Bartlett Anthias

[markreefer]

I am intending to add 6 Bartlett Anthias to my tank. What ratio of Male/Female should I go for? The more males the better for the colour.

[jjjimmy]

There should be only one male with a "harem" of females.

[Julio]

just get all females and let them decide.

[Pepbill]

I'd get 1 male and rest females. Females that change to males in captivity don't seem to color up as well as wild males IME.

[RichK]

You only want one male. The females are colorful too, not drab by any means. The one thing to watch out for is "bargain" anthias. These fish can be picky feeders, so you want them from a reputable source. If you get all females, one will change to male. As far as coloration is concerned, a wild caught male may be more colorful than a female that goes through the change. I myself, got a trio from the Marine Center which consisted of a male and 2 females. My only wish is that I should have gotten more. I may add more, but I am not sure what the established trio would do.

[markreefer]

Thank you all for that. My next problem is obtaining them here in the UK. I have been trying for over a year now without success. Can anyone in US put me in touch with an exporter who would ship a quantity to UK? My LFS would take a shipment but needs a reliable source.

[wayne in norway]

Where do they usually get their fish from?

[markreefer]

A large wholesaler in UK called TMC. But for some reason they dont ever get Bartlett Anthias

[wayne in norway]

Odd - I looked at some other wholesaler lists and they didn't either. I can't imagine getting them from the US.... you would be appaled at the premium you pay for getting hawaii based fish compared to singapore, fiji et al.
I don't see why these wouldn't be available though

[wayne in norway]

coralfarm.co.uk? 26.50 +p and p

[markreefer]

Thank you for that, I'll give them a try.