Hello All -
I came across some generically labeled "yellow" anthias in October at a "local" Petco and after watching them sulk in the tiny tank there for an hour or so, I finally decided to pull the trigger on these diminutive little beauties. I was concerned with their actual species type, but they all looked relatively healthy and for $7.99 a piece, I figured it was worth a shot.
Fast forward to April - the three anthias are still alive and growing well, after some confinement in the QT and eventual migration to the DT, I find that the trio of "yellow" anthias are not all the same species! It appears that I have two lyretail anthias and an ignatius anthia. All three hunker down in the same place in the tank at night and are the best of buddies in the tank throughout the day. They are still juveniles though, and Im worried that as they begin to mature, am I going to have issues with them since they are different species. Whats the best plan here? Do I attempt to break them up now and bring in another lyretail female? Do I just let them continue to be "brothers from another mother"? The tank they are in is 100 gallon mixed reef (predominantly LPS). Im working on a 180 gallon build, which is their eventual home, but if the mix of species is going to be a future problem, Id rather address it now rather than when one of them wakes up and decides to be the "man" of the group and proceeds to abuse the ignatius or other lyretail in oblivion.
Thoughts/Comments/Insights?
Here's a few pics of them from tonight just before feeding time (taken on my iPhone)....
Petco "Yellow" Anthias
Lyretail #1
Lyretail #2
Ignatius #1
I came across some generically labeled "yellow" anthias in October at a "local" Petco and after watching them sulk in the tiny tank there for an hour or so, I finally decided to pull the trigger on these diminutive little beauties. I was concerned with their actual species type, but they all looked relatively healthy and for $7.99 a piece, I figured it was worth a shot.
Fast forward to April - the three anthias are still alive and growing well, after some confinement in the QT and eventual migration to the DT, I find that the trio of "yellow" anthias are not all the same species! It appears that I have two lyretail anthias and an ignatius anthia. All three hunker down in the same place in the tank at night and are the best of buddies in the tank throughout the day. They are still juveniles though, and Im worried that as they begin to mature, am I going to have issues with them since they are different species. Whats the best plan here? Do I attempt to break them up now and bring in another lyretail female? Do I just let them continue to be "brothers from another mother"? The tank they are in is 100 gallon mixed reef (predominantly LPS). Im working on a 180 gallon build, which is their eventual home, but if the mix of species is going to be a future problem, Id rather address it now rather than when one of them wakes up and decides to be the "man" of the group and proceeds to abuse the ignatius or other lyretail in oblivion.
Thoughts/Comments/Insights?
Here's a few pics of them from tonight just before feeding time (taken on my iPhone)....
Petco "Yellow" Anthias
Lyretail #1
