Insight on Anthias ownership?

[kopaczjm]

I've very hesitant to add any new fish to my tank. i have a 90 gallon with a sailfin tang (i know its a bit big, but he's the only tang) 2 chromis and a lawnmower blenny. i know at some point i'm going to have to make up my mind on which pair of clowns i'll add. aside from that and maybe a scooter blenny, i've seen some really great tanks with a single anthias and groups in larger tanks. being that i'm still pretty new to the hobby and my tank size i would obviously try with a single fish. i do have plans to have a few corals in the tank. only have a handful of kenya trees and mushrooms in there so far. i've read some very basic info on anthias care, but am wondering if theres anything further that experience has taught you?
here's what i got:
-they are jumpers
-high metabolism, need to be fed multiple times/day. (my first thought was incorporating an autofeeder)
-one per tank unless you do one male and a few females. blue zoo recommended as many as 8:1 F:M.
-reef safe
-adds great color and movement to your tank!

 

[phillrodrigo]

The most common thing I have seen is they need to be fed a minimum of 3 times a day.

 

[jdl513]

Anthias are hermaphroditic.
Ideally I would get three females and wait for one to turn.

Bartlett's are fairly easy to keep in a well fed reef.
Problem I ran into was over time the females all gradually began changing to male and fighting.
Long term I would not get more than three unless I had a very large display with room for multiple territories.

I figure there are other hardy species out there that don't get as aggressive.
Just not sure which one is the best.

 

[kopaczjm]

Would there be any issues buying a single male for a 90 gallon tank? i'd love to do a small group, but like you said if more than one turns male then we have issues...

 

[180galreef]

Just fyi mine get fed once a day just like everyone else in the tank.

 

[gregoryleonard]

Just fyi mine get fed once a day just like everyone else in the tank.

+1. I have 7 Anthias in my 125 DT along with a purple tang, Blue Hippo tang, six line wrasse, coral Beauty angel, cinnamon clown, and blue & pink spot goby and feed them 1 x per day and sometimes every other day.

 

[MattL22]

I think multiple feedings r great and necessary when new anthais getting used to tank but once settled I've had luck feeding 1-2 times a day

 

[kopaczjm]

I think multiple feedings r great and necessary when new anthais getting used to tank but once settled I've had luck feeding 1-2 times a day

+1. I have 7 Anthias in my 125 DT along with a purple tang, Blue Hippo tang, six line wrasse, coral Beauty angel, cinnamon clown, and blue & pink spot goby and feed them 1 x per day and sometimes every other day.

Just fyi mine get fed once a day just like everyone else in the tank.

cool to hear they are a little more flexible than what the reading says. after som thought on what i'd like to have in my tank, the idea of a few anthias is becoming more and more attractive. I'll be heading to a store in plymouth MN called New Wave Aquaria sometime after christmas and will probably have them place my order. i'll try and do some more reading on keeping a small group like that. Are they similar to clowns where the females will fight and the dominant will become male? so to help the process, buy one larger female and two smaller females and hope for the best?

side note: if anyone is in the area, Jen runs New Wave and its probably the best aquatic store in the twin cities area. she has great stock, at good prices, a huge coral display that runs inline with her frag tank. you can tell her the puffer and tusk guys sent you!

 

[ChristopherKriens]

New Wave regularly stocks Lyretail Anthias. There was a Purple Queen there yesterday

 

[Derek'sReef]

I dont want to jack your thread put this might help. What if you get a single male for the 90 and then if you get a bigger tank. Like a 180. Then add a group of females. 3-5. Does anybody see any problems with this plan. (I have a 90 now, and want some anthias, maybe lyretail, and i have a 180 that im going to set up and was wanting to do it like this, will it be ok)

 

[kopaczjm]

New Wave regularly stocks Lyretail Anthias. There was a Purple Queen there yesterday

yep new wave is awesome. i'm constructing lids right now for my tank. water parameters have been good for a few weeks. i did just add a DIY home made PVC media reactor that i'm filtering carbon through. so everything is looking up towards adding some nice livestock first thing in january. If i'm brave enough i'll do 3 female lyrerails. have also found recent interest in a leopard wrasse. any reasons i shouldn't add one when i add the anthias? i know its hard on the system to add a lot of fish at the same time. i usually try to avoid it as much possible, but some of the sales that will be taking place in januray make it hard to wait! any incompatibility issues though?

 

[kopaczjm]

I dont want to jack your thread put this might help. What if you get a single male for the 90 and then if you get a bigger tank. Like a 180. Then add a group of females. 3-5. Does anybody see any problems with this plan. (I have a 90 now, and want some anthias, maybe lyretail, and i have a 180 that im going to set up and was wanting to do it like this, will it be ok)

you could definitely do that. thats the much more obvious/safe way. from what i've been reading if i do decide to risk it and pick up three females eventually one will turn into a male. at that point i'd have to monitor aggression issues very closely. if he's an issue i've already got it worked out that he would be rehomed into one of my buddies tank. rinse and repeat if the another female turns. its one of those situations where theres enough information against it, but its not like adding an eel to a seahorse tank. haven't made my final decision yet, but we'll see. going with a single now and getting more later is the sensible way to approach that if you know you're going to be getting a bigger tank.

 

[Derek'sReef]

Yeah that what i wanna do. I have a 180g sitting on the floor in my bedroom and i plan on setting it up soon. Especially because my wife jus suprised me with a powder brown tang for x-mas

 

[kopaczjm]

Yeah that what i wanna do. I have a 180g sitting on the floor in my bedroom and i plan on setting it up soon. Especially because my wife jus suprised me with a powder brown tang for x-mas

thats awesome! my girlfriend is still adjusting to having a 90 in our living room. she was ok with the 55 gallon. the 90 was a big step. large tank. has a huge canopy. its a little more noisy with the sump and overflow vs. the canister i ran on the 55. it was cichlid tank. right now i have a sailfin, 2 chromis, lawnmower blenny, 80ish snails, 10 hermits, and an emerald. the point of the anthias is to add some color and add some activity to the tank

 

[Derek'sReef]

I had a 55g for a year and then i found a 90g at a yard sale for $20. It didnt hold water. 8 have sealed tanks before (small ones) so i tried, it then when we set it up in the living room my wife thought it was big too. 5 months later i found a 180g drilled with all the plumbing for $250 so i jumped on it. I told my wife i will take my time and set it up slowly. Buy things over time. Well she likes to go buy me fish. Like fathers day she bought a coral beauty. I was scared to death it was gonna eat my coral. I have like 60 now. But it didnt. Well when she bought the tang i said he needs a bigger tank now we have to set up the 180.:xd:

 

[Derek'sReef]

Im gonna call it. Tax time 180g build.

 

[ChristopherKriens]

yep new wave is awesome. i'm constructing lids right now for my tank. water parameters have been good for a few weeks. i did just add a DIY home made PVC media reactor that i'm filtering carbon through. so everything is looking up towards adding some nice livestock first thing in january. If i'm brave enough i'll do 3 female lyrerails. have also found recent interest in a leopard wrasse. any reasons i shouldn't add one when i add the anthias? i know its hard on the system to add a lot of fish at the same time. i usually try to avoid it as much possible, but some of the sales that will be taking place in januray make it hard to wait! any incompatibility issues though?

I keep both, no issues between anthias and leopard wrasse.

 

[kopaczjm]

Im gonna call it. Tax time 180g build.

bahaha i love it.

I keep both, no issues between anthias and leopard wrasse.

perfect. i didn't foresee anything but these are two fish i haven't seen a ton of but look great in a simple reef tank. very excited to add some new friends to the tank!

 

[Eienna]

Not all anthias are created equal. Some, such as the huchtii, are conspecific-aggressive. Lyretails seem to hit the middle somewhere in terms of aggression; groups will often slowly kill each other off. Bartletts and Lyretails seem to be the hardiest.

When they say jumpers, it's kind of an understatement. These things can VAULT. Cover your acclimation bucket!!!

 

[ws6kid]

If you buy a single male and have him alone long term, I wouldn't be surprised if he changes semi back to female a loses color. I have 2, and the male is nearly orange again.