Achilles Tang Primer

[nonimmigrant]

I've had my Achillies for a few weeks now, he's settled right in. He eats like a horse and continuously grazes. I've had no problems or concerns so far apart from him showing aggression to his own reflection on the black perspex covering the weir overflow.

Is this going to stress him out or am overreacting?

It will be fine.

 

[nav jam]

It will be fine.

thanks

 

[Lightsluvr]

is it common for AT to have different teardrop & tail color?

thanks

Looks like you got a morph/hybrid... is it still a "juvenile"?

LL

 

[jr973]

An achilies is a tang I have wanted but just no success with them a buddy of mines has gone through 5 of them and no luck qt'd and still no luck just one of those fish

 

[Lightsluvr]

An achilies is a tang I have wanted but just no success with them a buddy of mines has gone through 5 of them and no luck qt'd and still no luck just one of those fish

When you say your buddy has "gone through" 5 of them, do you mean they all died right away, got diseases, wouldn't eat or what issues did your buddy have? The more details you can provide about how he cared for each of the fish and how long they survived would really help others evaluate the risk of purchasing one...

I have an established tank with numerous tangs and I am going to add my first Achilles later this week. It will be a 4-6" male and will go directly into my 350G display tank which has plenty of hiding places, very high flow and plenty of algae to graze upon. I know it's a risk (it's not my first rodeo) but I think the Achilles will have a better chance of disease-free survival if I place him immediately in a tank closest to his natural environment. This tank has seen mild instances of ich (over a year ago) but I used the old garlic treatment, selcon supplementation and the fishes continued to eat voraciously and fought off the disease.

I hope for a repeat with "Homer"

LL

 

[nuch]

Last fish added?

Last fish added?

I have a yellow, sailfin, scopas and hippo tangs. couple clowns and a six line. I was thinking about getting a blonde naso and a flame angel as my next fish in my 170 gallon with a ton of rock and a hand full of corals. I always thought about an AT. should it be the last fish added?

 

[dnsfpl]

 

[crobattt]

is picking at rocks a good sign? and does anybody have a good picture from when they change colors?

 

[Lightsluvr]

Wow, is that really the way he looks? Or do you need to adjust your camera's white balance?

LL

 

[Lightsluvr]

is picking at rocks a good sign? and does anybody have a good picture from when they change colors?

Picking at rocks is normal behavior as they forage for algae.

LL

 

[piusma]

I have a yellow, sailfin, scopas and hippo tangs. couple clowns and a six line. I was thinking about getting a blonde naso and a flame angel as my next fish in my 170 gallon with a ton of rock and a hand full of corals. I always thought about an AT. should it be the last fish added?

it should be your last tangwith that stocking list, however, I don't know if i could recommend an AT knowing that you've already have a bunch of others tangs in a small six footer.

I had to remove my hippo and my kole tang to keep my AT in a 180 and it's only 4"long. Just your hippo and naso will outgrown your 170 and let alone another big tang that needs swimming space. Be ready to remove both your naso and hippo if you decided on an AT.

 

[crobattt]

Picking at rocks is normal behavior as they forage for algae.

LL

I know, but does that mean im not feeding enough?

 

[Osteopth]

My AT will be here in the morning. I've read all of this post and many parts twice. I've had Ich in my DT before, lost many fish and then left it fallow for 4-5 months and I treated the remaining fish with cupramine for 21 days-I don't want to do that again. I have heard the horrors of AT's with copper and with hypo, so my plan is to use the transfer/bucket method for twelve days after he starts to eat (Thank you Yurivd for the reminder that there is a third 100% successful way to combat ich that is mentioned but seldom used - very difficult to find recent info on this method). I have two 30 gallon rubbermaid totes that I will fill with water from my QT, matching salinity, temp and pH. I will have PVC pipes in the totes with an airstone, heater and MP10 wetside. I plan to move my AT every two days, throw away the airstone and wash everything with boiling water then let it dry. After the transfer method is complete I will move him to my 75 gallon QT with both MP10's for observation and PraziPro Tx. It is set up for long term QT with a sump and an algae turf scrubber. I don't expect him to be in my display for 4-5 months. Wish me luck! I'll try to post with results.

 

[LargeAngels]

I treated both of my AT's with Cupramine at 0.5 and never had an issue. Both are doing well and growing.

 

[nuch]

I guess I'll just enjoy ur pics of AT. I was just at a guys house that has a 450 gallon with a ton of corals, anyway he said he tried 2 AT at different times and both did'nt make it. Once to ich and another was just bad luck. So i just picked up a blonde naso instead. I'll use the $200-250 towards coral.

 

[geaux xman]

I treated both of my AT's with Cupramine at 0.5 and never had an issue. Both are doing well and growing.

two in one tank? separate tanks? two FOWLR?

Whats the growth rate on your Achilles? about 1" per yr? how big are they now...

thanks.

 

[LargeAngels]

They were treated together as they were small juvies. But it won't work long term. They are both separated in FOWLR. My guess is at least 2" growth rate for the first year at the rate they are growing. Had them for 5 months and they browse on algae and eat flake all day long.

 

[crobattt]

Anybody have pictures of them while they're being cleaned? They change to that odd bright color. Just seeing if anyone had pics.

 

[Lightsluvr]

I know, but does that mean im not feeding enough?

Not at all. It means they are following their natural instincts to feed constantly.

LL

 

[reefsafe]

here is my achilles in QT: