Is the Carberryi Anthias suitable for a beginner?

This species is better suited to an experienced aquarist. Care level is moderate, and it is often described as delicate, slow to settle and dependent on frequent daily feedings.

How many Carberryi Anthias should I keep together?

Keep a group weighted toward females and juveniles, typically one male with four to six females or juveniles, and expect to provide more than the 75-gallon minimum. Females can change sex if a male is needed.

What should I feed a newly introduced Carberryi Anthias?

Offer small live or enriched meaty foods such as mysis, brine shrimp, Cyclops, copepods and amphipods several times daily. Live food often helps a reluctant newcomer begin feeding, and flake food may be accepted later.

Carberryi Anthias

Nemanthias carberryi

Anthias Reef Safe Carnivore Shoaling Fish

Care Level

Moderate

Temperament

Peaceful

Reef Safe

Yes

Max Size

5 inches

Min Tank

75 gallons

Origin

Western Indian Ocean

Diet

Carnivore

Food

Enriched Mysis Shrimp, Enriched Brine Shrimp, Cyclops, Copepods, Amphipods, Small Marine Crustaceans, Marine Flake Food

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Nemanthias carberryi, also known as the Threadfin Anthias, is a slender, fusiform anthias from the tropical Western Indian Ocean, where it schools over outer reef slopes between roughly 4 and 30 meters, most often in the 10 to 30 meter band. Females wear blended shades of yellow, orange and pink, while dominant males develop a purplish head, a yellow upper body and violet washed through the dorsal fin. Documented maximum length is about 5 inches, making this one of the more manageable planktivorous anthias for a home reef.

Adult housing should begin at 75 gallons, with considerably more volume for a group, and the layout matters as much as the number on the tank. This species spends its day hovering and darting in open water, so a broad midwater corridor is essential, backed by live rock arranged with caves, cracks and crevices that offer immediate retreat. A tight-fitting lid or well-covered top is not optional, as Carberryi Anthias are documented jumpers and will leave an open aquarium.

Stability is the other half of the equation. Because this fish must be fed frequently, filtration and export capacity need to keep pace with a heavier feeding schedule without letting water quality drift. Care level is moderate, and several references describe the species as delicate and slow to settle, so a mature, established system with consistent parameters gives new arrivals the best chance of establishing a feeding routine.

In the wild this is a zooplankton feeder, picking small drifting crustaceans from the current above the reef, and aquarium profiles classify it broadly as a carnivore. Suitable captive fare consists of plankton-sized marine foods: enriched mysis shrimp, enriched brine shrimp, Cyclops, copepods, amphipods and other small crustaceans. Some individuals will eventually accept a high-quality flake food once they are settled, but meaty frozen and live items should remain the backbone of the diet.

Feed small portions several times per day rather than one large meal, since a fish built for continuous grazing on plankton loses condition quickly on sparse feedings. Newly introduced specimens deserve particular attention; live foods often improve acclimation success and can coax a reluctant newcomer into feeding. A refugium producing copepods and amphipods provides a steady trickle of natural prey between prepared feedings and takes pressure off timid individuals.

Enriched Mysis Shrimp Enriched Brine Shrimp Cyclops Copepods Amphipods Small Marine Crustaceans Marine Flake Food

Carberryi Anthias are active midwater fish that naturally occur in groups, and they show best when kept that way. Aquarium groups should be weighted toward females and juveniles, with only one male unless the system is exceptionally large; one male to four to six females or juveniles is a workable guideline. Females can change sex when a male is needed, so a group of juveniles will typically sort itself out. Social hierarchies can generate squabbling and feeding stress, especially in tight quarters, so provide plenty of rockwork retreats and watch that subordinate fish are getting their share at feeding time.

What aggression does occur is directed mainly at similar-looking fish and same-sex conspecifics rather than at unrelated tankmates. Calm, measured companions are the right choice; boisterous or genuinely aggressive species will outcompete these anthias at the food line and keep them hiding. This species is reef safe and is not documented as a threat to corals or sessile invertebrates, which makes it a natural fit for a well-stocked coral display where its constant midwater motion adds life above the rockwork.

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FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

About the Carberryi Anthias

Is the Carberryi Anthias suitable for a beginner?

This species is better suited to an experienced aquarist. Care level is moderate, and it is often described as delicate, slow to settle and dependent on frequent daily feedings.
How many Carberryi Anthias should I keep together?

Keep a group weighted toward females and juveniles, typically one male with four to six females or juveniles, and expect to provide more than the 75-gallon minimum. Females can change sex if a male is needed.
What should I feed a newly introduced Carberryi Anthias?

Offer small live or enriched meaty foods such as mysis, brine shrimp, Cyclops, copepods and amphipods several times daily. Live food often helps a reluctant newcomer begin feeding, and flake food may be accepted later.

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