Achilles Tang Primer
- Thread starter BrianD
- Start date
Jolseen
New member
Very pretty! :thumbsup:
ironwill723
Well-known member
I would not go below 72 degrees. Liveaquaria states range from 72-78 degrees. I keep mine around 78. Very sensitive fish.
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ironwill723
Well-known member
I would agree...I mixed NLS pellets with TLF nori flakes to get mine hooked originally. I am trying to feed exclusively NLS thera A pellets to mine. All my fish have responded better than I could have imagined with color and health. The achilles was slightly skinny when first acquired and has now really filled out well.
ironwill723
Well-known member
Any one else running ozone with their achilles? This is my second try with this fish and the ozone really seems to make a difference with this one as I did not have the ozone before. I keep my ORP between 400-425 and have two mp40s for flow along with a 2000gph return. That and this one eats NLS pellets and the first did not.
1ucky
Member
He actually ate some mysis soaked in Zoe and Garlic, but loves Nori the best:spin3:.....
nonimmigrant
New member
Gary I go old school here. I have a piece of live rock (2"x2"x1") that I rubber band the nori to every morning. I have a 4 member "school" of Achillies in my 400G and they go bonkers when I'm pulling the rock out. I also feed live caulerpa from the sump of my SPS tank twice a week.
Keeping my Achilles tribe full is solely dependent on how much food I put in the tank. They will take everything.
nonimmigrant
New member
My Last Tang, I mean it this time. He arrived today from DD. Water temp 70 spec gravity 1.025. I dripped him for 3 hours with a bubbler and brought temp to 78. I thought sg would be 1.021 but DD holds coral and fish at 1.025. My sg was very close so that made it much easier on the fish. I hesitantly introduced him to the display no quarentine, I think its best for the fish, specifically this fish. Too big and active for a 40 breeder. To my suprise there was zero aggression from the other 4(Sohal 3.5", Hippo 4" Purple 4" Yellow 4"). I think size had a lot to do with this. He's 3/4 of an inch larger on paper but quite a bit bigger than them. Almost twice the body mass of my sohal. I'll feed this evening and I suspect he will eat. He seems quite content in the tank picking off rocks and power heads. Color thus far is a 10. I was rather nervous with this purchase as they are quite pricey and expert only, but for now I'm cautiously optimistic.
Be wary of the Sohal! I've seen many of them go as bonkers as Mel Gibson on a bender for absolutely no reason on other Acanthurus when they get to be about 6-7" long...
nonimmigrant
New member
IME, I have never had a problem with Cupramine and Acanthurus tangs; especially my AT's. Just ensure that you dose correctly and reduce your feeding regime slightly while increasing your food vitamin soaks.
yellojello
New member
All of your Achilles look great! But sorry to kill the thread, but here is a pic of mine after 2 1/2 months. I wrap nori around pvc pipe with fishing line to hang it.
For the first month, I was feeding garlic nori twice a day, and pellet with garlic twice a day. After the first month, I was sketching out about feeding too much and algae blooms, so I cut it less. But now I see that I should feed a lot until they get healthy. I will do garlic soaked nori twice a day, and garlic soaked P.E. Mysis twice a day.
The algae mistake was that I haven't changed my GFO for like 2 months. Time flies! Plus my sediment and carbon for RO/DI is right passed the 6 month mark. Replacements coming. Currently at 1-2 TDS.
I've been doing 20% water changes every week, but now I'll kick it up to twice a week.
For the first month, I was feeding garlic nori twice a day, and pellet with garlic twice a day. After the first month, I was sketching out about feeding too much and algae blooms, so I cut it less. But now I see that I should feed a lot until they get healthy. I will do garlic soaked nori twice a day, and garlic soaked P.E. Mysis twice a day.
The algae mistake was that I haven't changed my GFO for like 2 months. Time flies! Plus my sediment and carbon for RO/DI is right passed the 6 month mark. Replacements coming. Currently at 1-2 TDS.
I've been doing 20% water changes every week, but now I'll kick it up to twice a week.
nonimmigrant
New member
Yellojello: What is covering your AT? If that's an Ich outbreak you had better deal with it very soon.
yellojello
New member
It is an Ich outbreak. Because it has spread to a few of my other fish. It's past the 2 1/2 month mark, and all fish seem healthy and eating still. Just a few are scratching against the rocks.
I'm not sure if I'm lucky, or that I have a larger tank, but it seems like people with Ich have their fish wiped out in weeks. So far, its been 2 months now. Achilles has Ich all over, but eats and swims just fine (which I thought I could beat Ich still). Only others that show scratching is the clown and midas blenny, who have been itching for weeks too, but no signs of white dots. Helfrichi had Ich, fought it off, but now has white specks.
I've read that people have had their fish "live" with Ich and build immunity to it. But I've also read that Ich will kill all the fish eventually. I was thinking of trying to "live" with it. I'm not sure if I am somewhat successful so far, because people say Ich can kill all fish in weeks, but its already been a few months. Does having a 120g tank make the "cycle" longer to spread so to speak? Also, since the Achilles seems healthy, throwing it into QT will just stress it out more leading to death, as it has happened to quite a few people.
The best I am trying to do is frequent water changes, and frequent feedings with garlic soaked foods.
Does anyone have any luck with Metronidazole and Focus?
I'm not sure if I'm lucky, or that I have a larger tank, but it seems like people with Ich have their fish wiped out in weeks. So far, its been 2 months now. Achilles has Ich all over, but eats and swims just fine (which I thought I could beat Ich still). Only others that show scratching is the clown and midas blenny, who have been itching for weeks too, but no signs of white dots. Helfrichi had Ich, fought it off, but now has white specks.
I've read that people have had their fish "live" with Ich and build immunity to it. But I've also read that Ich will kill all the fish eventually. I was thinking of trying to "live" with it. I'm not sure if I am somewhat successful so far, because people say Ich can kill all fish in weeks, but its already been a few months. Does having a 120g tank make the "cycle" longer to spread so to speak? Also, since the Achilles seems healthy, throwing it into QT will just stress it out more leading to death, as it has happened to quite a few people.
The best I am trying to do is frequent water changes, and frequent feedings with garlic soaked foods.
Does anyone have any luck with Metronidazole and Focus?
yellojello
New member
eho72: like all others would say, if I were to do it over again, I would QT all fish. Especially Achilles or Powder Tangs of those sort. Actually, all my fish were fine until the Achilles was added. So other fish probably don't need to QT, but you should anyways.
This is the order of additions to my tank starting February 2010:
4 chromies
1 midas blenny
1 purple firefish
2 saddleback clowns (only 1 now, tank overflow killed one)
1 helfrichi firefish
1 yellow clown goby (died, couldn't get it to eat)
1 radiant wrasse
1 lyretail anthia male (planning 2 more females maybe, but probably overstocked as it is)
May 11th 2010
Added 2.5" Yellow Tang and 4" Achilles
Tough decision for me then. I am tempted to put the fish directly in the DT since my QT is only 30 gallon. It's risky because I do not want ich on the rest of my fish that are super healthy at this point. My goldflake angel has been with me for a while and would really hate to risk it's health. What to do...:spin2:
ccampbell57
Premium Member
Your AT is the result of not properly QT'ing your fish. It could be the fact that the AT had ich when it was introduced or the ich was in the tank and the aggression from its introduction caused the others to enable the ich to accumulate and infest them.
Either way, your fish are not going to have a good chance of living if you dont treat them all SOON. You need to pull every fish and put them in a tank with hypo or copper.
Get it done now or lose the majority of or all your fish.
Good luck.
Either way, your fish are not going to have a good chance of living if you dont treat them all SOON. You need to pull every fish and put them in a tank with hypo or copper.
Get it done now or lose the majority of or all your fish.
Good luck.
I am going to QT my AT since it's only 2-3". Only way I will move it to the DT is if it's not eating. Not really thrill with moving the fish multiple times, but I am not taking that big risk. My first AT last year died from ich after being introduced directly into the DT. So I am going a different route this time.
Changed my mind yet again. It was a pleasant surprise to see that the achilles tang is 4" and not 2-3" that I thought I would get. I took a look at my QT and realize that the flow and water quality is not adequate so straight into the DT he goes. Spooky is getting along with all the fish in my tank.
Spooky
Spooky
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