Help! 2 Male Bartlett's Anthias??

Psyire · 01/18/2006, 06:22 PM

Please help,

I have 4 Bartlett's Anthias, and one is a male. So I decided to order 3 more to add to the group. I was assured they were females. Now that I get them, one is a male. Will my 7 anthias co-exist with even with 2 males?

Tank is 180g.

Thanks!

Psyire · 01/19/2006, 01:10 AM

anybody?

dave11 · 01/19/2006, 02:01 AM

Dont think so - 1 male will probably harass the the other - possibly to death.

tom obrecht · 01/19/2006, 07:59 AM

You will probably have some squabbling, but in a 180 I would think you should have enough room to get by. Even with one male and the rest girls, one will still have chasing ect. Do you have alot of hiding spots? How often are you feeding? I've noticed that if you feed regulary that it helps with aggression. 2-4 times a day helps. Of course fish are like people and you can't always know for sure what one will do. I'd try the feeding regime first.

kbmdale · 01/19/2006, 09:07 AM

How do you tell the males from females. I am going to purchase 2 and this is useful info ..

thanks

pfish · 01/19/2006, 09:14 AM

I had five anthia's, 4 female one male. One of the females turned male and now I have two males. They fought for awhile until the new one got the upper hand and one everything is peaceful. they stay away from each other. I have a 240gal but yours should be fine in a 180.
The male has a taller dorsal and more flowing fin's in general, plus darker coloration with a large spot on it's ventral fin's.

TacoKing · 01/19/2006, 09:16 AM

I originally purchased 3 anthias, 2 females and 1 male. One of the females changed. There is some agression, but nothing serious. They have been together now for about 8 months and everyone is doing quite fine.

kbmdale: You really need at least three Anthias for them to live well. 1 male and 2 females. The males and females have different colors depending on the type of anthias you get.

kbmdale · 01/19/2006, 09:52 AM

So you have to have 3..

That may change my plans. I am buying them from a fellow reefer who is downsizing. He has 3, but they are all already 3" fish. They will be going in a 75g with 2 chromis (1.5" each), a yellow watchman goby(3"), and a white sailfin ballon mollie (1"). There is also a coral banded shrimp. Do you think 3 would be pushing the bioload. I have a 20g sump and 20g fuge along with a phosphate reactor and good skimmer.

Angel*Fish · 01/19/2006, 11:03 AM

kbmdale,
This may sound confusing because I actually have 4 anthias...But I have a bicolor that thinks he is king of the tank. He was the only anthias for a while & was just fine then. The other anthias I have are different species of anthias.

He has even shown signs of dominating the angels who just sort of give him a look like" you are truly stupid' and then go on about their business.

There is plenty of literature to support that many species of anthias are just fine one to the tank.

That said what kind are you getting & it really does seem a shame to split up a nice trio. Is it possible this species is already fully grown? Not all get big.

Psyire,
How are they doing?

Tyrosinase · 01/19/2006, 11:05 AM

I disagree, you don't NEED to have multiple anthias for them to do fine in an aquarium. I have seen many tanks that only have one anthia in them and they are just fine.

Although seeing these fish school is pretty cool though.

kbmdale · 01/19/2006, 11:58 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by mantisagogo
kbmdale,
This may sound confusing because I actually have 4 anthias...But I have a bicolor that thinks he is king of the tank. He was the only anthias for a while & was just fine then. The other anthias I have are different species of anthias.

He has even shown signs of dominating the angels who just sort of give him a look like" you are truly stupid' and then go on about their business.

There is plenty of literature to support that many species of anthias are just fine one to the tank.

That said what kind are you getting & it really does seem a shame to split up a nice trio. Is it possible this species is already fully grown? Not all get big.

Psyire,
How are they doing?

LOL @ the angels...The ones I am getting are bartletts. Really nice pinkish color to them. He had 4 but one commited suicide taking the leap out the top. I won't have that problem as my canopy is closed in on all sides.

Angel*Fish · 01/19/2006, 05:38 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by kbmdale
The ones I am getting are bartletts.

That's perfect as bartlett's are among the smallest anthis species. I think they're supposed to max out at 3.5 in. That means yours may be fully grown. As for bioload - that depends a lot on your husbandry & setup. Post pictures when you get them!

kbmdale · 01/19/2006, 06:34 PM

Will do..I'm trying to find time to get them saturday then they will stay in my 29g QT tank for a couple of days.

Psyire · 01/19/2006, 10:07 PM

Thanks for all the replies guys!

Well I didn't have a whole lot of options other than to add them and hope for the best.

A few things to point out..

The 4 Bartlett's (1M/3F) have been in the 180g for about 1.5 months.

The new Bartlett's are alittle smaller. (The new male is smaller than the established male)

I got the new fish in the afternoon and acclimated them. I killed all the lights and added them to the main tank around 6pm. (added on the opposite side of the tank as the established anthias sleep) Then I went to work (nightshifts) and hoped for the best. I got home around 7am and checked the tank with a flashlight, everybody was sleeping. I then went to sleep.

I woke up around 2pm and crossed my fingers...

I was pleased when I seen all 7 anthias swimming around with no fins shredded. The bigger male tends to chase the smaller male once in awhile and he hides for abit. However I have observed them swimming side x side with no aggression. The females seem to be mingling nicely and things are looking good. The two groups seem to favor opposite sides of the tank but I imagine that will be only for awhile.

I feed pellets twice a day and a mixture of freeze-dryed and frozen foods every second day. I hope things go as smoothly tomorrow...

Psyire · 01/19/2006, 10:13 PM

They have a lot of swimming room (free water) and ducking, diving, & hiding places.

My tank:

Angel*Fish · 01/20/2006, 07:50 AM

Very nice tank! Love your aquascaping & the way you did the circulation.

Psyire · 01/20/2006, 05:33 PM

Thanks

So far so good with the Anthias as well. None beat up and nothing too serious as far as chasing goes.

Psyire · 01/24/2006, 05:09 PM

Well it's been almost a week and things are looking good. All the anthias are getting along and eating well. The 2 males still have abit of aggression towards one another but nothing serious. The lesser of the males seems to stay more on the right side of the tank unless I'm feeding on the left.

Watching 7 of these Bartlett's swarm around when I'm feeding is pretty cool. I'm definately glad I chose to expand this group from 4 to 7.

sethd12 · 01/24/2006, 05:37 PM

i think over time that the least dominant male with turn back female. that is what happened when i ordered one female and received one male. mine turned sexes in about 2 weeks.

maximusmarine · 01/25/2006, 12:39 AM

You mean Anthias can revert back to female? really?

Psyire · 01/26/2006, 03:10 AM

I didn't think Males could turn back into females either, it's possible??

Here's a picture of the less dominate (newly added) male:

JeremyT · 01/26/2006, 08:04 PM

Looking good Psyire! When I heard about the second male I heard the sound of a drum roll in the distance and then...

He was a goner! Hopefully they will keep getting along. Good Luck!

01/18/2006, 06:22 PM	#1
Psyire Premium Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Alberta, Canada Posts: 1,870	Help! 2 Male Bartlett's Anthias?? Please help, I have 4 Bartlett's Anthias, and one is a male. So I decided to order 3 more to add to the group. I was assured they were females. Now that I get them, one is a male. Will my 7 anthias co-exist with even with 2 males? Tank is 180g. Thanks!

01/19/2006, 07:59 AM	#4
tom obrecht Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: WI Posts: 3,014	You will probably have some squabbling, but in a 180 I would think you should have enough room to get by. Even with one male and the rest girls, one will still have chasing ect. Do you have alot of hiding spots? How often are you feeding? I've noticed that if you feed regulary that it helps with aggression. 2-4 times a day helps. Of course fish are like people and you can't always know for sure what one will do. I'd try the feeding regime first. __________________ Reef keeping is where Murphy's Law and your bank account collide!! TOTM May 2006

01/19/2006, 11:03 AM	#9
Angel*Fish cats and large squashes Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Houston Posts: 5,951 Blog Entries: 1	kbmdale, This may sound confusing because I actually have 4 anthias...But I have a bicolor that thinks he is king of the tank. He was the only anthias for a while & was just fine then. The other anthias I have are different species of anthias. He has even shown signs of dominating the angels who just sort of give him a look like" you are truly stupid' and then go on about their business. There is plenty of literature to support that many species of anthias are just fine one to the tank. That said what kind are you getting & it really does seem a shame to split up a nice trio. Is it possible this species is already fully grown? Not all get big. Psyire, How are they doing? __________________ Marie So long, & thanks for all the fish! __________________________ Current Tank Info: Pairs: flame angels, cherub angels, Red Sea mimic blennies, yellow fin fairy wrasses, clowns, mandarins, blackcap basslets, shrimp gobies, damsels, dispar anthias, yellow clown gobies, threadfin cardinals --- Tanks: 100g reef, 2 x 30g refugiums

01/20/2006, 07:50 AM	#16
Angel*Fish cats and large squashes Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Houston Posts: 5,951 Blog Entries: 1	Very nice tank! Love your aquascaping & the way you did the circulation. __________________ Marie So long, & thanks for all the fish! __________________________ Current Tank Info: Pairs: flame angels, cherub angels, Red Sea mimic blennies, yellow fin fairy wrasses, clowns, mandarins, blackcap basslets, shrimp gobies, damsels, dispar anthias, yellow clown gobies, threadfin cardinals --- Tanks: 100g reef, 2 x 30g refugiums

01/24/2006, 05:37 PM	#19
sethd12 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Columbia, SC Posts: 941	i think over time that the least dominant male with turn back female. that is what happened when i ordered one female and received one male. mine turned sexes in about 2 weeks. __________________ -500 gallon mixed reef

01/19/2006, 01:10 AM	#2
Psyire Premium Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Alberta, Canada Posts: 1,870	anybody?

01/19/2006, 02:01 AM	#3
dave11 Premium Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Portland - Dorset - UK Posts: 113	Dont think so - 1 male will probably harass the the other - possibly to death.

01/19/2006, 09:07 AM	#5
kbmdale Moved On Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: fayetteville, TN Posts: 2,604	How do you tell the males from females. I am going to purchase 2 and this is useful info .. thanks

01/19/2006, 09:14 AM	#6
pfish Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Seattle Posts: 289	I had five anthia's, 4 female one male. One of the females turned male and now I have two males. They fought for awhile until the new one got the upper hand and one everything is peaceful. they stay away from each other. I have a 240gal but yours should be fine in a 180. The male has a taller dorsal and more flowing fin's in general, plus darker coloration with a large spot on it's ventral fin's.

01/19/2006, 09:16 AM	#7
TacoKing Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Columbus, OH Posts: 2,051	I originally purchased 3 anthias, 2 females and 1 male. One of the females changed. There is some agression, but nothing serious. They have been together now for about 8 months and everyone is doing quite fine. kbmdale: You really need at least three Anthias for them to live well. 1 male and 2 females. The males and females have different colors depending on the type of anthias you get.

01/19/2006, 09:52 AM	#8
kbmdale Moved On Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: fayetteville, TN Posts: 2,604	So you have to have 3.. That may change my plans. I am buying them from a fellow reefer who is downsizing. He has 3, but they are all already 3" fish. They will be going in a 75g with 2 chromis (1.5" each), a yellow watchman goby(3"), and a white sailfin ballon mollie (1"). There is also a coral banded shrimp. Do you think 3 would be pushing the bioload. I have a 20g sump and 20g fuge along with a phosphate reactor and good skimmer.

01/19/2006, 11:05 AM	#10
Tyrosinase Registered Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Salt Lake City Posts: 195	I disagree, you don't NEED to have multiple anthias for them to do fine in an aquarium. I have seen many tanks that only have one anthia in them and they are just fine. Although seeing these fish school is pretty cool though.

01/19/2006, 06:34 PM	#13
kbmdale Moved On Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: fayetteville, TN Posts: 2,604	Will do..I'm trying to find time to get them saturday then they will stay in my 29g QT tank for a couple of days.

01/19/2006, 10:07 PM	#14
Psyire Premium Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Alberta, Canada Posts: 1,870	Thanks for all the replies guys! Well I didn't have a whole lot of options other than to add them and hope for the best. A few things to point out.. The 4 Bartlett's (1M/3F) have been in the 180g for about 1.5 months. The new Bartlett's are alittle smaller. (The new male is smaller than the established male) I got the new fish in the afternoon and acclimated them. I killed all the lights and added them to the main tank around 6pm. (added on the opposite side of the tank as the established anthias sleep) Then I went to work (nightshifts) and hoped for the best. I got home around 7am and checked the tank with a flashlight, everybody was sleeping. I then went to sleep. I woke up around 2pm and crossed my fingers... I was pleased when I seen all 7 anthias swimming around with no fins shredded. The bigger male tends to chase the smaller male once in awhile and he hides for abit. However I have observed them swimming side x side with no aggression. The females seem to be mingling nicely and things are looking good. The two groups seem to favor opposite sides of the tank but I imagine that will be only for awhile. I feed pellets twice a day and a mixture of freeze-dryed and frozen foods every second day. I hope things go as smoothly tomorrow...

01/19/2006, 10:13 PM	#15
Psyire Premium Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Alberta, Canada Posts: 1,870	They have a lot of swimming room (free water) and ducking, diving, & hiding places. My tank:

01/20/2006, 05:33 PM	#17
Psyire Premium Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Alberta, Canada Posts: 1,870	Thanks So far so good with the Anthias as well. None beat up and nothing too serious as far as chasing goes.

01/24/2006, 05:09 PM	#18
Psyire Premium Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Alberta, Canada Posts: 1,870	Well it's been almost a week and things are looking good. All the anthias are getting along and eating well. The 2 males still have abit of aggression towards one another but nothing serious. The lesser of the males seems to stay more on the right side of the tank unless I'm feeding on the left. Watching 7 of these Bartlett's swarm around when I'm feeding is pretty cool. I'm definately glad I chose to expand this group from 4 to 7.

01/25/2006, 12:39 AM	#20
maximusmarine Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: AB Posts: 35	You mean Anthias can revert back to female? really? __________________ A Genius without Motivation is just another idiot! Current Tank Info: 24x22x12 Shallow Profilux Plus II PLC ASM G3 Self Clean Skimmer Dual Phosban 150 Reactors Custom Automated Water Changer Custom M3 Kalk Reactor http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1932566

01/26/2006, 03:10 AM	#21
Psyire Premium Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Alberta, Canada Posts: 1,870	I didn't think Males could turn back into females either, it's possible?? Here's a picture of the less dominate (newly added) male:

01/26/2006, 08:04 PM	#22
JeremyT Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: North Carolina Posts: 68	Looking good Psyire! When I heard about the second male I heard the sound of a drum roll in the distance and then... He was a goner! Hopefully they will keep getting along. Good Luck!