Mixing School of Anthias

[gofor100]

Hey Guys,

Planning an upgrade (approx. 84"L X 36"W X 24"T), and was thinking of mixing two (or even three) types of anthias to make one pretty large school as the dither fish in the tank.

I've heard some anthias mix well in the wild (for instance, a Threadfin/Flame/Lyretail Anthias school), and was thinking of doing that, but wanted to get your opinions and experiences on doing this first (i.e., if you've mixed, what types and did you experience any problems).

If you'd suggest not mixing, then what single anthias seems to be the prettiest and easiest to keep in your opinion (I think I've heard a few suggest Bartlett's Anthias)?

Thanks in advance,

Chad

 

[d-man]

i have a transitioning fiji lyretail, 2 carberryi and 2 bartletts in my 128g

 

[SDguy]

I've found all those anthias you mention get along just fine.

 

[davocean]

Lyretails and carberyi's mixed here, both eat well and mix well, love em.

 

[niter]

In looking for Anthias dispars and carberyis were my first plan but the maldives lyretail male (and the blue eye lidded females) caught my eye. When it came time to pick out the fish the dispars were not available but ignitus were and thus we ended up with a lyretail and ignitus mix. I have been really pleased with them.

 

[gofor100]

Thanks for all of the feedback guys... for those that didn't specify, how many of each do you have and in how big of a tank?

Thanks again,

Chad

 

[niter]

Thanks for all of the feedback guys... for those that didn't specify, how many of each do you have and in how big of a tank?

Thanks again,

Chad

Hi Chad,

I have 8 total in a 150 gallon (plus sump) system. It is the type of 150 that has the footprint (l & w) of a 120 but is taller (deeper). We set it up so there is a higher water column and the fish enjoy it. Most of the sources I studied prior to purchase indicated 8-9 would be a good number for the tank. I wanted enough to have a nice group if any perished without having to add individual fish in the future. Based on the smaller groups in the tanks on this forum, I second guess the number we have. I do want other fish in the future...but that future is a ways off as we are adding slowly. The entire system is doing very well and the fish are thriving (even my now one-eyed, outcast lyretail female) so perhaps I need to worry less about it.

We have one male maldives lyretail, three female lyretails (from ??), and four ingitus. I have seen most aggression between the lyretails--the male was slow to accept the females, one in particular. It seems there was little to no problem with the ignitus and they are very "happy go lucky." If I had to pick one type, I would go with the ignitus because despite being as flashy, they are just very chummy--and I think they are gorgeous.

The other thing I would suggest is having a good cleaner shrimp. We added two scarlet skunks the following week (and a fire blood the week after that) and instantly noticed the fish going to them. All of them just seemed happier too. After the fire blood was introduced, it set up camp where the outcast anthias was and it must hav tended to her eye that the others picked out. All the fish come to her area to be cleaned by the fire blood and the outcast often comes up to swim with the rest of the group.

 

[gofor100]

Hi Chad,

I have 8 total in a 150 gallon (plus sump) system. It is the type of 150 that has the footprint (l & w) of a 120 but is taller (deeper). We set it up so there is a higher water column and the fish enjoy it. Most of the sources I studied prior to purchase indicated 8-9 would be a good number for the tank. I wanted enough to have a nice group if any perished without having to add individual fish in the future. Based on the smaller groups in the tanks on this forum, I second guess the number we have. I do want other fish in the future...but that future is a ways off as we are adding slowly. The entire system is doing very well and the fish are thriving (even my now one-eyed, outcast lyretail female) so perhaps I need to worry less about it.

We have one male maldives lyretail, three female lyretails (from ??), and four ingitus. I have seen most aggression between the lyretails--the male was slow to accept the females, one in particular. It seems there was little to no problem with the ignitus and they are very "happy go lucky." If I had to pick one type, I would go with the ignitus because despite being as flashy, they are just very chummy--and I think they are gorgeous.

The other thing I would suggest is having a good cleaner shrimp. We added two scarlet skunks the following week (and a fire blood the week after that) and instantly noticed the fish going to them. All of them just seemed happier too. After the fire blood was introduced, it set up camp where the outcast anthias was and it must hav tended to her eye that the others picked out. All the fish come to her area to be cleaned by the fire blood and the outcast often comes up to swim with the rest of the group.

Great insight... thanks!

I always love keeping cleaner shrimp (even though they steal food from some of my LPS), so there will definitely be 1 or 2 pairs of cleaners in there.

I definitely think the Flame Anthias (ignitus) will be on the list, along with either the Threadfin (carberryl) or Lyretail (squamipinnis) to round out the mixed group. The more I think of it (and the footprint of the tank I'll order), I think I'll end up getting about 12 or 13 total (getting 3 or 4 of each, or split 6 or 7 each if I just get two types).

Is it better to buy more of one type than the other (i.e., get 8 of one, and 4 or 5 of the other) for some reason?

Thanks again for everyone's input.

-Chad

 

[niter]

From what I gathered (and please remember I am a novice) if you are going to introduce them in cohorts, establish the nicer fish first and the lyretails later. I can see the wisdom in that because when the male lyretail (again, I would get all females but in our backasswards way we got the male first, then one female lyretail, then the last 6 in a series of days) started after the four ignitus they moved together as a group (there was one that got a bit more of his attention for a few hours but that was resolved in a day). He was merciless to one fish and she probably had arrived in transition to a he. Now, all 8 swim together (7 always, but the outcast is coming out a lot more) but the ignitus are still a unit...even when evenly mixed. If one leaves, the last three bunch together until the other one returns...then, they mingle.

If I was buying the numbers you were buying (again, just personal preference) I would stack the group more with flame/threadfin/dispars (so they make up about 2/3 of the group) as they just are SO NICE. Friendly, pretty, flashy, they group well. The lyretails are really fabulous but I just notice that they are less the group and more individuals that live together (and really, in any home tank there will never be enough room to host enough fish to group like they truly do in nature).

 

[gofor100]

From what I gathered (and please remember I am a novice) if you are going to introduce them in cohorts, establish the nicer fish first and the lyretails later. I can see the wisdom in that because when the male lyretail (again, I would get all females but in our backasswards way we got the male first, then one female lyretail, then the last 6 in a series of days) started after the four ignitus they moved together as a group (there was one that got a bit more of his attention for a few hours but that was resolved in a day). He was merciless to one fish and she probably had arrived in transition to a he. Now, all 8 swim together (7 always, but the outcast is coming out a lot more) but the ignitus are still a unit...even when evenly mixed. If one leaves, the last three bunch together until the other one returns...then, they mingle.

If I was buying the numbers you were buying (again, just personal preference) I would stack the group more with flame/threadfin/dispars (so they make up about 2/3 of the group) as they just are SO NICE. Friendly, pretty, flashy, they group well. The lyretails are really fabulous but I just notice that they are less the group and more individuals that live together (and really, in any home tank there will never be enough room to host enough fish to group like they truly do in nature).

Great insight (again)!

Thanks... if there's any other experiences out there, feel free to provide your input.

 

[davocean]

Mine is a 150g.
I actually intro'd Lyretails first, 4 females, 1 male.
I had also ordered 4 bartlett fairy's at the same time, of which only one ever ate(and now that anthias has been ID'd by some as a possible dispar)
So I was looking for more dispars, about a year later, and came across my carberryis, which my LFS dude pulled me aside and showed them eating like crazy, so I got 3.
Now my (dispar?) seems to have taken on lead role w/ them, suddenly acting like male of carberryis and displaying really bright new colors.
All my anthias group together often, no aggression at all so far.

 

[gofor100]

Mine is a 150g.
I actually intro'd Lyretails first, 4 females, 1 male.
I had also ordered 4 bartlett fairy's at the same time, of which only one ever ate(and now that anthias has been ID'd by some as a possible dispar)
So I was looking for more dispars, about a year later, and came across my carberryis, which my LFS dude pulled me aside and showed them eating like crazy, so I got 3.
Now my (dispar?) seems to have taken on lead role w/ them, suddenly acting like male of carberryis and displaying really bright new colors.
All my anthias group together often, no aggression at all so far.

Nice... so you have a total of 12... 5 Lyretails, 4 Dispars, and 3 Carberryis... and you've had them together for how long now? Any pics?

 

[SDguy]

I've had my lyretails, bartletts, and lone carberryi for a few years now. The dispars are just over a year, and I recently added a couple more carberryi (same batch as Davo). All get along relatively well. The dominant males will sometimes chase each other, but nothing ever comes of it.

You can see most of them in this picture:

 

[gofor100]

Beautiful tank SDguy... I'm just up in Mission Viejo, so one of these days I'll need to make some time to stop by if I'm headed down that way.

So what schooling behavior do you observe... 1 big group, or 2 loose groups that come together in 1 big group every now and then?

 

[SDguy]

The lyretails are all over the tank, constantly...if you are looking for grouping behavior, those are your least likely, IME. The dispars group the tightest. They hang out on the left side. The bartletts and large carberryi that thinks he's a bartlett hang out on the right, mostly...occasionally mixing with the dispars. Now to confuse things more, the two new carberryi are supposedly bartletts mimics (colors like bartletts, not like the large carberryi). When first introduced, the barteltts really gave them a hard time, but the carberryi paid them no attention at all :lol: Currently the two new carberryi are always together, and have now started hanging with the dispars on the left, instead of hiding above the frag rack on the right, out of sight of the mean bartletts. Did you follow all that?

Sure, come on down for the next SDMAS summer BBQ and drop in and see my tank.

 

[niter]

Not to thread hijack...(much)

Mine is a 150g....

Thanks for posting. I knew I had read/be assured it would be okay to have the numbers we have but lately all I can find are posts of "I have X (2 or 3) in my tank," and I was second guessing myself!

I've had my lyretails, bartletts, and lone carberryi for a few years now. The dispars are just over a year, and I recently added a couple more carberryi (same batch as Davo). All get along relatively well. The dominant males will sometimes chase each other, but nothing ever comes of it.

Gorgeous tank. As with davocean's post, thank you for posting your tank. You have a similar effect as I would like to target. What is your tank size? (I saw your signature!) Are your clown's hosting in a frogspawn? We have a pair that have done for ages in the same spot in our tank! When they were in the frag tank and were offered a rose bubble tip anemone, they would not host in it!

 

[raddogz]

Good discussion folks! I have three Carberryi Anthias coming to me tomorrow, and if things work out, I will be adding some Dispars down the road.

 

[SDguy]

Gorgeous tank. As with davocean's post, thank you for posting your tank. You have a similar effect as I would like to target. What is your tank size? (I saw your signature!) Are your clown's hosting in a frogspawn? We have a pair that have done for ages in the same spot in our tank! When they were in the frag tank and were offered a rose bubble tip anemone, they would not host in it!

Thank you. The [percs use the entire right side of the tank, which consists of a green wall hammer, green FS, and yellow FS.

The skunks on the left use a green branching hammer and aussie gold wall hammer.

The percs took FOREVER to finally start living in a coral. They always just hung out in the top right cornmer of the tank. At one point I was so sick of seeing them huddled up there I almost sold them!

 

[gofor100]

The lyretails are all over the tank, constantly...if you are looking for grouping behavior, those are your least likely, IME. The dispars group the tightest. They hang out on the left side. The bartletts and large carberryi that thinks he's a bartlett hang out on the right, mostly...occasionally mixing with the dispars. Now to confuse things more, the two new carberryi are supposedly bartletts mimics (colors like bartletts, not like the large carberryi). When first introduced, the barteltts really gave them a hard time, but the carberryi paid them no attention at all :lol: Currently the two new carberryi are always together, and have now started hanging with the dispars on the left, instead of hiding above the frag rack on the right, out of sight of the mean bartletts. Did you follow all that?

Sure, come on down for the next SDMAS summer BBQ and drop in and see my tank.

Hahaha... I think I followed

I think I'll stick to the Ignitus and Carberryls and maybe even a few Dispars if it seems they will associate with the prior two (no lyretails if they don't stick together too much, plus they get rather large)... none of them get overly large, and each have distinct, pretty features... the trick is getting all the groups and introducing them at the same time. Although, it seems like most of you have had luck introducing one first and then the other at a later time...

 

[niter]

Thank you. The [percs use the entire right side of the tank, which consists of a green wall hammer, green FS, and yellow FS.

The skunks on the left use a green branching hammer and aussie gold wall hammer.

The percs took FOREVER to finally start living in a coral. They always just hung out in the top right cornmer of the tank. At one point I was so sick of seeing them huddled up there I almost sold them!

Oh wow! You do have two sets of clowns in there! How did you introduce the second pair? We have the same tanks size and I am interested in a second pai of clowns....I figured it was a no no. Our current clowns are from Dec '09 and they have taken to frog spawn or hammers since we introduced that type of coral to the tank. I'd love a second pair but these two do have seniority!