Achilles Experts - Achilles as first fish good idea?

[nuxx]

Just got done speaking to a local reefer who is a bit of a tang expert.

After going over the list of fish I'd like to keep, he strongly recommended that the Achilles should be the FIRST fish in the new tank.

Reasoning was that if it got a bad case of ICH, it wouldn't hurt anything in the tank.

Also, allowing the entire tank to the Achilles would drastically lower it's stress and help it get established better and hopefully stay healthy.

If you guys think this is a good idea, would it be better just to completely skip QT and get the Achilles right into the empty DT?

 

[TheGodParticle]

If this is truly the first fish in the tank then it would be a very poor decision to skip QT. Why introduce the ich at all to your DT? If it's the first fish there is absolutely no reason to skip the QT. You will ask for loads of trouble down the road if you are okay with introducing ich. The idea of QT is to not introduce it to your DT.

 

[nuxx]

If this is truly the first fish in the tank then it would be a very poor decision to skip QT. Why introduce the ich at all to your DT? If it's the first fish there is absolutely no reason to skip the QT. You will ask for loads of trouble down the road if you are okay with introducing ich. The idea of QT is to not introduce it to your DT.

Sure I'm 100% pro QT. I have 4 QT tanks.

OK so after QT would it be a good first introduction?

 

[gobolts23]

No way. Achilles Tangs come with ich and gill flukes 99% of the time from the wild. I have collected them myself in HI and within 2-3 days they are covered in parasites. Always QT any wild caught fish.

 

[nuxx]

No way. Achilles Tangs come with ich and gill flukes 99% of the time from the wild. I have collected them myself in HI and within 2-3 days they are covered in parasites. Always QT any wild caught fish.

I guess the point isn't really to QT or not, that was a secondary question.

Main question if order of introduction.

 

[Allmost]

if you do QT it, and all other fish, they will not carry any disease, so it wont matter when it is introduced ...

but that being said. if you do plan on adding more than 1 tang, you should QT them and introduce to main Display Tank at once. [to avoid aggression]

 

[nuxx]

if you do QT it, and all other fish, they will not carry any disease, so it wont matter when it is introduced ...

but that being said. if you do plan on adding more than 1 tang, you should QT them and introduce to main Display Tank at once. [to avoid aggression]

Was planning on doing that with similar body types.

i.e. QT all separate and introduce together Black, Yellow and Purple.

Same with Achilles and Sohal, was planning on those being my last two fish and introduced together. Just got this idea today, wanted to see what people thought...

 

[Philly guy]

I am no expert, but I think an Achilles should be one of the last fish added to the tank. They are territorial and if you put him in first he will feel the tank is his and every time you add a new fish, he will assert his dominance in the tank and become stressed -- a little or a lot depending on what you put in -- and in turn stress out the new addition as well.

If you are planning on putting in an Achilles and a Sohal, I would put them in at the same time and definitely among the last fish to be added to the system.

 

[gobolts23]

i would highly recommend avoiding the sohal all together....unless you want to find dead fish periodically. achilles are very territorial but nothing in comparison to a sohal.

 

[Allmost]

yea Sohals can be crazy ...

I too am no expert, but in my last tank I had an achilles, which was the first fish added [along with a purple tang] I think the decision was good, as the achilles was more sensitive than other fish added after, and this way it was already settled in. I wanted him to be the king of the tank.

I only had problem when adding a moorish Idol, but aggression went away after a day of chasing.

 

[ca1ore]

Although high strung, the Achilles Tang can be quite aggressive. It should ideally be the only acanthurus in the tank and thus be among the last fish added. Even in a tank your size, I'd not be mixing an Achilles and a Sohal.

Also, though not your principal question, there aren't too many fish that I can think of that would be a poorer candidate for skipped QT than an Achilles!

 

[gobolts23]

i have had my achilles tang for over 3 years. he is housed with other tangs and he definitely is the boss....always patrolling and flashing the others.

 

[nuxx]

Thanks guys.

I think I'll go back to my original plan of adding the Achilles in last.

I'll have a better feel for the mood of the tank as it matures.

Do you think adding in a 2" Sohal and 4-5" Achilles near last will change anything?

 

[ca1ore]

I think I may have opined on this in another of your threads, cannot honestly recall. So, sorry if redundant .... My experience with the Sohal is that it is fine when small, but once past about 8 inches becomes a holy terror. You'll probably be fine for while, but at some point the Sohal will get big enough to be a big problem. Is surprising how fast they can grow.

 

[gobolts23]

a sohal is probably the most aggressive fish that you can purchase. i have had undulated and clown triggers sliced up by them. a sohal is great with damsels only imo.

 

[nuxx]

LOL so ICH from an Achilles will kill the other fish, or the Sohal will kill the other fish?

 

[gobolts23]

Well ich will kill the sohal before it has the chance to kill the other fish

 

[nuxx]

Well ich will kill the sohal before it has the chance to kill the other fish

Hahah good point

Maybe I can just arrange to have the Sohal given to a local aquarium if it starts getting aggressive

 

[Holsteiner]

If I would have added my Achilles first he would be the only fish in there (although there are only a few because of him). You would have way to much aggression if you do that. Mine is so aggressive he'll kill any newly added fish, doesn't matter what it is.

 

[gobolts23]

I dont think a local aquarium would even want a sohal honestly. There is a good read on wetwebmedia on them. also check out the youtube videos of sohal tangs attacking snorkelers!

i personally love sohals...but would not risk anything other than a handful of damsels.