Anthias- Hard to keep?

[N11morales]

I’ve been trying to find more information on anthias. I wanted to add a bit more fish to my tank so was curious what’s the requirements for anthias? Are they hard to get to eat? How often do you have to feed them?

Currently have: 2 clowns, melanurus wrasse, orange back fairy wrasse, blue throat fairy wrasse, Tomini tang, scopas tang, pink watchman goby, and bicolor blenny.

What’s the easiest type of anthias to keep? And minimum requirements to keep one happy and healthy?

 

[ryanjohn1]

Blue eye anthias. Easy peezy. Although with the wrasse you have they may get aggressive towards it. Mine eats 3 times a day. 2 pellets via auto feeder. 1 frozen

 

[N11morales]

Blue eye anthias. Easy peezy. Although with the wrasse you have they may get aggressive towards it. Mine eats 3 times a day. 2 pellets via auto feeder. 1 frozen

Awe man I didn’t even think about that. The wrasse seem all chill with each other. Little chasing once in a while but nothing crazy.

Will they not get along with anthias?

 

[Uncle99]

I’ve been trying to find more information on anthias. I wanted to add a bit more fish to my tank so was curious what’s the requirements for anthias? Are they hard to get to eat? How often do you have to feed them?

Currently have: 2 clowns, melanurus wrasse, orange back fairy wrasse, blue throat fairy wrasse, Tomini tang, scopas tang, pink watchman goby, and bicolor blenny.

What’s the easiest type of anthias to keep? And minimum requirements to keep one happy and healthy?

Simple Blue Eye Anthais.
No special treatment at all.
Maybe three in 40g.
They bullied by nobody. Very fast. Need a lid.

Always get all females, then, you see one change from orange, to reddish.

 

[Baronen]

I’ve only kept two. Sunburst and blotchy because I like that shape and blotchy is way easier

 

[N11morales]

Simple Blue Eye Anthais.
No special treatment at all.
Maybe three in 40g.

Always get all females, then, you see one change from orange, to reddish.

My tank is 80G display so I was thinking 2-3. But didn’t want to add too many. No issues with nutrients or anything in my tank. So figured 3 would be okay but after thought. Idk if my wrasses will go after them?

How often do u feed?

 

[N11morales]

I’ve only kept two. Sunburst and blotchy because I like that shape and blotchy is way easier

Very nice anthias! I think those grow a little bigger than the blue eye?

 

[Uncle99]

My tank is 80G display so I was thinking 2-3. But didn’t want to add too many. No issues with nutrients or anything in my tank. So figured 3 would be okay but after thought. Idk if my wrasses will go after them?

How often do u feed?

Mine are 3 years old and get zero special treatment.
They eat twice a day with every one else, not overly picky, mysis, krill, brine, reef frenzy.

I have no wrasse, just tangs, clowns, chromis, dottyback and mandarin. No issues. Mine run from nobody.

 

[N11morales]

Mine are 3 years old and get zero special treatment.
They eat twice a day with every one else, not overly picky, mysis, krill, brine, reef frenzy.

Okay awesome. I can manage that. Did u add all 3 at once?

Do they need to be different sizes or should I add one at a time?

 

[Uncle99]

Okay awesome. I can manage that. Did u add all 3 at once?

Do they need to be different sizes or should I add one at a time?

I did 5, at once, small ones, maybe 1.5”, in 180g. In the first 6 months, one jumped, one got beaten up, left 3, one then turned to male.

Not abnormal behaviour.

Since then, all peaceful.
Clearly a family.

Good luck.

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

Simple Blue Eye Anthais.
No special treatment at all.
Maybe three in 40g.
They bullied by nobody. Very fast. Need a lid.

Always get all females, then, you see one change from orange, to reddish.

Sorry but calling lyretail anthias anything other than lyretail anthias dosent sit right with me

 

[Uncle99]

Sorry but calling lyretail anthias anything other than lyretail anthias dosent sit right with me

Very correct.
I’m not good with names.
Been years since I got them.
most common anthais by far in my area.
Can’t name most of what’s in my system.
But the pic should suffice.

 

[i cant think]

Blue eye anthias. Easy peezy. Although with the wrasse you have they may get aggressive towards it. Mine eats 3 times a day. 2 pellets via auto feeder. 1 frozen

If anything, the anthias is more likely to go for the wrasses. The wrasses generally won’t care about other fish except other wrasses.

Anthias are difficult as they are susceptible to Uronema and Bacterial Infections and also need feeding 3-4 times every day.

 

[ryanjohn1]

If anything, the anthias is more likely to go for the wrasses. The wrasses generally won’t care about other fish except other wrasses.

Anthias are difficult as they are susceptible to Uronema and Bacterial Infections and also need feeding 3-4 times every day.

I’ve watched my 6line bully my blue eyes.

 

[i cant think]

I’ve watched my 6line bully my blue eyes.

Thats 6 lines unfortunately, nasty fish.

 

[Doctorgori]

I know Lyretails are Easy after all the murders stop

 

[ca1ore]

No anthias is easy. Some are just easier than others. Keeping a single is generally met with greater success than trying to keep a group. No matter how many you buy, eventually you’ll end up with just one. You can mix species. I have a single lyretail and bimac in my 120. Thinking about adding a single Bartlett. I started out with 5 lyretails six years ago, now down to one.

 

[BeanAnimal]

No anthias is easy. Some are just easier than others. Keeping a single is generally met with greater success than trying to keep a group. No matter how many you buy, eventually you’ll end up with just one. You can mix species. I have a single lyretail and bimac in my 120. Thinking about adding a single Bartlett. I started out with 5 lyretails six years ago, now down to one.

I think that is the general trajectory that most people experience.

 

[mrpontiac80]

From my research, lyretail anthias added with chromis are a good combo because both species will kick out the weaker of the group as time goes on. So if you add multiple you may end up with one or two. Seems that when one species start to pick on their own kind, the other species may join in, but that’s when the group team up again and the fighting stops. Basically “ we can pick on each other but you can’t” kind of attitude.

Problem is that both are susceptible to uronema and because of that I decided to buy mine pre quarantined through Fish Hotel. Disclaimer: when he treats them it is essentially just a longer or multiple baths in formalin or whatever he uses followed by extra observation period.

I added 3 of each although I would have loved to add more but my wallet said no thanks. Both groups are a great addition as they add open water swimming and action to the tank. I did add auto feeder to feed multiple times per day.
Also get small females as one will transition to male pretty quickly in my opinion.

 

[ca1ore]

FWIW, with lyretails, I have not found female-to-male to be inevitable. Mine remains female. I have also found that females that transition to males in a tank lack the full coloration of wild caught males. This is also true for bimacs, Bartlett and squares. Resplendent are the only others I have successfully kept, and male coloration isn’t all that different than female.