Achilles Tang Primer

[32flavors]

Achilles and Powder Blue tangs are NOTORIOUSLY the least resilient to ich.

I wouldn't put the zeolites in there. It's stable as it is, and if water quality erodes, do water changes (IMO). You're over the hump now....

Glad to hear you're holding off a little longer. After what I went through, I was not in any hurry to risk a repeat.

Although, have you been feeding your display? If nutrients drop to nothing bacteria will die off in there, then there will be a spike when you add the fish back. Did you have any inverts in there? Probably not with triggers.

You may wanna add them in groups, the most sensitive first, triggers last--staggered a few days apart and watch for NH3/4 NO2 spikes. If you get them fattened up before adding, it will allow you to feed lightly during restocking, which will help prevent the bacteria from being overwhelmed and causing a spike.

Another thought.... (I did this as well) You may want to dose the tank with a high quality bacteria product like Bio Spira to help manage the big and fast increase in bio load again. Although a 350 is a pretty large volume, and will definitely provide some cushion.

Good luck!

 

[Hawkey]

I'm still dosing Zeobac and Zeo Food in tank, so I would have thought the tank
Could handle the 7 fish going back. I have Sargassam Triggers who don't worry about my shrimps
All these do is chase each other occassionally and get fat on brine and pellet!
They've even taken a shine to Nori, which I think they learnt from the tangs!

 

[32flavors]

Awesome! If you have shrimp in there, just keep feeding them, heavily--this will keep bacteria levels from dropping too low.

Sounds like you're doing great!

 

[FiReBReTHa]

one tip I have is if you have a fish that is hungry and eats anything to use him to teach the newcommer tang to eat nori.

then if you are trying to teach him to eat another kind of algae, put both so that when he goes to eat one he is right next to the other.

 

[kypatriot]

I just got my 1st Achilles yesterday. Somehow, at the LFS, he didn't look as thin to me as he does in my tank, where I've looked at him closer I guess.

He's swimming around & picking at the rocks, but I'm worried about him, because he's so thin.

I have plenty of frozen foods & can feed pretty much all day, as much as he'll eat (my wife's home all day & is great at taking care of them).

Just wanted to see if anybody had tips on getting them to take food well. I watched him eat at the store before bringing him home, but he just gets little nibbles here. Sometimes he'll take a bite and spit it right back out.

I'd leave a veggie clip with nori, but my naso can't stand for nori to stay on a clip. She eats all she wants & then rips it off and lets it float around the tank.

My water parameters are good - I have a basement sump, refugium, and frag tank, that have the same volume as my display or more. I also run a phosban reactor, oversized skimmer, and oversized UV.

I just need this skinny little guy to eat, and pray I'm not too late. I feel stupid for not noticing this at the store.

 

[ryshark]

If you just got him yesterday, he may still be acclimating to the new tank. Give it another day or so. Also, are you feeding him exactly what you saw him eat at the lfs? If not, buy some of whatever it was he was eating there.

 

[kypatriot]

My wife says he's eating nori today. Yay! Now to fatten him up...

Guess it was acclimation stress for a day. (but still praying for this skinny fish)

 

[kypatriot]

She was mistaken - he doesn't seem to be eating anything. I just put a whole cloud of live brine shrimp in front of him, and he didn't try to eat one.

I really hope it isn't too late for this guy. I feel like an idiot for buying him without noticing.

 

[ryshark]

What exactly did you see him eat at the lfs?

 

[kypatriot]

Spirulina-enriched brine & frozen food. Not sure of the brand.

 

[32flavors]

Was probably Hikari. It' an excellent food that I feed in addition to other foods every day. GET SOME. The fact that he was eating it makes it GOLDEN.

The "cloud" affect of blowing a bunch of food in front of him is a less natural feeding environment. Try feeding small amounts throughout the day. Also, it helps if you feed in front of a powerhead source, which you must have at least a few with an Achilles in there, since they need nearly violent water movement. The current propels the food making it look less dead and more enticing.

Good luck. Keep us posted.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15283581#post15283581 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kypatriot
She was mistaken - he doesn't seem to be eating anything. I just put a whole cloud of live brine shrimp in front of him, and he didn't try to eat one.
I really hope it isn't too late for this guy. I feel like an idiot for buying him without noticing.

even if a fish takes live brine shrimp it's a poor food choice unless gut loaded or soaked in selcon. HUFA enriched frozen would be a better choice. FWIW my Achilles shuns brine shrimp.

nori
nori
nori.

have some available to a thin Achilles all day long. This species likes to eat many species of red (and brown) algae. Nori is an excellent solution. Small size Spectrum pellets are also an excellent choice IME.

 

[32flavors]

Gary, selcon and other similar products ( I personally STRONGLY prefer Brightwell's Amin Omega and Max Amino) are great once the fish is eating, but many fish don't like the taste of such soaks at first.

The brine that he saw being fed at the lfs is a very high quality food. The brine is raised in spirulina ponds, which is one of the most nutritious foods there is.

The brine actually look green in the frozen cubes, making you think that when it thaws you will see green water, but you don't. It's rinsed first. The green--spirulina--is in the brine.

Since that is what the fish was eating, he should get it.

Hikari also makes it freeze dried, which is even better once you're ready to feed him soaks--which you should try doing as soon as he's eating well in your tank.

Check out Brightwell's line--FAR superior IMO.

I use the Garlic Power, Vitamarin C, and the 2 supps I mentioned before in this post.

 

[32flavors]

BTW Gary--that is one GORGEOUS Achilles. Your tank just gets better and better.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

thanks!

thanks!

flattery will get you everywhere

 

[32flavors]

You've already been a big help.... You may not remember me, but I know who you are by virtue of your expertise with anthias.

 

[FiReBReTHa]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pUSs5ftUs8

how to make a rods food Nori sammich to train the achilles how to eat rods and get used to the smell and taste.

 

[FiReBReTHa]

sorry about the reflection of the 24g in the back, but I still wanted to post this pic.

I wanted to see your thoughts on the white on him. there has been less each day and I also picked up the UV sterilizer a couple days ago as well.

 

[kypatriot]

I left red and brown nori rubber-banded to a piece of PVC near him for a couple days. This was tough, because my naso likes to rip it off - whether or not she eats it, she just rips it off and lets it float away.

He got used to eating that, and then I started feeding him Julian Sprung's Sea Veggies (mixed flakes - which is really an assortment of ground up nori) through a turkey baster. So he got used to the turkey baster = food.

Today I tried Hikari Mega-marine Algae, and he has been eating it. I've been going every few hours & feeding him more of it, alternating with the Julian Sprung stuff that's been soaked in vitamins. You're right about the red & brown - he ignores the green nori.

Mostly wanted to post this for others in the future...

 

[Mike de Leon]

This is how I feed with Nori. Even the cleaner wrasse likes it!