peaceful anthias shoal

[markvo]

I would like to add a peaceful group of anthias to my tank. Which anthias would get along with peaceful fairy wrasses but not be too difficult to feed? I've thought about Dispar, Ignitus, Evansi, and Carberryi.

I'm willing to setup something to feed them a few times a day and I have a refugium to grow copepods. My tank is 500g and I only have a few fish so far. Any help is appreciated.

Mark

 

[SDguy]

In that size tank, I'd mix a few species. Evansi are the most difficult out of your list. I'd pass on them. Dispar and ignitus are almost identical, but ignitus are prettier, IMO.

 

[markvo]

Thanks Peter, I would prefer to have multiple species, so I will plan on that. I agree about Dispar and Ignitus loooking similar with Ignitus being typically brighter. I do want to have a number of peaceful fairy wrasses (my number one priority), so I thought that I should stick with peaceful anthias. The Ignitus make a good first species, but what would you suggest for additional species? Am I being too worried about some anthias being too agressive?

How about some suggestions for 2 or species that would work?

 

[cromedogg33]

I have ignitus in my tank and I wish I never would have got them. They look like feeder goldfish.

I also have bartlett's which I would highly reccomend and fairly easy to keep and peaceful. I have them in my tank with tangs/wrasses/clowns. If you stick with Lyretails and bartletts you get a decent contrast in color and personality.

 

[Reefnub]

You have so much room I would do 25 Anthias, :lol2:

 

[markvo]

I keep reading here on RC that a group of Bartletts will often pick each other off until there is only one left. Both Bartletts and Lyretails are supposed to be agressive, with male Lyretails getting really big.

I am trying to play it safe by sticking with peaceful anthias, but I also want some colorful fish and like Josh said, I have seen both Dispars and Ignitus look boring. Maybe without the right food, they fade.

Anymore ideas? What about Carberryi?

 

[namxas]

Blotchies (H. borbonius) tend to keep any bickering amongst themselves, and our trio has done well in our "small lion/scorp" setup. We've had ours a good couple of years now.

 

[markvo]

These anthias will be going in a brightly lit SPS reef tank, so I am worried about deep water species not doing well or hiding a lot. I thought that the Borbonus were deep water.

Maybe I am worrying too much about agreesion and too much light, but I keep hearing others on RC saying that newbies should read and plan before buying fish.

Does anyone else have experience with mixing anthias species in a peaceful tank?

 

[Reefnub]

I keep reading here on RC that a group of Bartletts will often pick each other off until there is only one left. Both Bartletts and Lyretails are supposed to be agressive, with male Lyretails getting really big.

I am trying to play it safe by sticking with peaceful anthias, but I also want some colorful fish and like Josh said, I have seen both Dispars and Ignitus look boring. Maybe without the right food, they fade.

Anymore ideas? What about Carberryi?

Bartletts are indeed aggressive, mines is kind of the leader of all anthias except lyretail. I think Carberri is one of the less colorful Anthias. I'd get Ignitus, Dispar, Maldive lyretail, and Resplendent anthias if I want a peaceful colorful shoal. As long as you can get them to eat pellets and flakes, their colors should stay.

I have Bartlett, Lyretail, Carberri, Resplendent, and Sunburst. If I didn't have the Bartletts, my tank would be really peaceful. At least they haven't killed each other, just some chasing here and there.

 

[holdyourlight]

Bartletts are indeed aggressive, mines is kind of the leader of all anthias except lyretail. I think Carberri is one of the less colorful Anthias. I'd get Ignitus, Dispar, Maldive lyretail, and Resplendent anthias if I want a peaceful colorful shoal. As long as you can get them to eat pellets and flakes, their colors should stay.

I have Bartlett, Lyretail, Carberri, Resplendent, and Sunburst. If I didn't have the Bartletts, my tank would be really peaceful. At least they haven't killed each other, just some chasing here and there.

Have you had luck getting resplendent to eat pellets?
I have not so far

+1 i won't do bartletts again, they are too mean
cariberri have two color morphs and one is much prettier than the other

 

[Reefnub]

Have you had luck getting resplendent to eat pellets?
I have not so far

+1 i won't do bartletts again, they are too mean
cariberri have two color morphs and one is much prettier than the other

I think I got the uglier morph. All my Anthias eats pellets except Sunburst. I wish I never did Bartletts or at least only 1. :headwallblue:

 

[markvo]

I think I am going to pass on Bartletts. What about Lyretails? I have heard that the males can be agressive and pester the other fish. Do you think that would not be a problem in a large tank?

Lyretails come from the Indian Ocean and the Pacific and I know the males look different, but is one less agressive than the other? In the same way, where do the better looking Carberryi come from?

Thanks for everyone's help.

 

[markvo]

I think I am going to pass on Bartletts. What about Lyretails? I have heard that the males can be agressive and pester the other fish. Do you think that would not be a problem in a large tank?

Lyretails come from the Indian Ocean and the Pacific and I know the males look different, but is one less agressive than the other? In the same way, where do the better looking Carberryi come from?

Thanks for everyone's help.

 

[cromedogg33]

I find it so odd you guys are having aggression problems. I introduced 1male with 3 females all at the same time, and have added other fish post anthias. Next to my clown fish the anthias are the lowest on the totem pole. My 6 line will sometimes chase an anthia here and there. I plan on adding another 4 bartletts coming up soon.

In my opinion their colors are unmatched. I don't have problems with my ignitus coloring up....they just are terribly boring and look like feeder goldfish. I find them a whole lot pickier in the foods they eat as well.

I've had my bartletts for over a year at this point.

 

[markvo]

Does anybody else have any help with good choices for multiple anthias species in a single tank? They need to get along with fairy wrasses.

Thanks for your help.

 

[nonimmigrant]

In my 300g SPS I have 10 Bartletts (three males and seven females), three Fatheads (one male, two females) and five Dispars (one male and three females). All get along fine with the exceptional Bartlett male-on-male action, which, incidentally for some reason, is down significantly now that the school is at 10. I also have a pair of Squarebacks with four Ondontanthias borbonius in the big FOWLR and they ignore each other. Squammipinnis IMO are mean little buggers but the males seem to calm down a bit when there are more females.

Oh, also, I have five fairy wrasses in the SPS tank. The only one that gets to be a bit of a PIA is my large C. rubimarginatus male at feeding time...

Good luck.

 

[cromedogg33]

My bartletts do fine with my wrasses as well. Scott's, 6 line, rhomboid.

 

[markvo]

I've heard that both Scott's and 6 lines were aggressive so I wouldn't expect the Bartletts to bother them. The Rhomboids (I want a pair) are supposed to be shy though. Since the Rhomboids get along, were they put in your tank before the others?