I have two males and two females in a 180 gal tank. My males don't get along. The dominant male won't let the other male come out of the rocks. The non-dominant male sneaks out at feeding time but always gets chased back in by the dominant male. The non dominant male has become very pale in color but still appears to be a male based upon size and the harassment he gets from the dominant male.
Long term success with a harem of bartlett anthias?
- Thread starter SDguy
- Start date
this guy has 12, I wonder how they get alonghttp://reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-12/totm/index.php
Since I last was on this thread I have gotten 6 lyrtail anthias in my 210. They all have done very well together. About 2 months ago my tank had a leak and I had to get everything out. In the process half my anthias went to one temporary tank the other half went to another. During that time the 3 anthias without the male had one begin to turn into a male. I put the three with the dominant male back in my new 210 and they are doing fine. The other three are doing well in a separate tank. I think I will sell the separated three and buy three small ones to get a larger harem in my 210
WLachnit
Active member
Thought I would share my experience which is similar to most. I added 4 females to an existing male in a 300gal. For the first few weeks they spent a lot of time shoaling. But, within 2 months, 3 of the 4 females have turned male. Just hope they don't kill each other off.
Will P.ignitus get along with Bartletts in a tank this size? And what is the difference in coloring between P. Dispar and Ignitus?
Will P.ignitus get along with Bartletts in a tank this size? And what is the difference in coloring between P. Dispar and Ignitus?
They will be fine in a tank that size. Easiest way to tell them apart: As juveniles, the purple eye of the ignitus is clearly visible. And at any age, the back end of the dorsal fin: In ignitus, it's split with the lower half being yellow, and the rest of the upper half being red. In dispar, it's all red.
Ignitus:
hth
KDDG
New member
Fun thread to read and good timing for me as well, since I am planning. We are building our 300 right now. I love the anthias and want a group/ groups as well. I see some of you have mixed species, so I am assuming that is OK? How many different kinds have you guys put together, what aggression have you seen from mixing and have you seen that this has any effect on the others' sex changes? For example, what if there was a group of bartletts like (1 m, 4 f), but also a group of lyretails & a small group of lets just say, dispars or slenders? Would that be asking for a deathmatch?
stunreefer
Reef Hugger
Kelley IME Anthias from different species are generally fine together. They tend to bicker "amoungst themsleves" if ya know what I mean 
Now I wouldn't recoomend trying to keep very similar species together, for example ignitus and bartletts...
I've kept four species in a 180 gallon without any issues before, and am currently stocking my new tank with three species:
Pseudanthias squamipinnis, Odontanthias borbonius and Serranocirrhitus latus. I kept these three together before with the addition of a Serranocirrhitus latus (I will not be keeping square-spots this time around).
Now I wouldn't recoomend trying to keep very similar species together, for example ignitus and bartletts...
I've kept four species in a 180 gallon without any issues before, and am currently stocking my new tank with three species:
Pseudanthias squamipinnis, Odontanthias borbonius and Serranocirrhitus latus. I kept these three together before with the addition of a Serranocirrhitus latus (I will not be keeping square-spots this time around).
KDDG
New member
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15052601#post15052601 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by stunreefer
Kelley IME Anthias from different species are generally fine together. They tend to bicker "amoungst themsleves" if ya know what I mean
Now I wouldn't recoomend trying to keep very similar species together, for example ignitus and bartletts...
I've kept four species in a 180 gallon without any issues before, and am currently stocking my new tank with three species:
Pseudanthias squamipinnis, Odontanthias borbonius and Serranocirrhitus latus. I kept these three together before with the addition of a Serranocirrhitus latus (I will not be keeping square-spots this time around).
Is there a reason you are avoiding the square spot this time?
stunreefer
Reef Hugger
Yep... my last tank was 6' long, this one is 4' long, and I feel they need the longer run. My male attained just under 8" in length... I called him my "pretty grouper" :lol: He was big, mean, and big again...
I plan on keeping a fair amount of Lyretails (9-12) in the new tank, and when I kept them with the Square-Spot he kept my male Lyretail in the rocks quite frequently... it was the worst anthias on anthias aggression I've seen (other than within a harem/school of same species).
BTW I made a typo, this should read:
KDDG
New member
WOW! I did not realize they got so big. But, I don't mind the size. There is a small group (1 M & 3 F) at a LFS here. They have had them for about 2 months. I was planning to get them if they were still there when I was ready. One other question about them: was yours faded in color? I have read they become dull under bright lighting and the ones at the store are fading. I was hoping if I got them they would color back up with proper diet.
stunreefer
Reef Hugger
I have also read this in the past, but I have not experienced this personally. The reef they were in had three 250W MHs over it.
GL!
Hey Austin thanks for bringing up this thread! Now, I have a question, I bought 3 "female" Bartlett's about 2 weeks ago, but I have doubts that I actually have 3 Bartlett's at all. Here is what I am 99% certain IS a Bartlett's out of the trio:
This fish is about half the size of the male that I already had:
In this image, you can see the large male, the new Bartletts, and one of the ones I am suspecting is not a Bartlett's at all.
Now, I am ashamed that I could not get any better images then these of my unknown pair:
and:
Here are a couple more of the one I am confident is in fact Bartlett's, but I think it is already turning male:
and:
Male right?
Anyway, the other 2 are similar but different. Mostly the dorsal fin is pink/violet and the shape of the head is different from the 2 Bartlett's. Any ideas what they are?
Thanks!
This fish is about half the size of the male that I already had:
In this image, you can see the large male, the new Bartletts, and one of the ones I am suspecting is not a Bartlett's at all.
Now, I am ashamed that I could not get any better images then these of my unknown pair:
and:
Here are a couple more of the one I am confident is in fact Bartlett's, but I think it is already turning male:
and:
Male right?
Anyway, the other 2 are similar but different. Mostly the dorsal fin is pink/violet and the shape of the head is different from the 2 Bartlett's. Any ideas what they are?
Thanks!
I'm not sure. They are the smallest bicolors I've ever seen. Bicolors for sale as "bicolors" are NEVER even close to that small. So I'd have to assume they are being collected together? Since the theory that the mixup happens at the wholesaler would suggest they actually get properly ID'ed tiny bicolors, I'd have to say I think the mixup happens earlier than the wholesaler point.
