Achilles Tang Primer
- Thread starter BrianD
- Start date
Gary Majchrzak
Team RC
no UV here. QT off all introductions is probably more important than UV in the main display from what I've seen.
Achilles and Sohal together in a 300 certainly sounds like a recipe for disaster. Sohal (alone) will completely dominate a 300-500 gallon aquarium IME.
jnc914
Active member
I have attempted three Achilles. The first was from an LFS and it never ate and wasted away. The second was DOA from an online vendor and my current Achilles has been with me for almost 7 months. I have my Achille's in a 300 (8ft long by 2ft deep) gallon Fowlr with 4 Tunze 6100 set on full pulse. The tang is always moving and loves the turbulent flow and is often swimming in front of the powerheads. I got him from Diver's Den, 4" in size, and I was forced to have to QT him for almost 4 months in a 40 gallon QT due to a velvet outbreak in my display. I am glad I did as he got ich 4 days after adding him to the QT. I feed alot of red and purple seaweed. He also loves mysis and brine with selcon. He is the boss of my tank and can be a bully when he gets hungry. He is in with a pair of Tinkers and a pair of golden butterflies, and a medium Goldflake Angel. I run UV and Ozone (orp 400) 24 hours a day, along with a very big H&S skimmer to keep optimal water conditions.
Yes, young Padawan.... :strooper:
Selcon is a oldie but goodie food supplement:
http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_AquariumPage~PageAlias~additives_american_marine.html
I don't use it, but I use something similar I like better. I use a combination of Brightwell Aquatics supplements:
http://brightwellaquatics.com/
AminOmega (omega -3, -6)
Max Amino (20 free form AA's in the ratios found in fish tissues)...they also have a great free form AA supp for the tank for corals
Vitamarin M (multi for fish--they have one for the whole reef tank "VM") and C
Garlic Power (WAY better than the others out there--not chunky and is POTENT)
Garlic and Vitamarin C I use as excellent disease preventatives, but for an Achilles I would use all the time, as they're prone to succumbing to stress.
I put the amounts of each that I want to use in a custard dish and add the foods I want to feed, rotating each time. I make up enough for 5 days at a time and keep refrigerated. Fish love it! And I get peace of mind knowing the foods they're eating are giving them all the nutritional profiles they would be getting in the wild. For supp Seaweed, that's easy.... just mix up and then drop on with a turkey baster, smear over the seaweed and let dry before feeding. When I do this, I treat 14 days worth, allow to fully dry, then store in a ziplock.
Cheree
Selcon is a oldie but goodie food supplement:
http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_AquariumPage~PageAlias~additives_american_marine.html
I don't use it, but I use something similar I like better. I use a combination of Brightwell Aquatics supplements:
http://brightwellaquatics.com/
AminOmega (omega -3, -6)
Max Amino (20 free form AA's in the ratios found in fish tissues)...they also have a great free form AA supp for the tank for corals
Vitamarin M (multi for fish--they have one for the whole reef tank "VM") and C
Garlic Power (WAY better than the others out there--not chunky and is POTENT)
Garlic and Vitamarin C I use as excellent disease preventatives, but for an Achilles I would use all the time, as they're prone to succumbing to stress.
I put the amounts of each that I want to use in a custard dish and add the foods I want to feed, rotating each time. I make up enough for 5 days at a time and keep refrigerated. Fish love it! And I get peace of mind knowing the foods they're eating are giving them all the nutritional profiles they would be getting in the wild. For supp Seaweed, that's easy.... just mix up and then drop on with a turkey baster, smear over the seaweed and let dry before feeding. When I do this, I treat 14 days worth, allow to fully dry, then store in a ziplock.
Cheree
zemuron114
In Memoriam
If you've ever dove with achilles, you probably couldn't concentrate on them since you were to busy getting your butt kicked by the surf!
they are in extremely well oxygenated water with heavy heavy flow. They roam up and down with the surf as it crashed against the reef.
In the aquarium: I've come up with 4 main points as i have had many many come and go (95% of which eat mysis and flake within days of getting)
1) they need room. Lots of room. If you think you have enough, you probably don't. IME they need 200+ gallons... a full size achilles will need 400+. The more room the better.
2) Oxygen. big skimmer, and if you can a surge device. surge tanks cause lots of turbulence and bubbles as it rushes through the pipes - i have seen an achilles on display with a surge and they will sit in the outflow and love it!
3) flow - don't go crazy, but they need 20-40x turnover (as mentioned before flow doesn't mean much without oxygen) Random flow is best, or wave boxes.
4) feedings - heavy heavy feedings. 3-5x a day of whatever they like to eat. A healthy tang is a happy tang!
they are in extremely well oxygenated water with heavy heavy flow. They roam up and down with the surf as it crashed against the reef.
In the aquarium: I've come up with 4 main points as i have had many many come and go (95% of which eat mysis and flake within days of getting)
1) they need room. Lots of room. If you think you have enough, you probably don't. IME they need 200+ gallons... a full size achilles will need 400+. The more room the better.
2) Oxygen. big skimmer, and if you can a surge device. surge tanks cause lots of turbulence and bubbles as it rushes through the pipes - i have seen an achilles on display with a surge and they will sit in the outflow and love it!
3) flow - don't go crazy, but they need 20-40x turnover (as mentioned before flow doesn't mean much without oxygen) Random flow is best, or wave boxes.
4) feedings - heavy heavy feedings. 3-5x a day of whatever they like to eat. A healthy tang is a happy tang!
TheMcs
New member
I got mine roughly 1 month ago from a LFS where he was eating frozen. About 5". It's in the 185 DT (60x30 footprint), total system around 500g. System stays around 85F, brightly lit reef tank, DSB with plenty of LR.
Seems to be doing great, eats nori 1x a day and frozen brine 2x a day. I can't get him as fat as I'd like, especially compared to my yellow tang. Don't know if there's something I ought to do or if it's a sign of doom. He's very active, enjoying the heavy current and swimming space provided.
Tankmates are the yellow, a pair of maroon clowns, and a sunburst anthias. Need to get a cleaner of some sort in there for the tangs.
Seems to be doing great, eats nori 1x a day and frozen brine 2x a day. I can't get him as fat as I'd like, especially compared to my yellow tang. Don't know if there's something I ought to do or if it's a sign of doom. He's very active, enjoying the heavy current and swimming space provided.
Tankmates are the yellow, a pair of maroon clowns, and a sunburst anthias. Need to get a cleaner of some sort in there for the tangs.
luckydog104
New member
I have had mine for about year. I have a six foot 125 gallon tank flow is 30 x turnover rate. He eats nori , spiralina , myisis , and severla pellet foods. Nls pellets are my preferred pellet food for him. I also soak his food in selcon at least twice a week. The key is to get him acclimated to tank life . He is a free ranger and solo swimmer in the ocean so a tank is a big change for one. I would try to avoid a juvi if you can they don't seem to acclimate as well. That is just what I have noticed with other people trying to keep them. 1 other thing temp is important he comes from Hawaii so try to maintain temp at or near 77. Good Luck
luckydog104
New member
By the way he is king of tank not really aggressive but easily seen by all as king of tank.
Did anyone else experience a film of white ich on their achilles when they first added them? It's not bad just a light coating. I have turned on my uv steri to try and kick the ich. I know this fish is prone to ich but how many of you fellas actually have this fish with ongoing ich problem?. Does it go away like most other fish and not come back unless water parameters go in the toilet? I've kept powder brown/blue's and they seemed to kick it fairly quick and it didn't come back. I got him from a fellow local reefer and he said that it had ich issues every once and a while.......but with a uv I should be able to keep it under control....right?
Gary Majchrzak
Team RC
only YOU can answer your question. UV should help (but it won't eliminate) a case of crypto. Treatment in QT before introducing fishes to the main display is the surefire solution for ick.
Yes mine usully runs about 80.5 with all 3 250's and 4-160's lit up.
The chiller works pretty well for keeping it around that temperature. Right now with all lights off the tank is 79.4 degrees.
The achilles seems to be losing his ich as the days pass.
I have had my uv running 24 hours a day to try and kill any bacteria in the water. It sucks because it doesn't care if its good or bad bacteria---it kills it all. I find it more effective to almost close the ball valve after the sterilizer to slow down the water for more hang time in the unit.
I will run this for probably another week and then shut it off and see what happens.
bosborn1, The ost is a very docile fish from my experience. I don't know how big yours is but you shouldn't have any issues as long as you get an achilles of a decent size. From what I've read they also have a better survival rate when they are adults.(achilles)
Well I would try and get as close as you can to the ost size.
Like I said the survival rate of juvenile achilles isn't that great in captivity. Hence no guarantee on this fish from most wholesalers.
So if your going to do it........ I was lucky to receive mine from another reefer that was having issues with his tank. You can see the thread in the advanced area---close to leaving the hobby.
Like I said the survival rate of juvenile achilles isn't that great in captivity. Hence no guarantee on this fish from most wholesalers.
So if your going to do it........ I was lucky to receive mine from another reefer that was having issues with his tank. You can see the thread in the advanced area---close to leaving the hobby.
