Achilles Tang (Acanthurus achilles)

[Mark Bianco]

I have had reef tanks with tangs for years but being as I have always heard this particular tang is listed as in the expert care level I never purchased one. To make a long story short; My LFS offered me one heck of a deal on one. He has a 3.5 - 4 inch that he has listed for 299.00 and offered it to me for 199.00. I observed the fish for about 10 minutes and it looks good, swims good and eats like a pig. He has only had this tang since Wednesday.

I have a 210gl 6' coupled to a 100gl sump and I already have 6 various tangs in it. 3 - 4 inch range. Yellow, Sailfin, Hippo, and Kole.

My questions are this.

1. Why is this tang in the expert level, does it have special requirements?
2. Being as this tang is listed as semi aggressive should it be kept with any other surgeon fish?

Thanks in advance

Mark

 

[marlboroken]

I heard that they requird higher oxygen level

 

[SDguy]

Tons of info here:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1492655&highlight=achilles

 

[ca1ore]

My own experience with a half dozen or so over the years is that they often refuse to eat, are extremely suceptible to skin parasites (mainly ich), require extremely high levels of flow and can be quite twitchy - thus the designation of expert only. As long as it is eating and not obsessively pacing the glass, sounds like a good bet. I've had pretty good luck with them (more so than Naso, which is strange given its perception as easy) but it is CRITICAL to get a healthy specimen initially. I hope you plan to QT it - cannot think of a fish that calls for extended QT more than an Achilles. In terms of compatibility with other tangs, I'd not put another Acanthurus in with an Achilles, but have had no issues with Zebras, a Hippo, or the bristletooth tangs. As with most things tang, space becomes the limiting factor. I have six tangs in my 265, so seven in a 210 may be pushing things, particularly with a Sailfin and hippo that are already tight in a 6 foot tank. Depends on other fish though.

Also, after languishing in QT for close to four months, I added my AT to a display already containing a large hippo, and medium sized Sailfin, yellow, and purple using a socialization box. Subsequent release was pretty smooth, and all get along reasonably well. AFAIK, all tangs are listed as semi-aggressive with the exception of the clowns.

 

[Holsteiner]

Definitely important to get a healthy one that is eating right from the get go. QT is also an absolute must. I wish I could list mine as "semi-aggressive" LOL! He kills anything that tried to get added after him, so we are no longer adding anymore fish to that tank ;-) Over 3 years now I have found keeping mine extremely plump has worked, as well as a ton of flow and lots of swimming room.

 

[lhm nole]

Tons of flow is a must and lots of swimming room your yellow and sailfin will probably give it a hard time but from my experience achilles can hold there own.. Recently added a achilles with a purple and yellow tang and the yellow chased him for the first day or so and purple would only if he got near achilles but now they have all settled down occasional chase here and there. Achilles was smaller than my tangs.. He is eating very well and not pacing the tank so far so good .... In the past whenever I would add a achilles and it would pace the tank was usually not a good sign just my observations..

 

[crobattt]

People over analyze these fish so much.. I got one free from a fish store about 3 years ago. It was not eating and was scraping it's side on the rocks. Took it home, put it in a 75 gallon established tank with lots of flow, had it eating pellets within 3 days, and within 4 months and it was PIG. Just be careful, have lots of flow, give it plenty of swimming room.

How i got it to eat was placing nori in rocks around the tank to make it look natrual, once it ate nori from the glass, I curshed NLS pellets, and powdered them on nori and soaked it selcon so it would stick, once dried put it in the tank and it learned the smell and taste of pellets and was eating pellets in 2 days. Had it for a few more months and once it was full health I sold it to a guy with a 400g display

Don't even start complaining to me that it was in a 75g for 4 more months lol.. it was alive and healthy, more than most people can seem to do with an achilles in there big elaborate tanks lol

 

[jay13]

I too have one in my 180. Had it trans shipped, dipped and and watched it for a week in qt. Took the chance and added it. Easiest and healthiest fish you could ask for. Never gave me a problem. Now my clown tang that is with him is a little bit of a different story... No clue why they are "expert level".

 

[ca1ore]

I too have one in my 180. Had it trans shipped, dipped and and watched it for a week in qt. Took the chance and added it. Easiest and healthiest fish you could ask for. Never gave me a problem. Now my clown tang that is with him is a little bit of a different story... No clue why they are "expert level".

Ever consider the possibility that 'one does not a trend make'? Or are you suggesting that it's all a big conspiracy, or that you somehow have the magic touch? I think posts like this do a real disservice to folks who might be considering one.

 

[jay13]

Ever consider the possibility that 'one does not a trend make'? Or are you suggesting that it's all a big conspiracy, or that you somehow have the magic touch? I think posts like this do a real disservice to folks who might be considering one.

wow, nice. not going to even engage you on this one. op, good luck.

 

[MrCaveman]

I hand picked my first Achilles last week at the wholesale. The only one that ate a "1" NLS pellet. I put it in my 20g long QT with two koralias. It died that first night. I think to be successful with this fish you need excellent water quality and a lot of luck. This fish holds the record for quickest demise out of all the fish I've had in my 5 years in this hobby.