Anthias just hiding....

[ca1ore]

I do think anthias call for QT probably more than just about any other group of fish. I recently bought a male Randall’s and it took close to two weeks alone in a tank for him to reliably venture out from behind the rocks. He’d have been a gonner for sure if I had put him straight into my competitve display.

 

[Hubtech]

Yeah. These were my first not simple fish. I feel bad for the losses but not necessarily at fault. What are my options now? I have a single female doing awesome just leave it as the only anthias?

 

[davocean]

FWIW, I stopped buying male anthias a long time ago. Far better, in my view to just buy females and let them 'decide'.

I've always done this as well, but I had once ordered a group of lyretails come from LA that were all pretty good sized females, too big IMO, and once had a submale that eventually grew to male and outcompeted the other.
Since then I've been getting one very large male and much smaller females, this seems to work best for me

 

[davocean]

Yeah. These were my first not simple fish. I feel bad for the losses but not necessarily at fault. What are my options now? I have a single female doing awesome just leave it as the only anthias?

If it's out and about and eating you probably could, it will most likely turn male eventually, but I've had this myself once after having other groups of lyres, and knowing the difference, it always seemed like my solo lyretail seemed lost.
I think they definitely do better or seem more natural in a group, and I think you get more enjoyment out of a group.

Personally I would let that one be, take your time, get a qt going, order small females later down the road