Squareback Anthias are a beautiful addition to any reef tank.
Squareback Anthias are a good community fish, and should adapt well to a reef or fish only tank.
The males can become a little territorial, but their bark is worse than their bite. We have found them to chase one another around the tank, but mine has never nipped at fins.
Some will jump, but the male Anthias from the demo tank has stayed put for over a year. Although he has not jumped, his square seems to have left him.
Why?
Our demo tank from The Reef Aquarium DVD, A Set Up And Maintenance Guide is bright, and many Squareback Anthias like lower light. Fortunately, he has stayed in view and let us enjoy his beauty instead of always hiding in the rocks. However, this swimming around in bright light has had an adverse effect on his beautiful square. It is gone! Also, his colors have shifted, from orange to a more orange/ yellow. Amazingly enough his colors are still bright and vibrant. Also, the overall health of the male Squareback Anthias is excellent.
So what can I do?
We could lower the light level in the tank, but we are not going to do this, as this will adversely affect the growth of our corals. For now, we will just keep things as they are and enjoy the beautiful Squareback Anthias, without his square on his back.
