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View Full Version : Which Anthias for a school in 120gallon


AliciaP
03/31/2013, 10:01 PM
As stated in the title, I would like to get a school of Anthias for my tank. Just not sure which fish to choose. I have about $200 to work with. Any suggestions?

ssscuz
04/01/2013, 05:31 AM
If you want easy to keep and not have to feed as often

Lyretails, square blocks or dispar.

AliciaP
04/01/2013, 08:28 AM
Those are the ones I have looked at but I don't know very much yet.

drukkosz
04/01/2013, 09:14 AM
How about Bartlett's Anthias? i have 5 in my 125. colorful and very active.

SDguy
04/01/2013, 09:24 AM
IME dispar, ignitus, and parvirostris tend to hang out with each other the most. Lyretails are also beautiful and very hardy, but keep a bit more distance between each other. Squarespots are just too big, and bartletts almost always turn all male, and stay separated after that.

MrTuskfish
04/01/2013, 12:35 PM
Your question sounds like you want fish that will tightly school, like FW tetras. There are't any. Sorry if I misinterpreted .

hkgar
04/01/2013, 01:58 PM
How about Bartlett's Anthias? i have 5 in my 125. colorful and very active.

How long have you had them? From what I have read, schooling is a protective device and in most cases the schooling fish fight to become the dominant one and you usually end up with just one as they die off in battle with each other.

brannock_16
04/01/2013, 02:58 PM
IME dispar, ignitus, and parvirostris tend to hang out with each other the most. Lyretails are also beautiful and very hardy, but keep a bit more distance between each other. Squarespots are just too big, and bartletts almost always turn all male, and stay separated after that.

+1 to this. Sd guy knows what he's talking about.

AliciaP
04/01/2013, 09:41 PM
I have 3 large chromis that always swim together, Anthias won't do that? I have been researching to figure out which ones I like and I can't pick a favorite because I'm not finding any awesome info about them.

SDguy
04/02/2013, 06:50 AM
I have 3 large chromis that always swim together, Anthias won't do that?

To some extent, depending on species, but not as much, no.

drukkosz
04/02/2013, 09:17 AM
How long have you had them? From what I have read, schooling is a protective device and in most cases the schooling fish fight to become the dominant one and you usually end up with just one as they die off in battle with each other.


Couple of months. I have one male that is much bigger that the rest of them so he keeps them in line :)

Dukester
04/02/2013, 11:56 AM
I have a group of 6 Squampinis (Lyretails) and love them, one of my favorite additions to the tank so far. They swim together a fair bit, but they also go their separate ways during the day too, they are very active fish and added some nice color and movement i really felt i was lacking.

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/101187577/018.JPG

MrTuskfish
04/02/2013, 01:32 PM
I think our tanks are just too small for fish to school. Two anthias, in opposite corners of a 240 gal tank would probably consider themselves in the same school. A school of most fish on the reef will be scattered over hundreds of thousand of cubic feet. A school of FW fish may occupy no more than 100 cu.ft. (Arbitrary numbers)

Baldguy
04/02/2013, 05:35 PM
I have 3 Lyretail and 3 Bartletts. While I think the Bartletts are prettier I like the habits of the Lyretail more. Would have been happier with 5 or 6 Lyretails. They really don't swim together much. Might be in the same general area but not together.

AliciaP
04/06/2013, 09:38 PM
I think I'm going to go with 2 females and 1 male. My husband really wants Serranocirrhitus latus (Sunburst Anthias or something like that). Anyone have experience with them or can recommend another pretty two color Anthias?

I'm going to also get Banaii Cardinals. I heard that while they don't swim very much like Chromis or Anthias, they school better. Does that sound okay?

One more question, I have clowns that just started breeding (only took them 3 years!)... If I am looking to try and raise some fry, should I just forget having Anthias? Will they bother the clowns spawning much?

brannock_16
04/06/2013, 09:51 PM
I think I'm going to go with 2 females and 1 male. My husband really wants Serranocirrhitus latus (Sunburst Anthias or something like that). Anyone have experience with them or can recommend another pretty two color Anthias?

I'm going to also get Banaii Cardinals. I heard that while they don't swim very much like Chromis or Anthias, they school better. Does that sound okay?

One more question, I have clowns that just started breeding (only took them 3 years!)... If I am looking to try and raise some fry, should I just forget having Anthias? Will they bother the clowns spawning much?

Bangaii cardinals will not shoal together. They will selectively pick each other off until there are only two cardinals left. One of the few fish that actually demonstrates shoaling in home aquaria is the threadfin cardinal. They do have a dismal mortality rate from shipping, but once established are quite hardy. I would look to add 9-13 in a 120. Very subtle, yet beautiful fish IMO.

AliciaP
04/06/2013, 10:02 PM
I didn't know that about the Bangaii's! I thought they were some of the most peaceful fish. Shopping and planning for fish is tough lol.

gewehermeister
04/07/2013, 12:50 AM
I'm by far not an expert but ime with 15 stocky or bloodspot anthias I have lost down to a group of 8 now. When getting a school or group you don't know how many may be sub dominant males. I had 3 and they didn't fight that I saw but they slowly disappeared over the course of 2 years. More would mature until now I have 7females and a large dominant male. Here he is with a few of the females one is actually a squami. By the way this is in a 150g.
http://i1000.photobucket.com/albums/af128/gewehermeister/Aquarium/F1769373-orig_zps394be569.jpg

SDguy
04/07/2013, 05:59 AM
I think our tanks are just too small for fish to school. Two anthias, in opposite corners of a 240 gal tank would probably consider themselves in the same school.

Agreed, which is why I think species selection is so important. Squarespots will do as you describe. Even lyretails to some extent. Dispar and ignitus will stay much closer. Even in my 4' 150g they would not occupy the entire tank!

rssjsb
04/07/2013, 09:05 AM
I hope this question is of interest to the OP and not a derail, but does anyone know why LA lists ignitus as "easy" and almost all of the other anthias they sell as "moderate"? Is there really a difference?

kupadupapupa
04/07/2013, 01:57 PM
I recently aquired 3 lyretail anthias, they are great looking fish if you don't have any orange colored fish already. I have 3 other orange fish so with the anthias it's a little too much orange in my tank and I probably should of gone with the bright pink bartletts. None the less the anthias are still awesome and I don't regret it.

One thing though with these guys is they seem to not like pellets. So feed allot at once because they might never like the pellets out of an autofeeder.

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/04/08/ysanybap.jpg

kupadupapupa
04/07/2013, 02:04 PM
I didn't know that about the Bangaii's! I thought they were some of the most peaceful fish. Shopping and planning for fish is tough lol.

Not at all. What I've learned is that all fish may be peaceful but only if their territory isn't encroached upon. My bangaii cardinal goes after any fish in my tank if it's in his spot and makes this loud clicking noise, even goes after my 2 much bigger then him tangs. I even had my firefish kill my royal gramma because the gramma was going in its cave constantly. With this hobby nothing is 100 percent.

aandfsoccr04
04/10/2013, 10:15 AM
What did you end up going with, Alicia?

Megatrev62
04/10/2013, 02:22 PM
Not anthias but I have 6 chromis in my 90 gallon for the past 6 months and they stay tight. And I mean tight. Weird

Gary Majchrzak
04/10/2013, 02:26 PM
I'm not finding any awesome info about them.Scott Michael's 'Reef Fishes Volume One' is a must read for anyone considering Anthias.

And purchase an auto feeder before the fish ;)

bangbangkhan
04/11/2013, 12:11 PM
don't auto feeders feed too much?

rssjsb
04/11/2013, 01:15 PM
A good one will allow you to regulate how much is fed each time.

hkgar
04/11/2013, 02:46 PM
And purchase an auto feeder before the fish ;)

Why?

Dmorty217
04/11/2013, 07:57 PM
Why?
Anyone who works when their lights are on would only benefit when keeping Anthias since they need to be fed multiple times a day

AliciaP
04/14/2013, 09:06 PM
What did you end up going with, Alicia?

I still don't know! It's killing me. My clowns started spawning so I've been derailed. I am hesitant to put more fish in and make them uncomfortable. I mean, I've been waiting for them to get busy for 3 years! I was thinking about doing 1 male and 2 females and 2 dragonets instead of a school of 5 or 6. Just doesn't sound like getting that many has much hope.

My husband really really wants the Sunburts/Fathead Anthias, but I'm still very much undecided. I do think I'm leaning towards Lyrtails rather than the Sunbursts. I like the different body shape in the tank and the Sunburst seem to look a lot like the shape of the Chromis.

lilalove
04/15/2013, 09:16 AM
I still don't know! It's killing me. My clowns started spawning so I've been derailed. I am hesitant to put more fish in and make them uncomfortable. I mean, I've been waiting for them to get busy for 3 years! I was thinking about doing 1 male and 2 females and 2 dragonets instead of a school of 5 or 6. Just doesn't sound like getting that many has much hope.

My husband really really wants the Sunburts/Fathead Anthias, but I'm still very much undecided. I do think I'm leaning towards Lyrtails rather than the Sunbursts. I like the different body shape in the tank and the Sunburst seem to look a lot like the shape of the Chromis.

Curious...what other fish are in the tank? I had a Sunburst and it was constantly bullied by my other fish. They are very shy and tend to stay in one spot, meaning they aren't really open water swimmers like other anthias. I eventually pulled it because its fins were shredded and gave it to a friend. Good luck! My clownfish also just started spawning after 3 years of "togetherness".

metasinapsis
05/18/2013, 06:35 PM
Yeah , i learn in the hard way . And the last 2 that last where from Petco tank bread hardy . and Yeah , also wanted to have those tetra school like in FW but nop that does happen so much .