Achilles Tang getting attacked. PLEASE HELP

[warpigs]

I just added a achilles tang 3-4 inches into my system today, A 300 gallon 6x3 tank, and my tomini tang does not like it one bit at all. It's about full grown. My palatte and yellow tang don't seem to mind it. The achilles is getting pick on pretty badly. It already has a bad mark on it's body, a tear in it's top dorsal fin, 2 in it's tale and two in it's bottom fin. Tears on the top and bottom fins pretty much go from body to the end of the fin. For some reason the achilles doesn't go hide, it just stays out in the open. Does anyone have any advise to help. I buy all my fish from a guy who does maintenance too. He brought the fish down today and when I talked to him tonight, he seemed pretty shocked this was happening to this degree, considering the tomini is such an easy going fish.

Advise anyone

 

[Recty]

Catch the achilles and place it in a specimen container so the tomini cant attack it. Or, catch the tomini and remove it to the sump or some other fish tank for a week or so while the achilles recovers.

 

[jjstecchino]

Fish are always unpredictable. It is a strange behaviour for the Tomini. If you can't catch the tomini and segregate him for a while, a trick that has worked for me was to leave a net near the corner where the bullied fish would retreat. The bully (usually my powder blue tang) does not get close to the net. After a while (sometimes more than a week) the new fish get accepted and is left alone.

Good luck

 

[warpigs]

Catch the achilles and place it in a specimen container so the tomini cant attack it. Or, catch the tomini and remove it to the sump or some other fish tank for a week or so while the achilles recovers.

Wouldn't placing it in a specimen container stress it out more. I tried to catch the tomini, but no luck. out of all the fish in the tank, he's the one most afraid of the net.

 

[agreeive?fish]

considering how "delicate" achillies are said to be i would remove the tommi for afew days or seperate the tank with some egg crate, something to remove the agression until the achillies has time to adjust and recover some,

you might even black out the tank so that the fish go to thier respective hiding spots to give the achillies a chance to get some relief from the aggression

 

[warpigs]

Fish are always unpredictable. It is a strange behaviour for the Tomini. If you can't catch the tomini and segregate him for a while, a trick that has worked for me was to leave a net near the corner where the bullied fish would retreat. The bully (usually my powder blue tang) does not get close to the net. After a while (sometimes more than a week) the new fish get accepted and is left alone.

Good luck

Good idea, the Tomini hates the nets. however would rust from the net harm the fish or corals. My nets aren't rusted, but after leaving it in the water for a week, it would be.

Thanks guys

 

[warpigs]

considering how "delicate" achillies are said to be i would remove the tommi for afew days or seperate the tank with some egg crate, something to remove the agression until the achillies has time to adjust and recover some,

you might even black out the tank so that the fish go to thier respective hiding spots to give the achillies a chance to get some relief from the aggression

I may try the egg crate idea too, however that will be a little tricky for me, but I'll see if I can make it work.
I don't have a specimen container for the achilles so the egg crate may do the trick.
Thanks

 

[tangers]

get a fish trap, bait it and get the tomini out of there temporarily. fish traps work every time, usually within 15 mins and worst case an hour or so... but never failed yet.

 

[Recty]

Wouldn't placing it in a specimen container stress it out more. I tried to catch the tomini, but no luck. out of all the fish in the tank, he's the one most afraid of the net.

Would you rather be getting the living snot beat out of you or be stuck in a small room where someone dumps food in regularly?

 

[TampaReefer79]

A 4" Achilles isn't small...and it's surprising to me that a Tomini is beating it up. Is the Tomini the most dominant fish in your tank? if it is, don't worry it won't be for long. The Achilles will become the master of that domain once it settles in. You just have to find out how to LET it settle in. As suggested before, cut the lights off. Everyone will think it's nighty night time and go to their holes. Keep the food plentiful during this period with lots of greens and meaty foods.

P.S. You didn't qt the Achilles? It's hard to tell from your story, but it seems you didn't. I hope this all works out for you!!

 

[scubarob]

I just added a achilles tang 3-4 inches into my system today, A 300 gallon 6x3 tank, and my tomini tang does not like it one bit at all. It's about full grown. My palatte and yellow tang don't seem to mind it. The achilles is getting pick on pretty badly. It already has a bad mark on it's body, a tear in it's top dorsal fin, 2 in it's tale and two in it's bottom fin. Tears on the top and bottom fins pretty much go from body to the end of the fin. For some reason the achilles doesn't go hide, it just stays out in the open. Does anyone have any advise to help. I buy all my fish from a guy who does maintenance too. He brought the fish down today and when I talked to him tonight, he seemed pretty shocked this was happening to this degree, considering the tomini is such an easy going fish.

Advise anyone

U need to catch the achilles tonight when it is sleeping and put it into a 5 gal bucket right away with Furan2 (medication), an airstone, and CLEAN saltwater. U are going to need to treat the achilles until the mark goes away and the tears also heal up. water change everyday. If you got a QT tank then put it in there, but you ABSOLUTELY need to treat it with either Furan2, Nitrous Furizone Green, or any other med that is Furizone based. IF U DO NOT DO THIS YOUR ACHILLES TANG WILL BREAK OUT IN BACTERIAL INFECTION ON THE AREA THAT HAS THE MARK AND DIE IN 3-5 days.

 

[scubarob]

Please take a picture of the mark and post it so I can see the extent of the damage

 

[TampaReefer79]

U need to catch the achilles tonight when it is sleeping and put it into a 5 gal bucket right away with Furan2 (medication), an airstone, and CLEAN saltwater. U are going to need to treat the achilles until the mark goes away and the tears also heal up. water change everyday. If you got a QT tank then put it in there, but you ABSOLUTELY need to treat it with either Furan2, Nitrous Furizone Green, or any other med that is Furizone based. IF U DO NOT DO THIS YOUR ACHILLES TANG WILL BREAK OUT IN BACTERIAL INFECTION ON THE AREA THAT HAS THE MARK AND DIE IN 3-5 days.

Can you please elaborate on this? Thanks.

I ask because I've heare about/read about tangs being damaged in a 'fight' by another tang's scalpel to the point where one's intestines were on the OUTSIDE of it's body...and it healed up on it's own. Plus I've owned plenty of tangs that had tattered fins from 'skirmishes'. 3 yellows in a 220 gallon tank was a bad idea. Until I dropped it down to ONE yellow tang, not one of them had nice perfect fins. None of them died in 3-5 days.

To the OP: Calm down, check on all of the fish and assess the damage. Don't do anything drastic until you know for sure what course of action you should take.

 

[sanchoy]

I have alot of experience with tangs and the introduction of new tangs into established tanks. My current tank holds: purple,blue hippo,tomini,horse shoe,yellow,achilles,sailfin, and the dreaded king sohal.

First and foremost, try to buy a tang that is larger then the existing tang or tangs in the tank. That way he can fend off the attack more easily. Not sure in your situation if the achilles is larger then tomini?

I consider the achilles tang as one of the weaker species of tangs. There fighting and defending ability is sub-par. You will have to attempt to capture your tomini. Other options include putting up mirrors on the sides of the tank, and also cut up large pictures of an achilles tang (tape it onto the tank sides). This will cause some confusion by your existing fish social order and the pecking on the achilles will be reduced.

Remember, the achilles is a hard to keep tang specimen. Added stress does not bold well. Try to buy bigger or introduce first next time.

 

[TampaReefer79]

I have alot of experience with tangs and the introduction of new tangs into established tanks. My current tank holds: purple,blue hippo,tomini,horse shoe,yellow,achilles,sailfin, and the dreaded king sohal.

First and foremost, try to buy a tang that is larger then the existing tang or tangs in the tank. That way he can fend off the attack more easily. Not sure in your situation if the achilles is larger then tomini?

I consider the achilles tang as one of the weaker species of tangs. There fighting and defending ability is sub-par. You will have to attempt to capture your tomini. Other options include putting up mirrors on the sides of the tank, and also cut up large pictures of an achilles tang (tape it onto the tank sides). This will cause some confusion by your existing fish social order and the pecking on the achilles will be reduced.

Remember, the achilles is a hard to keep tang specimen. Added stress does not bold well. Try to buy bigger or introduce first next time.

You have 8 tangs, including a Sohal in a 250? How's it working out for you? What are the tank dimensions and do you have any pics?

 

[scubarob]

Can you please elaborate on this? Thanks.

I ask because I've heare about/read about tangs being damaged in a 'fight' by another tang's scalpel to the point where one's intestines were on the OUTSIDE of it's body...and it healed up on it's own. Plus I've owned plenty of tangs that had tattered fins from 'skirmishes'. 3 yellows in a 220 gallon tank was a bad idea. Until I dropped it down to ONE yellow tang, not one of them had nice perfect fins. None of them died in 3-5 days.

To the OP: Calm down, check on all of the fish and assess the damage. Don't do anything drastic until you know for sure what course of action you should take.

The achilles tang is a very weak fish that breaks out in infection very very very easily.....

[violation]

 

[Baldwin]

The achilles tang is a very weak fish that breaks out in infection very very very easily.....

I disagree, I think it would be more stressful to move and treat the fish without actual signs of infection. Remove the tomini for a couple of days, and monitor the achilles closely for infection. Catching fish in the ocean and keeping them in captivity are totally different things, and rash treatments often end in death IME. I have 7 tangs in my system, occasionally they bicker and scratch one another. In the wild they are used to disputes, and my fish generally heal in a couple of days no problem.

 

[nonimmigrant]

I disagree, I think it would be more stressful to move and treat the fish without actual signs of infection. Remove the tomini for a couple of days, and monitor the achilles closely for infection. Catching fish in the ocean and keeping them in captivity are totally different things, and rash treatments often end in death IME. I have 7 tangs in my system, occasionally they bicker and scratch one another. In the wild they are used to disputes, and my fish generally heal in a couple of days no problem.

I agree with Baldwin. Not to shoot down another Achilles-phile - I have 5 in my tanks - but I would not put the AT thru the stress of a antibacterial treatment. a minor overdosing could also kill the AT. I had a Tomini that too went ballistic over another small tang a number of years ago. I got rid of the Tomini...

 

[warpigs]

He was introduced Thursday, and first thing Friday morning I went to home depot to buy some egg grate to divide the tank. By Sunday the Achilles fins were completely healed up. The 2 cuts in it's sides were almost healed and as of now completely healed. It seems to be doing very well with the other tangs, and the aggression form the tomini seem to be reducing. I'll keep the tank divided for another week or so and see how they do together again. The Tomini is a little bigger than the AT. The tomini is about full grown. I went with a smaller AT because I didn't want to have problem with aggression from it.

To answer the a previous question about QTing the AT. No I did not. I purchase all my fish, corals and supplies from a guy who mainly does maintenance and only supplies fish to his clients. He QT's the fish for at least 2 weeks before he sells them to anyone. All of my fish have came from him and I've not had one problem with an unhealthy or diseased fish. He even had the AT eating flake food.

Thanks to all for your help. I'll post an update after I remove the egg grate

During the introduction, the lights were out all day.

 

[kueytoc]

I would remove the Tomini Tang given the chance. They look rather 'harmless' but dun underestimate its aggressiveness.

I have friends who have experienced their Tominis ferociously ripping the fins off Purple/Yellow/Bristletooth Tangs.