Anthias always hiding

nsuderman · Feb 25, 2020

So this is my first time posting a fish question. 2 months ago I decided I wanted to add a school of anthias to my tank. I settled on lyretails because I love the look of the male. I already have a fair number of fish. 2 yellow tangs 1 hippo tang 1 percula clown 3 tomato clowns 1 pseudochromis 7 green chromis 1 lawnmower blenny 1 watchman goby 1 sandsifting goby 1 mandarin dragonette 1 flame angel. I wanted the school of anthias to add color as a school in the open water column. Because the other fish were all established I added the 8 female anthias late at night in the end of the tank not regularly used by the other fish, they all immediately hid and i went to bed. It's now been two months and my 8 anthias have dwindled to 5, I have never seen any casualties and they do not seem aggressive towards each other but all of them hide in the rocks all the time except for feeding. I have been feeding them separately both with dry flake during the day and then frozen mysis at night when I feed everyone else. Do I stop and force them to mingle? Will it take more time for them to form a school? Will they never be a free swimming fish group?
The tank is custom 300g octagon wraparound, such that one side of the tank cannot see the other.

will25u · Feb 25, 2020

I have nothing to offer regarding your Anthias, but your tank is amazing.

Haydn · Feb 26, 2020

My guess is they are being stressed by one or more of your existing fish. Tomato clowns can be aggressive, you don't say which pseudochromis it is, some species can be aggressive, how large is the hippo tang it can stress anthias out just by dashing about. It could also be inter group aggression whilst they sort out the hierarchy.

Also I have found once they have settled Lyretailed anthias rarely school and spend most of their time separate and swimming round the whole tank.

Jase4224 · Feb 27, 2020

I purchased a trio of dispar anthias and it took about two months before they came out for anything other than food. Eventually the three of them would hang out. I’m down to one due to one smashing itself on a rock when I spooked them and another being bullied by a fairy wrasse. The only on I have left is the smallest but has always been the boldest by far. Good luck, they can be delicate. I would recommend you feed three times a day if possible and try the Ocean Nutrition Prime reef flakes.

Slicktop · Feb 27, 2020

I have had 2 for 4 years and they rarely come except to eat... disappointed in their tank habits

Leslie Tabor · Feb 27, 2020

That does seem strange. My lyretails were king and queen of the tank...unless my midas blenny was out and about! I have heard numerous stories that "schools" just don't happen in tanks. They will generally pick each other off until there is a male and a female. I had a trio but they killed the smallest one off very early on.

If they are very small, they may be scared by the other fish. Definitely keep feeding them multiple meals. I also have/had aggression issues with a few fish. I never saw it either. It is really frustrating.