Achilles Tang Primer
- Thread starter BrianD
- Start date
vamaro
New member
I just picked up a really nice achilles last Saturday. I put him in a QT and he was eating fine for a couple of days. He developed a few spots of ick so I treated the tank with cuppamine. Yesterday, he stopped eating. No interest in food, so I took a chance and put him in the display last night. Today he is pecking at the algae and my wife dropped some brine in there and he was eating again. When I moved him, he had one spot of ick. Hopefully he will stop stressing and the ick will subside. He did not have any ick when I purchased him so i can only assume that he stressed during the transit from the fish store to my QT.
I do not have any other fish in my display tank, just a stingray, so I am not too worried about the ick killing my entire tank. I also have a 57 watt aqua UV running 24 hours and another 40 watt uv on standby if I need it.
I am convinced that this fish would have died had I left him in the QT any longer. At this time, anything can happen, but I think my chances are better with him in the display. I have excellent water quality and conditions for him. Time will tell.
This morning before I left work, he was swimming all over the tank. Breathing normal and looked happy. I hope he eats more when I get home tonight, I will keep you posted and get a photo up soon.
Vince
I do not have any other fish in my display tank, just a stingray, so I am not too worried about the ick killing my entire tank. I also have a 57 watt aqua UV running 24 hours and another 40 watt uv on standby if I need it.
I am convinced that this fish would have died had I left him in the QT any longer. At this time, anything can happen, but I think my chances are better with him in the display. I have excellent water quality and conditions for him. Time will tell.
This morning before I left work, he was swimming all over the tank. Breathing normal and looked happy. I hope he eats more when I get home tonight, I will keep you posted and get a photo up soon.
Vince
reefslugs
Active member
This goes back to my theory!
OK, here's something to think about. You find a Achillies at LFS. Do you take him home and put him in a QT? Remember, Achillies like large tanks with ton's of flow. So you bring him home. Put him in a 20g QT with a power head, with one rock to hide behind. Do you think he'll be happy or be stressed and ich out. This is were I decided that the achillies at my LFS, that I took home. He was fat, clean and was eating at the store. I decided not to put him in QT, but put him right in my 200, and pray. My achillies is doing great. The problem I have is keeping him fat. I know it's because I can only feed the tank once a day except for the weekends. Also me other fish are so aggressive at eating. So I've been hand feeding him, to help plump him up.
OK, here's something to think about. You find a Achillies at LFS. Do you take him home and put him in a QT? Remember, Achillies like large tanks with ton's of flow. So you bring him home. Put him in a 20g QT with a power head, with one rock to hide behind. Do you think he'll be happy or be stressed and ich out. This is were I decided that the achillies at my LFS, that I took home. He was fat, clean and was eating at the store. I decided not to put him in QT, but put him right in my 200, and pray. My achillies is doing great. The problem I have is keeping him fat. I know it's because I can only feed the tank once a day except for the weekends. Also me other fish are so aggressive at eating. So I've been hand feeding him, to help plump him up.
vamaro
New member
The fish I purchased also looked great at the store. I put him in a QT, it got ick on day 2. Day 6 he stopped eating. I moved him to the display and he ate right away. I am a believer in putting new fish in a QT, however in this case, I know he may not have made it so I took my chances.
I am watching him now as I write this. He is swimming all over the tank! He ate great tonight. I will take some photos and post them tomorrow.
I am watching him now as I write this. He is swimming all over the tank! He ate great tonight. I will take some photos and post them tomorrow.
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I have my achilles in a QT tank of 125, what is the best way to treat him, I am noticing some white spots on his sides.
the tank has 4 K-3's and I have a UV on the QT tank and he is eating mysis,nori soaked with garlic and selcon, and swimming like crazy.
he is from a fellow reefer, he must have got stressed from the move.
any suggestions for treatment
the tank has 4 K-3's and I have a UV on the QT tank and he is eating mysis,nori soaked with garlic and selcon, and swimming like crazy.
he is from a fellow reefer, he must have got stressed from the move.
any suggestions for treatment
vamaro
New member
Mine has some ick too just from moving from QT to display. He looks like he is fighting it off and I added a second UV. I have an Aqua 57 & 40 both on a 220 gallon tank. Not sure if this will help. The other fish do not appear to have anything. He is still eating great and swimming all over the tank, but I am concerned.........
Makes me appreciate how easy triggers are too keep!
Vince
Makes me appreciate how easy triggers are too keep!
Vince
Mike de Leon
New member
feed round the clock. When giving nori in the morning leave enough to last for at least half the day until you get home from work. At which point feed again... My Achilles had the bout of Ich. Feeding seems to fix it. Because of their swimming pattern they must have a very high metabolism, therefore needing more frequent feeding..
Mike de Leon
New member
feed round the clock. When giving nori in the morning leave enough to last for at least half the day until you get home from work. At which point feed again... My Achilles h
Mike de Leon
New member
feed round the clock. When giving nori in the morning leave enough to last for at least half the day until you get home from work. At which point feed again... My Achilles had the bout of Ich. Feeding seems to fix it. Because of their swimming pattern they must have a very high metabolism, therefore needing more frequent feeding..
vamaro
New member
Last night I kept feeding him until he stopped eating (he ate a lot). He was really eating more aggressive. Chasing the food! I soaked the food in Zoe and Garlic, not sure if this will help with the ick.
I am also leaving both green and red algae (rubberbanded on rocks) before I go to work. I am using some brand that also has garlic in it. The achilles is eating that too.
Today before work, I checked him out. He still has ick all over him. Not any worse than yesterday and not any better.
I am planning to do a 25 gallon water change tonight. I would change more but I only have 5 jugs! With both UV's going and the water changes I am hoping he will beat the ick.
It is a very tough call at this point. I can catch him and move him back to a QT and treat with copper, however when he was in the QT, he stopped eating. In the display he seems so happy, eats great and swims all over the tank but he has ick! If he does make it, I am not going to add any other fish in the tank that may stress him.
Vince
I am also leaving both green and red algae (rubberbanded on rocks) before I go to work. I am using some brand that also has garlic in it. The achilles is eating that too.
Today before work, I checked him out. He still has ick all over him. Not any worse than yesterday and not any better.
I am planning to do a 25 gallon water change tonight. I would change more but I only have 5 jugs! With both UV's going and the water changes I am hoping he will beat the ick.
It is a very tough call at this point. I can catch him and move him back to a QT and treat with copper, however when he was in the QT, he stopped eating. In the display he seems so happy, eats great and swims all over the tank but he has ick! If he does make it, I am not going to add any other fish in the tank that may stress him.
Vince
Mike de Leon
New member
Depends on how much Ich he's got. Can you take pics?
It it seems like just a few and not imbedded in the skin it shouldn't be too bad, he might just recover. But if he's covered all over with a lot of small and large ones he won't make it without any kind of treatment..
It it seems like just a few and not imbedded in the skin it shouldn't be too bad, he might just recover. But if he's covered all over with a lot of small and large ones he won't make it without any kind of treatment..
Ncastro1981
New member
some can get ick attacks every so often and then it will fade and then come back... sucks but they can survive as long as they are active and eating i wouldnt worrytoo much
As long as the other fish are not getting it, and he is eating good i would leave him alone. Just my opinion! I pulled mine and as soon as i did treat he died. Better off keeping a sick fish where he is unless the other fish are getting it.
Try feeding spctrum pellets too. Keep him fat.
Try feeding spctrum pellets too. Keep him fat.
I also found that its helpfully if you have some kinda of fish or shrimp that will clean the tang (neon goby or cleaner shrimp). They will eat the ick that's on the tang, but if you have a trigger it best not to add a neon or the shrimp to the tank. Having a neon goby or a cleaner shrimp MIGHT increase your odds on tang that are ick magnet.
vamaro
New member
Yesterday he looked a lot better, most of it looked like it was gone.
Still eating like crazy. I am leaving algae in the tank before I go to work. Then feeding a a few times at night. All of the food is soaked in garlic and Zoe.
This morning, some of the ick came back, but still not as bad as it was. I got the temp at about 82 degrees and both UV's are still going. I have two cleaner shrimp but I have never seen the achilles near the shrimp.
I this point, I am still remaining hopeful as he looks so much better than he did not Sunday. I tried to take a photo, but he is so fast and never stops moving for too long, which is a good thing.
Thanks again to everyone!
Vince
Still eating like crazy. I am leaving algae in the tank before I go to work. Then feeding a a few times at night. All of the food is soaked in garlic and Zoe.
This morning, some of the ick came back, but still not as bad as it was. I got the temp at about 82 degrees and both UV's are still going. I have two cleaner shrimp but I have never seen the achilles near the shrimp.
I this point, I am still remaining hopeful as he looks so much better than he did not Sunday. I tried to take a photo, but he is so fast and never stops moving for too long, which is a good thing.
Thanks again to everyone!
Vince
