I Want ANTHIAS!

Hello everyone,

I was at the LFS and saw they have 5 lyretail anthias that nobody has shown interest in for the past 3 weeks. While at the LFS I watched as all fish aggressively at PE Mysis and live brine shrimp.

I would like to add a/some of these lyretail anthias to my tank, but I would like to be a responsible reefkeeper and therefore am turning to the better judgement of my peers.

Here is my current stocking list for my 120 Gallon (48in x 24ft x 28in?) mixed reef tank:

1 4 inch Blue Hippo Tang
1 4 inch Yellow Tang
1 4-5 inch Diamond Goby
1 2.5 inch Cleaner Wrasse
1 1.5-2 inch Target Mandarin
2 Oscellaris Clowns
2 Bangaii Cardinals

My tank is a mixed reef, but is predominantly a lps/zoa tank. As for filtration I am running two corner overflows that feed into my 40 Breeder sump. I run a Vertex 170 Alpha skimmer, a Via Aqua 20-20 media reactor with Rowaphos, as well as a large fuge full of chaeto in the middle of the sump.

With the above listed stocking/filtration, how many (if possible) of these fish could I add to my tank?

I have read/heard it is best to keep these fish singly in smaller (>180 Gallon tanks) and in a harem of 1 male, 8+ females in tanks that are greater than 180 gallons. Is this true?

I thank you in advance for your advice and opinion.

Robert

 

Usually, you don't want to keep too many anthias in one tank. They require nearly constant feeding, so much so that I've seen setups with a nearly automatic breeder (needs water and food daily), with 6 artemia feedings per day to keep them. I think it was for tuka anthias, but the general idea applies to all anthias. If you can't keep up with the large number of feedings and resultant nutrients, I wouldn't bother.

 

I have a harem of three lyretail in my tank. They are beautiful, but they don't school like I was hoping and they are quite aggressive to one another. Theyare one of the meanest anthias. Your tank is quite large, but I don't think large enough for 5. Though I know it would be weird to break them up.

It's great that they are eating in the store, but you won't want to feed them live food in your tank. Live food is dangerous because it can bring in disease and other nasties. However, you said they were eating mysis, so that is good.

They are very active and have fast metabolisms and need to be fed several times a day. I feed three times. Mine currently eat cyclopeeze, mysis, brine, pellets and flakes.

Hmmm...what else....because they are so active they get tired and rest often in the rocks or on the sand. If you get them don't panic when they do it! It used to really freak me out!

Oh, one more thing. Where are these anthias from? The ones from Africa and Fiji are considered the hardiest.

I think that's all I have to say...LOL

 

I am pretty certain that I can keep up on the feedings. I feed once a day heavily with frozen foods, and then feed at least 4 supplemental feedings of flake and/or pellet.

I do not want to overcrowd the tank though, so do you think I should keep with just 1 anthia and let that one mature into a male? Then later in the future (years from now) when I upgrade to a larger (250+) tank I can add a harem of females to the fray and see what happens?

 

Anthias like to be in groups. I wouldn't keep one singly. Also, there's no guarantee it will go male.

You could always just wait until you have your bigger tank and then get a bunch!

 

Thanks for the great info! I was thinking absolutely no more than 3 lyretails in the tank so it is not severly overcrowded, but more realistically 1 lyretaiil to the tank.

Would you consider this an okay move?

I am unsure of the location of origin for these fish but will call the LFS in the morning to check. I also will ask them to discontinue live feedings if I decided to pick some up (but I know the LFS has their own brine shrimp cultures that they raise, and only feed them to picky/finicky eaters).

On a side note, do you have pics of your anthias?

 

No sure if you saw what I put above, but I wouldn't go with just one. They are schooling fish and like to be in groups.

I think three would be fine in your tank. Get one male and two females. Ask the LFS to stop feeding them live so they are good to go with prepared foods when you bring them home.

I'll try to dig up some pictures.

 

From what I saw at the LFS, there are no discernable males in the tank (color wise). All exhibit the same "female" coloring, although there is one in the group that is exceptionally aggressive towards the other fish.

I noticed that this fish was not chasing the others, but nipping slightly at their fins as if to put them in their place. Would this be considered the dominant female and is therefore about to undergo a shift to become a male?

 

Actually KC... they Lryetail is one of the few that they say is better to keep singly. You either want 1 or large groups. Aggression is to high in small groups.

I almost bought some yesterday.... but I have something much better on the way.

 

My female lyretail killed 3 other females and the male died... Shes quite content by herself.

Personally Lyretails like to be kept in groups of 8+. From reading. The more you can handle the better. Otherwise Kept in Trios or single at minimum.