Achilles Tang fishlist

[Akrite]

Last December I lost all my fish to a velvet outbreak. Now I have a 3.5" Achilles and 5 Bartlett anthias in hypo salinity for the last 3 weeks. I like fish with bright colors and would like for ever fish to be a different color. My last setup was a 5" powder blue, 4" yellow tang, small tomini tang, flame angel and a male square back anthias.

The 2 setups I thought of this time were the Achilles, yellow tang, blue tang and Bartlett anthias or the Achilles as the only tang and a group of Bartletts and lyretail anthias with another group of blue fish. What do u think? I'm open to suggestion and I have a 120 gallon tank.

 

[Toddrtrex]

IMO, an Achilles won't be happy in a 120, and I would go a different route -- one that is better suited for your sized tank.

 

[reefsafe]

agreed. 120 way to small. My achilles does laps in my 280 gallon

 

[Akrite]

I plan you upgrade to a 240 or 250 gallon in the next year and its been in a 20 gallon for almost 4 weeks with no problems. Plus I kept a large powder blue for 2 years with no problems until I added a fish that wiped every thing out in 2 weeks. Now I use QT.

My tank has plenty of flow, excellent water conditions and no stressful tank mates so the Achilles should do fine. I appreciate you opinion but I'm looking for input on my stock list with the Achilles.

 

[whedbee]

To be honest before joining this forum I never qt, now Im like scared.

 

[snorvich]

I recommend stocking for the tank you have, not the tank you HOPE to have. Kill less fish that way.

 

[kirkaz]

I assume the 120 is 4 foot long? I'm afraid that is a bit small for an Achilles, I had one for 7+ years in a 125 which was too small as well, but at least it was 6 feet long. He will likely be horribly aggressive in a tank this small. You already have the fish, so I would keep him, but I would be cautious and light with stocking, and don't add any other Tangs for sure until you upgrade, it will cause undue stress.

Achilles may be considered "fragile", but they are horribly territorial.

 

[SDguy]

I don't think hypo kills velvet. Someone can correct me if I am wrong

 

[Toddrtrex]

I recommend stocking for the tank you have, not the tank you HOPE to have. Kill less fish that way.

I made that mistake in the past -- I was suppose to have a "large" tank years ago. Lucky for me (( and the fish )) I didn't kill anything, but was a pain to catch and sell the fish that didn't fit.

 

[Akrite]

I agree that if the Achilles grows from 3.5" to 6" in one year then yes my tank will be too small, but he is very small and I'd believe they grow that fast. I have personally seen a 5" Achilles in a 150 gallon tank that is only one foot longer than mine with other tangs and he looked extremely happy.

Most books and online vendors state that the minimum tank size is 100 gallons for this fish. I did do my research before purchasing this fish and have found several other member who have kept an Achilles Tang in a tank my size with good results on Achilles Tang Primer. Most of them don't even quarantine their fish and they die of ich.

I understand everyone's concern about the size of my tank but your not considering the size of my fish. I believe that a small healthy Achilles will happily survive in my tank as long as he doesn't feel threatened by another fish.

I know hypo doesn't kill velvet but I do quarantine so if the fish did have velvet it would have shown up by now and not affect my DT.

 

[Akrite]

How can it be OK to keep a Powder Blue, Powder Brown, Goldrim, and Blue Caribbean Tang in a 100 gallon tank but not an Achilles. They are all in the same fish family and grow to be the same size and shape. I left out the Sohal because they get over a foot long. All tangs need lots of swimming room, water movement and excellent water conditions to survive the rules are the same.

 

[snorvich]

How can it be OK to keep a Powder Blue, Powder Brown, Goldrim, and Blue Caribbean Tang in a 100 gallon tank but not an Achilles.

In my opinion, none of those fish should be kept in a 100 gallon tank.

 

[tang56]

in my opinion, none of those fish should be kept in a 100 gallon tank.

+1

 

[jay2525]

How can it be OK to keep a Powder Blue, Powder Brown, Goldrim, and Blue Caribbean Tang in a 100 gallon tank but not an Achilles. They are all in the same fish family and grow to be the same size and shape. I left out the Sohal because they get over a foot long. All tangs need lots of swimming room, water movement and excellent water conditions to survive the rules are the same.

It's not ok.

 

[prickles]

i would go with your plan of the achilles as being the only tang and supplementing with other types of fish.
I too think your achilles will feel cramped. My powder blue seems happy in my tank (as you mentioned you had one before), but my achilles is constantly doing laps.

 

[SDguy]

I know hypo doesn't kill velvet but I do quarantine so if the fish did have velvet it would have shown up by now and not affect my DT.

I was just trying to clarify for anyone reading this thread. Because hypo doesn't kill velvet, if velvet does show up, chances aren't good. You can't copper AND hypo, and velvet kills SO fast, you wouldn't have time to raise the salinity back up properly.

Don't ask me how I know all this... it's not theoretical

 

[snorvich]

I was just trying to clarify for anyone reading this thread. Because hypo doesn't kill velvet, if velvet does show up, chances aren't good. You can't copper AND hypo, and velvet kills SO fast, you wouldn't have time to raise the salinity back up properly.

Don't ask me how I know all this... it's not theoretical

Yes, unfortunately you are right. I had my own issue with this in the early 90's and fortunately it has been my only experience with it. But it is a horrifying disease.

 

[TampaReefer79]

I agree that if the Achilles grows from 3.5" to 6" in one year then yes my tank will be too small, but he is very small and I'd believe they grow that fast. I have personally seen a 5" Achilles in a 150 gallon tank that is only one foot longer than mine with other tangs and he looked extremely happy.

Most books and online vendors state that the minimum tank size is 100 gallons for this fish. I did do my research before purchasing this fish and have found several other member who have kept an Achilles Tang in a tank my size with good results on Achilles Tang Primer. Most of them don't even quarantine their fish and they die of ich.

I understand everyone's concern about the size of my tank but your not considering the size of my fish. I believe that a small healthy Achilles will happily survive in my tank as long as he doesn't feel threatened by another fish.

I know hypo doesn't kill velvet but I do quarantine so if the fish did have velvet it would have shown up by now and not affect my DT.

How did the fish 'look happy'? And the problem with this setup is that you're content to just let the fish 'survive' rather than THRIVE. I also think the tank is too small for the tang stocking you have planned. The achilles AND the hippo are not good candidates.

 

[scubasteve06]

A 4' long tank is not big enough no matter the gallonage for an Achilles Tang. They need AT LEAST 6' of room to swim and IMHO the minimum tank size for an Achilles would be a TRUE 180 (6x2). I have a 6' tank but I'm not getting an Achilles because he wouldn't be happy for his whole life in the tank I have.

 

[Akrite]

I swear nobody listens any more. I know most people believe a 6' tank is the minimum for an Achilles, i got that. I already have the tang and my question is what other fish should go with him?

Why is everyone jumping down my neck when there are hundreds of threads with tangs in tanks smaller than a 100 gallons and when the title of the thread is, Rate my tank. All any one can say is nice tank, great aqua scape, what kind of lights are you using but never i think that 2-3" blue tang is too big for a 75 gallon. I personally believe if you buy a small tang and do have plans to upgrade in the future as your fish and corals grow then there is nothing wrong with keeping a tang in a smaller tank. I never said the Achilles would spend his whole life in my 120, I said 1 year if even that long.

And by saying "LOOKED HAPPY" I mean not stressed, uncomfortable or fighting with other fish. From what I've read Achilles and other large tangs become very aggressive when there home has become too small for them and as long a my tang doesn't behave this way I feel fine with keeping him. I guess some of you feel better if I just returned him to a LFS for pennies on a dollar and watch him die from diseases like ich because most saltwater owner have tanks smaller than 100 gallons and consider this fish to be too expensive.

No aquarist should ever be satisfied with their fish or coral just surviving. Of course I want my fish to THRIVE I couldn't think of a better word at the time. I want to make the best of what I have and I'm asking my fellow member for suggestions.