help choosing an anthias
 

After years of trying and failing at keeping dispars, I decided I was going to give the carberryi's a try. Lately I've been leaning towards maybe going with the bartlets anthias. I have been trying to search and read about them but everything I can find are threads from years ago and wondering if the information was still accurate. My findings were that bartlets were aggressive and eventually they would all end up turning into males. I love the coloration of the bartlets but really want a nice school. Every carberryi I have seen in the local stores is super pale, like almost white and definitely not colored anything like the ones online. The bimaculatus is also a strong favorite but I haven't done and reading up on those because I would probably have to add 2-3 of those at a time due to cost. The wife then throws a curve ball at me that she like the lyretails the best. Just town on what to do with anthias. Any thoughts or inputs?
I would definitely like an active schooling fish that's pretty hardy and doesn't require a ton of feedings each day. I can feed in the morning and evening no problem. I know the lyretails are going to be the response but I feel like everyone has them and they coloration just really doesn't do a whole lot for me

Depends a little on tankmates. Carberryi are smaller than the other three, and more likely to be intimidated by larger tankmates. I personally don't like Lyretails as they are just too likely to pick each other off. Bartletts will end up as multiple males, though they'll coexist if introduced concurrently. I'd lean to bimacs of the four. Not that much more expensive than the Bartlett. Start with all females. Only downside to the bimac is that they need lots of swimming room and males do fade a bit in captivity.

Tank is a 265, current it's a large orange shoulder, large hovens wrasse, small clown Tang, lawn mower blenny. Not sure what else I'll be adding, thinking maybe a rabbit fish and another wrasse. The carberryi and the Bartlett's I'm planning on adding all at one time (7) if I go with the bimaculatus I'll probably have to add those 2-3 at a time to build up a school, obviously going with the smallest females each time

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Also should have noted that the batletts are on sale right now on live aquaria for $34

I added 3 Bartletts and 3 Lyretails to my 180. Pretty sure the Bartletts picked off the lyretails. The Bartletts have been in my tank for 2 or 3 years (can't remember). One is definitely male, one seems kind of male (sub-dominant male?) and one seems to be female. The dominant male keeps the other possible male in check, keeping him in the rockwork. They're a very pretty fish and mine seem to have gotten nicer looking with time but they're too aggressive for my taste and don't spend too much time cruising the tank, mostly dominant male hovering over sub-dominant male in the rocks with female nearby. Maybe in a bigger tank or if you kept a group of more than three where any aggression by the dominant male could be more dispersed, things would be different. I'm pretty sure if I tried to add more to my tank now, they wouldn't last long. I'd get something different next time.

Matt

Pictilis are my favorite. http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/6...=61&c=15+20+61

Hardiest and most cost effective would be lyretails for sure. Bartletts are hardy, but ime, lyretails are even more so. Another suggestion is bicolor anthias. also super hardy

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Yeah, I was going to buy a few, but they were out of stock :lol:

Stunning, I agree. Haven't had any success with them though.

Bimacs a favorite. Although they're larger than most other species, their metabolisms are every bit as super-charged and they may require multiple feedings daily to really thrive, especially the younger ones. QT is a must but hardy once healthy.

Lyretail ate right away and doing well. I would get all females and let the dominate change sex to male.

I have never seen a group of Anthias over 5 unless they were in a huge tank... 700g+

I'd like a group of 5

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I just bought 4 lyretails from liveaquaria last week to add two my 2. 5 died within 2 days and took out my 7 year old lawnmower blenny as well. Don’t do it! The fish store down on Hillsboro east of the airport has awesome Anthias always in stock and for 25 a piece. Never again will I buy liveaquaria fish.

Sorry to hear that. Did you QT? What disease did the LA fish have? If they died within 14 days of getting them you should be able to get a refund.

+1 on bimacs, had a sizable group of carberryi but they pick each other off, not quite as evil as bartletts but mine dwindled until i had just a pair which currently coexist with a group of 30+ bimacs and a few borbs. These have remained a large group with only the odd one lost to squabling. Interestly i still have only a single male which is perhaps the reason the rest have stayed together and as of a week or two started spawning. Like others say they are slightly larger than some of the alternative species but very hardy and easy to feed if you have the room for them.

30 bimacs? Holy cow, that has to be an impressive sight


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Picture .... or it's a myth.

Love to see it !!

Seriously. I’d love to see a pic of that also. Same as others. I’ve done Bartlett’s. Same also aggressive picked off till just one male. Looked great but was a bully. Then later did lyretails. One male 4 females. Same thing. Aggressive picked each other off. This time I did three fathead anthias. They don’t swim open water much. Just hang by rocks mostly. But their nice also and no aggression at all. Almost kinda boring besides the fact they look nice lol


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I’m cruious to see this shoal too.

busted or confirmed, will let you decide :)

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/pi...ictureid=78961

Are you referring to marine warehouse?

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[emoji7] what size tank is that and how long have you had that group? Did you add them all at the same time?

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