Barlett's Anthias -- do they fight each other?

125mph · Jun 6, 2017

I want to pick up 4-5 anthias... I just saw some barlett's at a LFS and they seem pretty.. but I read lots of peoples experience is that they pick each other off until only 1 is left.. then how are people keeping them in their tanks?

Are barletts a bad choice? I feed 2 times a day.

I could try carberryi's.

ca1ore · Jun 6, 2017

Bartletts can be very 'chippy' and have this tendency to all turn male. I've kept groups before, but only when there is a lot of space.

125mph · Jun 6, 2017

How about in a 180G?... Will they all turn male with that size? Will they fight with my other fish?

I have a regal tang, purple tang, clowns, regal angel, and potters.. probably will get a few more too.

eatbreakfast · Jun 7, 2017

125mph said:
How about in a 180G?... Will they all turn male with that size? Will they fight with my other fish?

I have a regal tang, purple tang, clowns, regal angel, and potters.. probably will get a few more too.

Very likely, yes, they will all turn male.

High, high flow, frequent feedings and space help them coexist.

Carberryi are significantly more peaceful.

mort · Jun 7, 2017

I kept 30 bartletts for a year in a 6x2x2 shop display tank (as fa as i know they are mostly still going all together in an 8ft). One was male to begin with and two turned male in the year. I didn't have any real aggression from them but they were fed ten or so times a day. Only one was lost and that was because it jumped. So cramming them in definitely helps but isn't the greatest option.
carberry would be easier but I'd also consider disbar.

125mph · Jun 7, 2017

magictalk said:
I have posted this in other threads.
The Bartletts will not survive over time in your 180 so please save yourself some time and money and do this instead. For over thirty years I have kept many types of Anthias in many different tanks. Some mixed group types, some single groups, in mixed reefs with other fish and anthias only reefs. Some things I have learned the hard way but can save you time and money are listed below:

Lyretail are the hardest but also one of the most aggressive.
Bartlett are the most attractive in a group but fight amongst themselves and isolate the weaker, one at a time and starve them until you eventually over time only have one Bartlett standing.
In the end, in a display tank of less than 300 gallons, your best bet is to get 6 smaller lyretail females and let them figure it out for themselves. In my current tank, two changed to male after a few months. The larger male is the dominant one and the slightly smaller male stays out of his way. They all seem to fight at first but the dominant male controls the females, chase them but does not isolate or kill them. It seems to be a working situation which is the only permanent one I have found.
I'm sure some will not agree with this but all I can tell you is this is what I have found after trying different combinations over time.

Thank you! I will avoid the barletts.. How about carberryi in my 180? They look pretty too.