Anthias in a 90 g. Can you have 2 types

MCooper · Jul 9, 2016

I was hoping to get 3 sunburst fathead anthias together and also 3 lyretail anthias together , but at different times as they cannot all go in my QT together. Is this something that can be done or you can only have 1 type in a tank?

M&M · Jul 9, 2016

Sunburst are delicate and shy most of the time, lyretail are somewhat aggressive, I would not mix those two in 90 gal, instead of lyretails I would get either sunset anthias or resplendent anthias, as those are more peaceful and would not chase fatheads. Another thing is that most of fatheads doing better as one fish in a tank then group, unless you have true pair. I started with trio of fathead anthias, they were fine for a while until true pair killed the third one. This was in bigger tank than yours. Now as a pair they coexist peacefully.

Vaughn17 · Jul 9, 2016

I was sold a pair of sunburst that were not really a pair and the bigger one continually picked on the smaller one until it died (after about 6 months). I have ventrilis now and find them much easier to feed (male is a hog) and not as shy as the sunburst.

MCooper · Jul 10, 2016

I am really in love with the lyretail , but will check out all the other types and research each option. Thanks

shadow1013 · Jul 10, 2016

We just got barlett anithias and I plan on adding a fathead when I get a chance.

Marquiseo · Jul 10, 2016

DrCooper said:
I was hoping to get 3 sunburst fathead anthias together and also 3 lyretail anthias together , but at different times as they cannot all go in my QT together. Is this something that can be done or you can only have 1 type in a tank?

You can mix other species in as well to curb aggression on a single fish. Sunset, Randalls, Ignitus, Threadfin are good choices.

mfinn · Jul 10, 2016

I have 5 Lyretails and 3 much smaller Ignitus in my 240.
The Ignitus seem to stay in a group at one end of the tank. The Lyretails ignore them for now.

Leslie Tabor · Jul 10, 2016

My lyretails are beautiful but my male is in a constant battle with my overly assertive midas blenny. They are spunky little s**t heads. The male lyretail also constantly picks at the female. If you want a more peaceful tank, maybe reconsider.

MCooper · Jul 10, 2016

Picked up a trio of Lyretails had my eye on. Hopefully they will do well together in QT. Stay tuned

eatbreakfast · Jul 11, 2016

Bartletts mix well with lyretails.

I would recommend against a trio of sunburst and just get one. It will be much more demure than the lyretails.

MCooper · Jul 11, 2016

eatbreakfast said:
Bartletts mix well with lyretails.

I would recommend against a trio of sunburst and just get one. It will be much more demure than the lyretails.

Thanks! I have the trio of Lyretails and down the road will likely add one Sunburst

pga7602 · Jul 11, 2016

I would second the option of barletts and lyretails. This is the combination we have in our 130 gallon.

MCooper · Jul 12, 2016

Sadly 1 of the 3 died while I was at work and another one seems to be on the outs breathing very heavy and leaning towards the side. So upsetting to watch honestly. Will see how the night goes then reassess everything.
If 2 of the 3 pass away, can you add 2 new ones and hope they all can get along?

shadow1013 · Jul 12, 2016

We got three and one died within 48 hours. Then we bought two more at the store and they are doing great. But we got them from the same store and they had like 12-18 at one point so they were all use to each other.

eatbreakfast · Jul 12, 2016

DrCooper said:
Sadly 1 of the 3 died while I was at work and another one seems to be on the outs breathing very heavy and leaning towards the side. So upsetting to watch honestly. Will see how the night goes then reassess everything.
If 2 of the 3 pass away, can you add 2 new ones and hope they all can get along?

You can. Whenever adding new anthias, especially feisty species such as lyretails, I prefer to add more than are already in the tank. In this case 2:1, you should be fine. Though, I would try to pinpoint the cause, as lyretails are usually pretty hardy.

MCooper · Jul 13, 2016

eatbreakfast said:
You can. Whenever adding new anthias, especially feisty species such as lyretails, I prefer to add more than are already in the tank. In this case 2:1, you should be fine. Though, I would try to pinpoint the cause, as lyretails are usually pretty hardy.

Did a water change this am and will test everything later on after work.

MCooper · Jul 14, 2016

Well something must have been wrong with the 3 anthias I picked up. The last one died overnight. The worst part is I added 1 more yesterday to keep that guy company, so now I have 1 lonely anthia in my qt. The other fish are all doing great so time will tell.
Big Question is: Will this 1 anthia be okay to have a few others added with him down the road?

eatbreakfast · Jul 14, 2016

DrCooper said:
Well something must have been wrong with the 3 anthias I picked up. The last one died overnight. The worst part is I added 1 more yesterday to keep that guy company, so now I have 1 lonely anthia in my qt. The other fish are all doing great so time will tell.
Big Question is: Will this 1 anthia be okay to have a few others added with him down the road?

Yes, it will be fine with others added, but figuring out what went wrong is paramount.