Of all of the anthias, the lyretail is just about the most cantankerous and territorial. Even though it is found in the wild in huge swarms over a reef, in an aquarium it is usually best to keep a single fish, and not to have any other anthias, or any other fish that look like anthias, or any fish that compete for food in the water column in the tank with the single lyretail. If you want to keep lyretail anthias in a harem, like other anthias such as the threadfin or the peach, then you need to have a really big tank, 150 gallons or larger. Even then there will be lots of fighting and jostling within the school until the social hierarchy is determined, and you may lose some fish in the process. What is worse, the jockeying within the harem never ceases with these fish.

Since it is a zooplankton feeder, it needs to be presented with a variety of meaty foods such as enriched brine shrimp, mysis shrimp, finely chopped seafood, and any of the frozen diets designed specifically for plankton feeders. It needs to be fed small amounts many times a day, and it is important to make sure that all of the fish in the harem are getting enough food, because one way in which lyretail anthias exert dominance over each other is to try and deny the fish below them on the social ladder access to food.