebrate safe but needs frequent small feedings of meaty zooplankton-type foods, calm tankmates, and a covered tank; keep singly or as one male with several females.
Reef Safe
Yes
Environment
The Ventralis Anthias needs a well-established tank with plenty of hiding places and open swimming space. It prefers a brightly lit tank with moderate to strong water movement.
Behavior
This species is known for its active behavior. It is a schooling fish and prefers to be kept in groups of one male to several females. If kept alone, the Ventralis Anthias may become stressed and its health could suffer.
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Owner Reviews
Rahul
@rsx
Amazing fish. Stunning, like little colorful gems swimming in the tank! Requires expert level care as they have fast metabolisms (as do most anthias) - what that means is, they require a good 3-5x feedings per day to thrive! They feed in the water column as they flit about catching their food. The have high oxygen demands, so keep your water quality top notch, and a bubbler in QT wouldn't hurt either.
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Ventralis Anthias
Pseudanthias ventralis
