Achilles Tang Primer

[sTefaniA]

stef, that achilles looks flawless.

what are the dimensions to your tank and what other tankmates does the achilles have? is that FOWLR? what do you have for flow?

thanks..

Thanks tank dimension are 105" 40" 25" so that makes 530g including sump. Display is 450g. Its an sps tank. I am using tunze streamers but I am getting two vortechs mp60 instead, but for now:

Flow:
2x tunze 5300g
2x tunze 3200g
1x vortech mp40
1X ATK 4200g

Tankmates:

naso elegans 2x
acanthurus olivaceus 1x
zebrasoma xanthurum 1x
zebrasoma desjardinii 1x
chelmon rostratus 1x
splendid mandarin 2x
target mandarin 2x
anampses neoguinacus 1x
cleaning wrasse 1x
yellow coris wrasse 2x
and some other wrasses, gobies, ...

It's a see through reef in progress. Takes a lot of corals to fill this one up

 

[MJinMN]

I really like your aquascaping, looks like lots of room to swim, but still many places for coral too.

 

[geaux xman]

if i hypo the achilles for 6 weeks, would the chances of the achilles getting ich go way down? my lfs has a ~3.5" achilles that looks very healthy and is eating well that i might consider picking up in janurary.

tank cohabitants will be one 3" bluejaw trigger and one 3" emperor angel juvie. it should be an ich free tank as those 2 has been in hypo for 3+ weeks now. 6 weeks when my tank is up.

 

[Jacob D]

Hi folks. I decided to start the new year off with a new fish. This is my first Achilles. It's a ~4" specimen from DD. It arrived yesterday and is in my QT now. Beautiful fish, appears very healthy all around.

I understand everyone has to make their own decision about quarantine, but my perspective is that quarantine only makes sense if every fish is quarantined. I'll leave it at that.


As for my QT, it's a standard 4-foot 55 gallon. I have a couple of K-4 powerheads for flow, Remora skimmer, a biowheel, about 20 lbs of LR, and a small ball of chaeto and 2x24w T5 lamps. Someone used the term "decorated QT" once, which I think is a good description. The tank is very established the last time I broke it down completely was about a year ago. I can set up a sterile hospital tank if need be, but I rarely do so.

Earlier today I offered some Hikari mysis, live black worms, and Nori. He had a good feeding response and sampled everything. A lot of the mysis was spit out, but some eaten. Seems to like the blackworms, and of course Nori rubber banded to a rock. Hopefully everything will continue to go well. I'll follow up in about a week.

 

[sTefaniA]

I have noticed mysis is not a good food source for new fish, they always spit it out again. I think it's because mysis is not soft enough because they are just small shrimp so they have an exoskeleton. Artemia should be better, add some vitamins to it because it doesnt have any nutritional value. Garlic nori is also a favorite here. New life spectrum, spirulina, banana and broccoli are some things my achilles loves.

 

[geaux xman]

Jacob, do you plan on hypo or copper treating the achilles?

 

[IFbettas]

Hi guys. I've had my achilles for about 3 months now, and he has been doing great so far. Recently I started feeding him more with time off during the holidays, and now he has an "indent" going down his body where his spine is. I'm confused as to why he has gotten this, because my first instinct would be that he is losing weight. If he was losing weight, wouldn't his spine be sticking out, not in? Can anyone tell me what's happening? Here is a picture of him that shows what I'm talking about:

Oh yeah, the spots are on the glass, not the fish.

 

[vertwake]

I'm relatively new but thought I'd post my experience thus far. I picked up a Juvi from Live Aquaria. Was about 2 1/2 inches. I put it in QT all by itself for 2 weeks. No lights other than the room light which I left on part of the day. The QT was 40 gal breeder sand only with a PVC pipe for it to hide in and 2 koralia pumps pointed straight at each other so the tank had pretty decent flow.

I'd read through this primer a couple of times so I was well aware of the QT vs. no QT discussion. Ultimately with the way I needed to stock my tank and the fish I was going to be adding I had to QT first until I had my ducks in a row.

During the QT process I kept Nori available on a clip at all times and I fed pellets. I had selcon and garlic on hand in case it became necessary. First two days it wouldn't eat anything except to peck at the Nori. After the 2nd day it started eating pellets and blowing through the Nori.

I never had any signs of ick. After 2 weeks I put it in my DT. I've never once had ick on any of my fish. Really surprised me as what I've read in this thread almost make it sound like it's unavoidable.

I'm pretty early in so far, but after 3 weeks it seems healthy, doesn't have any ick, and eats pellets and Nori like there's no tomorrow.

I designed my tank for a couple of species, one of them was to accomodate an Achillies. Lots of open swimming space, the ability to do laps around the tank unimpeded, arches, caves, and lots of flow.

I have a 200 gal with 4 MP40s in reef crest mode. The Achillies loves playing in the flow and even though it's considerably smaller than my PBTs it's still the boss of the tank and no one messes with him.

Still very early in, but so far so good, I didn't have any of the eating or ick problems I anticipated. Hopefully that lasts.

 

[Cultivatedcoral]

Just picked up this one locally about a month ago. No QT. Picked all my rocks of red algae. Started eating TLF Sea Veggies purple and green soaked in garlic. Had some signs of ick the first day or two but once it started eating prepared food it went away immediately. Now it's also eating NL Spectrum Pellets and Ocean Nutrition flakes. Won't touch any frozen mysis yet.

 

[ryshark]

I'm jelous, I've had my Achilles close to a year and it has never eaten a pellet, mysis or brine.

 

[knockout]

I am starting cycling my home tank after a complete overhaul, I am planning on adding an Achilles to the tank, once tank is cycled he will be the first fish to go in the tank and serve as a quarantine, I am thinking two weeks in normal water conditions to allow the fish to acclimate to the tank without any competition, then start introducing other species, gobies, blennys, anthias, wrasses, and last the rest of my tangs,
I have a sailfin tang which is the boss of the tank atm he is about 6-7"
tank is 215g 6'x2'x30"

your thoughts!

 

[Bloodkip]

I am starting cycling my home tank after a complete overhaul, I am planning on adding an Achilles to the tank, once tank is cycled he will be the first fish to go in the tank and serve as a quarantine, I am thinking two weeks in normal water conditions to allow the fish to acclimate to the tank without any competition, then start introducing other species, gobies, blennys, anthias, wrasses, and last the rest of my tangs,
I have a sailfin tang which is the boss of the tank atm he is about 6-7"
tank is 215g 6'x2'x30"

your thoughts!

I would add the tangs last but make the Achilles the first tang. Shouldn't you wait a couple months to be stable? Also, will a Achilles tang be happy in a 125 lightly stocked tank? Planning to only have 5 fish in there.

 

[Cultivatedcoral]

Even though you have a large tank (215g), adding an Achilles and large Sailfin right after cycling is probably not the best idea. If the Achilles doesn't eat right away you want some established live rock with algae on it to pick on until you can get it to take prepared foods.

I would hold off putting to many fish in after cycling. Take it slow. How many other tangs are you putting in?

I am starting cycling my home tank after a complete overhaul, I am planning on adding an Achilles to the tank, once tank is cycled he will be the first fish to go in the tank and serve as a quarantine, I am thinking two weeks in normal water conditions to allow the fish to acclimate to the tank without any competition, then start introducing other species, gobies, blennys, anthias, wrasses, and last the rest of my tangs,
I have a sailfin tang which is the boss of the tank atm he is about 6-7"
tank is 215g 6'x2'x30"

your thoughts!

 

[knockout]

there will be at least one month in between adding the Achilles (first in) and the Sailfin and yellow tang that I currently have in my holding tank provided that all is well with the Achilles in the first place.

 

[IFbettas]

I think my achilles is starting to lose weight...

How can I get him fat when all he eats is hikari mysis, pe mysis, spirulina brine, and nori? I give him a big piece of nori every day, and feed him the mysis and brine atleast 3-4 times a day. This keeps his belly full, but he still looks like he is getting skinnier. Will soaking his food in selcon every day help?

Or do you think feeding him more pe mysis and less of the other stuff might work?

 

[Tracey2]

I would skip the brine and bump up the pe mysis, the only other thing my achillies eats is hakari plankton but I'm not sure about the nutritional value he loves it though, I soak all meat in selcon and vitamin c and nori in vitamin c and zoe.

 

[Cultivatedcoral]

The soaking in selcon/zoecon may help. Will he eat pellets? Try new life spectrum pellets. Mine seems to love them.

I think my achilles is starting to lose weight...

How can I get him fat when all he eats is hikari mysis, pe mysis, spirulina brine, and nori? I give him a big piece of nori every day, and feed him the mysis and brine atleast 3-4 times a day. This keeps his belly full, but he still looks like he is getting skinnier. Will soaking his food in selcon every day help?

Or do you think feeding him more pe mysis and less of the other stuff might work?

 

[IFbettas]

The soaking in selcon/zoecon may help. Will he eat pellets? Try new life spectrum pellets. Mine seems to love them.

Unfortunately, he won't even look at NLS. I've tried both the Thera A+ and Marine formula and he won't eat either.

I guess I'm going to try feeding mainly pe mysis soaked in selcon and see if that helps any. I'll keep feeding him nori too though.

 

[ryshark]

Unfortunately, he won't even look at NLS. I've tried both the Thera A+ and Marine formula and he won't eat either.

I guess I'm going to try feeding mainly pe mysis soaked in selcon and see if that helps any. I'll keep feeding him nori too though.

Have you tried, Ocean Nutrition Formula 2 frozen?

 

[dnsfpl]

finally manage to snap a pix of my AT

fall in love with the luminous blue rim
that's the main reason why i bag it

cheers