Lyretail Anthias are amazing

[innovusaquaculture]

I've introduced a school of 7 (I thought I had 8, but apparently I can't count) as the first fish in my 112 gallon tank. I feed them with an auto feeder 3 times a day - BRS Cananus. I also feed then randomly throughout the day BRS Golden Perls 300-500 micron. (I'm going to try the next size up and see if they will take it.) These are very small feedings. They go crazy for either food. The flow in this tank is high, as it will eventually have SPS in it. These guys swim in the current like it is nothing. They spot 300 micron food in the current from up to a foot away, calculate it's trajectory the 3D water column and accelerate themselves to the piece of food and catch it with almost a full stop or turn towards the next piece of food. And when I say accelerate I mean I haven't seen cars take off as fast as these guys go. I'm not exactly sure how your would clock a fish, but these guys are FAST. I sit and watch them go for hours.

I set up a live stream from a camera inside my tank and I have even have caught myself watching the TV on YouTube next to the tank watching these guys.

If you don't have a school of Anthias, you might consider them as an addition. Feed them small food often and watch them go.

 

[vetteguy53081]

They’re colorful, quick and hardy. Can’t beat a school of them

 

[JumboShrimp]

I would call what you wrote a “rousing endorsement!”

 

[Mikedawg]

I've introduced a school of 7 (I thought I had 8, but apparently I can't count) as the first fish in my 112 gallon tank. I feed them with an auto feeder 3 times a day - BRS Cananus. I also feed then randomly throughout the day BRS Golden Perls 300-500 micron. (I'm going to try the next size up and see if they will take it.) These are very small feedings. They go crazy for either food. The flow in this tank is high, as it will eventually have SPS in it. These guys swim in the current like it is nothing. They spot 300 micron food in the current from up to a foot away, calculate it's trajectory the 3D water column and accelerate themselves to the piece of food and catch it with almost a full stop or turn towards the next piece of food. And when I say accelerate I mean I haven't seen cars take off as fast as these guys go. I'm not exactly sure how your would clock a fish, but these guys are FAST. I sit and watch them go for hours.

I set up a live stream from a camera inside my tank and I have even have caught myself watching the TV on YouTube next to the tank watching these guys.

If you don't have a school of Anthias, you might consider them as an addition. Feed them small food often and watch them go.

+1 favorite fish

 

[innovusaquaculture]

I would call what you wrote a “rousing endorsement!”

It took a bit to get them through QT, but they are all happy now! They are going to have a fantastic life. Maybe they will move to my 450 when I get it built out, but for now they are at home in the 112!

More fish coming in the next few weeks as they are cleared from QT!

 

[Union Atlantic]

I got 4 anthias (not lyretail) a couple of months and one went missing and I assumed it died. I upgraded from a 125-gallon to 180-gallon tank. The 125-gallon is still here but I went to move it yesterday after it has sat for an entire week and noticed the missing anthias was in the overflow box with a little bit of water. HE WAS STILL ALIVE. Barely, but still alive. I put him in my new tank and he's alive and well and swimming with his school. He'd been in that overflow box for months apparently. How he survived in the overflow box for a week after with hardly any water, no food, no flow for oxygen, no heater, etc. is astounding to me.

 

[shred5]

They are very hardy lively fish, Love stronger current, will eat pretty much everything where allot of other anthias do not. They also do well with lesser feedings than some of the other anthias.
Very beautiful fish too and one of my favorites.

The one issue is Lyretails can become aggressive towards each other and start killing the smallest female first.
Also the male can be extremely aggressive towards the female if there is only one.
It doesn't always happen and I believe the key is what you keep with them, amount you keep and size of the tank. It has never happened to me but I have seen it in others aquariums.
They also can be come very mean towards other fish sometimes. Right now my female is king of the tank.

 

[JCM]

They are very hardy lively fish, Love stronger current, will eat pretty much everything where allot of other anthias do not. They also do well with lesser feedings than some of the other anthias.
Very beautiful fish too and one of my favorites.

The one issue is Lyretails can become aggressive towards each other and start killing the smallest female first.
Also the male can be extremely aggressive towards the female if there is only one.
It doesn't always happen and I believe the key is what you keep with them, amount you keep and size of the tank. It has never happened to me but I have seen it in others aquariums.
They also can be come very mean towards other fish sometimes. Right now my female is king of the tank.

This has been my experience as well. Beautiful fish, but they like to pick off the weak link. Another easy to keep species is P. dispar, they stay a bit smaller but eat easily and won't keep picking off the weakest.

 

[shred5]

This has been my experience as well. Beautiful fish, but they like to pick off the weak link. Another easy to keep species is P. dispar, they stay a bit smaller but eat easily and won't keep picking off the weakest.

Dispar and Ignitus are a great fish. One of my favorite anthias.
A little harder for first timers to anthias. Wont always take dry food but most will eventually.. I usually have a few in one of my tanks. They are more docile and have had males and sub males live together no issues. They also do well with other anthias.

 

[JCM]

Dispar and Ignitus are a great fish. One of my favorite anthias.
A little harder for first timers to anthias. Wont always take dry food but most will eventually.. I usually have a few in one of my tanks. They are more docile and have had males and sub males live together no issues. They also do well with other anthias.

I actually kept a mixed group of dispar and ignitus in a previous tank. I'm still not convinced they are separate species. I had them for years and even I was hard pressed to tell them apart.

I agree with all your points, mine also took to pellets pretty quickly. I'm hoping to add a group to my new tank as soon as my LFS has some in stock. (Assuming the jerk of a male tuka is ok with it)

 

[shred5]

I actually kept a mixed group of dispar and ignitus in a previous tank. I'm still not convinced they are separate species. I had them for years and even I was hard pressed to tell them apart.

I agree with all your points, mine also took to pellets pretty quickly. I'm hoping to add a group to my new tank as soon as my LFS has some in stock. (Assuming the jerk of a male tuka is ok with it)

I agree they are hard to tell apart.