Easiest Anthias

Brew12 · Apr 17, 2017

I'm looking to add 3 or 5 Anthias to my 125g system. Any thoughts on which ones the easiest to are for would be?

mfinn · Apr 17, 2017

I think I read Lyretails were.
That's what I started with.

Brew12 · Apr 17, 2017

mfinn said:
I think I read Lyretails were.
That's what I started with.

I am definitely considering those. Also looking at Bartlett and Carberryi Anthias. They are all just so beautiful.

ngoodermuth · Apr 17, 2017

Dispar are relatively hardy and peaceful

Peter Blue Reef · Apr 17, 2017

Add one by one. They are afraid of their own shadows and will hide out for a week or two before feeling comfortable. When they come out and feel good about their new home they act like community organizers.

ksfulk · Apr 17, 2017

I've had dozens and dozens over the years of all kinds, here's some notes on different species:

Lyretails have that brilliant orange that is just gorgeous and hard to compete with. I've never had an issue with getting lyretails to eat and they've not been skittish or shy at all. Lyretails have a tendency to be some of the most aggressive anthias species. Had everything from singles to groups of 3, 5, & 9. If kept in singles the male will dull out to a brown orange color.. my current one is still barely colored up after six months with some females.
Bartlett's are a nice elongated type anthias that have a nice contrast in body color. Like the lyretails, I've not had issues with them eating at all AND they can be at the higher end of the aggressive spectrum. That said its seems like the aggression with bartlett's is generally limited to similar body style anthias (Carberryi, dispar, evansi, sunset). Had trios for years without issue.
Carberryi are hands down my favorite in personality. I had a trio about three years ago, and had one die shortly after getting them. I still have the original pair and they are super mellow and rather than the aggressive nature of some species they just swim with one another and hang out in the current. Highly recommend - the color contrast isn't as great as a resplendent or an evansi, but still a beautiful fish.
Dispar and Ignitus I have a hard time telling apart when I had them together. They ate ok but seemed prone to bacterial infections - at least moreso than the others I've had.
Resplendents and evansi that I've had have always been on the shy side. I've had trouble getting them through QT and eating anything but live foods as well. The colors are ridiculous though. If you can get your hands on a good specimen, run with them.
Purple Queens are divas and really hard to keep, so Id stay away from them. Never had much long term success with them.

Similar species can be mixed together without issue, so you can have two groups of three without much issue. I have a trio of lyretails, a pair of carberryi and single bartlett currently with little issue. They eat frozen, pellet and live once a day and have no issues at all. If it was my call, I'd go a trio of carberryi and a trio of bartletts. :)

Salty1962 · Apr 18, 2017

I recently added a Bimaculatus Anthia and she's already king over my wrasses, Ha!

eatbreakfast · Apr 18, 2017

Lyretails and bartletts are among the hardiest anthias species, but also among the most aggressive.

I have found dispars and randalls to be quite hardy, but not nearly as aggressive.

If you can find P. mortoni, it has the characteristics of a squamipinnis, but with a purple base. It goes back and forth as to whether it is it's own species and subspecies.

Fishfinder · Apr 18, 2017

All of them except my lyretail evidently. My female is awesome

Maritimer · Apr 18, 2017

I've got a brace of Bartlett's (I suspect both males, which seems to be common with this species - reportedly, all turn male - but they do tolerate one another, and interact with a delightful flashiness), and I've found that they're also rather pushy with flasher wrasses. I'd be wary of them with smaller, redder/pinker fairies as well, such as pintails . . .

~Bruce

Brew12 · Apr 18, 2017

ksfulk said:
I've had dozens and dozens over the years of all kinds, here's some notes on different species:

Lyretails have that brilliant orange that is just gorgeous and hard to compete with. I've never had an issue with getting lyretails to eat and they've not been skittish or shy at all. Lyretails have a tendency to be some of the most aggressive anthias species. Had everything from singles to groups of 3, 5, & 9. If kept in singles the male will dull out to a brown orange color.. my current one is still barely colored up after six months with some females.

Bartlett's are a nice elongated type anthias that have a nice contrast in body color. Like the lyretails, I've not had issues with them eating at all AND they can be at the higher end of the aggressive spectrum. That said its seems like the aggression with bartlett's is generally limited to similar body style anthias (Carberryi, dispar, evansi, sunset). Had trios for years without issue.

Carberryi are hands down my favorite in personality. I had a trio about three years ago, and had one die shortly after getting them. I still have the original pair and they are super mellow and rather than the aggressive nature of some species they just swim with one another and hang out in the current. Highly recommend - the color contrast isn't as great as a resplendent or an evansi, but still a beautiful fish.

Dispar and Ignitus I have a hard time telling apart when I had them together. They ate ok but seemed prone to bacterial infections - at least moreso than the others I've had.

Resplendents and evansi that I've had have always been on the shy side. I've had trouble getting them through QT and eating anything but live foods as well. The colors are ridiculous though. If you can get your hands on a good specimen, run with them.

Purple Queens are divas and really hard to keep, so Id stay away from them. Never had much long term success with them.

Similar species can be mixed together without issue, so you can have two groups of three without much issue. I have a trio of lyretails, a pair of carberryi and single bartlett currently with little issue. They eat frozen, pellet and live once a day and have no issues at all. If it was my call, I'd go a trio of carberryi and a trio of bartletts. :)

Thank you, that is incredibly helpful!

4FordFamily · Apr 18, 2017

Wow lots of anthia knowledge here. That's not me, but when I have suggested them to clients it's been lyretail due to their aggression and hardiness - most hobbyists have fish more aggressive than ought to be kept with many anthia species.

I've only tried a couple times and mine deteriorated quickly. But I haven't tried in nearly a decade and 10 years ago I knew little about fish, and less about anthias.

My wife says they look like "cheap goldfish" and "I don't want cheap goldfish or I would buy a bowl". I disagree with her, obviously, but tangs, angels, and wrasse are my squeeze (oh, and staying married, too)! :D

Brew12 · Apr 18, 2017

4FordFamily said:
Wow lots of anthia knowledge here. That's not me, but when I have suggested them to clients it's been lyretail due to their aggression and hardiness - most hobbyists have fish more aggressive than ought to be kept with many anthia species.

I've only tried a couple times and mine deteriorated quickly. But I haven't tried in nearly a decade and 10 years ago I knew little about fish, and less about anthias.

My wife says they look like "cheap goldfish" and "I don't want cheap goldfish or I would buy a bowl". I disagree with her, obviously, but tangs, angels, and wrasse are my squeeze (oh, and staying married, too)! :D

My tank is on the aggressive side with 2 tangs and a dwarf angel. I'm avoiding wrasses for now but am softening up the wife for a 18og peninsula build to start early 2018 and that will be wrasse dominant.

stevo01 · Apr 18, 2017

I have a male Maldives lyretail and a single female lyretail anthias. They both are beautiful now but were dull and had short fins when first brought home. The male has been pretty aggresive towards the female but recently has loosened his grip on her some. He also chases my rubi fairy wrasse and i think its because of the similarities it has to that species of anthias. Yesterday for the first time I witnessed the male and female lock mouths very briefly. Im hoping a couple more females with level out the aggression. Very hardy, social, beautiful, fast, flashy. No regrets here just learning to adjust to the dynamics.

eatbreakfast · Apr 18, 2017

stevo01 said:
I have a male Maldives lyretail and a single female lyretail anthias. They both are beautiful now but were dull and had short fins when first brought home. The male has been pretty aggresive towards the female but recently has loosened his grip on her some. He also chases my rubi fairy wrasse and i think its because of the similarities it has to that species of anthias. Yesterday for the first time I witnessed the male and female lock mouths very briefly. Im hoping a couple more females with level out the aggression. Very hardy, social, beautiful, fast, flashy. No regrets here just learning to adjust to the dynamics.

If the female is outright fighting the male, then she has alreafy begun to transition to male.

Areseebee · Apr 18, 2017

4FordFamily said:
Wow lots of anthia knowledge here. That's not me, but when I have suggested them to clients it's been lyretail due to their aggression and hardiness - most hobbyists have fish more aggressive than ought to be kept with many anthia species.

I've only tried a couple times and mine deteriorated quickly. But I haven't tried in nearly a decade and 10 years ago I knew little about fish, and less about anthias.

My wife says they look like "cheap goldfish" and "I don't want cheap goldfish or I would buy a bowl". I disagree with her, obviously, but tangs, angels, and wrasse are my squeeze (oh, and staying married, too)! :D

Jokes on her, they are extremely expensive gold fish!

Tokash23 · Apr 18, 2017

Just out of curiosity are there any Anthias that will work in a 40g breeder? Have always liked the Anthias but never had one as i have always had a smaller tank.

ngoodermuth · Apr 18, 2017

Tokash23 said:
Just out of curiosity are there any Anthias that will work in a 40g breeder? Have always liked the Anthias but never had one as i have always had a smaller tank.

A single anthia, yes, but not a group. They need space to work out their hierarchy.

happyhourhero · Apr 18, 2017

I have 3 Pseudanthias rubrizonatus and would say they are easy so far. They are absolute pigs and aggressively eat everything I put in the tank. I am in love with these fish.