Holsteiner
New member
Thanks reef80! He's my pride and joy even though I would love to kill him most of the time. Would love to see pics of yours, how big is he?
Achilles Tang Primer
- Thread starter BrianD
- Start date
Happy to report that my AT is now the picture of health (see, now I've jinxed myself). Is residing in my 30 gal intro tank as I'm still trying to decide if I have ich in my main display or not. How long do folks think I can keep it in a tank that size? Have a MP40 providing a ton of flow, but still ......
adeebm
New member
My Achilles got upset after a month in qt. their behavior and appetite really changes once they are in a large tank. Mine would not graze or eat nori. But when I added him to the dt, he started doing both the very next day.
Holsteiner
New member
Unless you're debating on whether to keep him or get rid of him is it going to matter? If you're not sure you have ich in your main tank the only way to be 100% positive would be to pull all fish and let it sit fallow. I doubt you want to do that ;-) I'm also assuming your intro tank is not plumbed to your display...
No intro tank is completely separate. Only fish in my display that shows spots is a hippo, none of the other tangs do, and it's been the better part of a month. I had a Naso go through 12 weeks of QT without showing any problems at all, and then two days into the DT and it was nose down in the sand and all blotchy. Still not sure what happened. So on the horns of a dilemma as the old saying goes. I'm really reluctant to offer up the AT as a sacrificial lamb. Figure it can hang out in the 30 for a bit longer.
Yeah, good point. My 9 year old sons favorite fish that I bought as a Christmas present so re homing it would not go over well. At some point I'm going to have to just put it in and see what happens.
Rea17
New member
Well I'm not suggesting that you offer him up, it's just a sure way to see if you need to remove everyone and fallow the tank. I'd suggest an acclimation box so you can easily remove him again for treatment if need be, as it does sound like the display has ich. If the fish are healthy enough, ich won't always show itself - but the hippo (very disease prone) is exhibiting symptoms after the stress of moving to the new DT. Just because it isn't wiping out your fish population, doesn't mean it isn't ich. Just my .02, there's only one way to find out, I don't think keeping him in the 30 would accomplish much.
Got my first achilles a week ago. Came in small and a bit thin, I did not get it from a LFS, but through a friend of mine that places wholesale orders from time to time.
It nibbles on Nori occasionally, I feed the TLF puprle and I also feed the LRS green. It doesn't appear to care for the green.
I've tried a number of food offerings including:
-Brine
-PE Mysis
-LRS foods
-Shaved Shrimp
-NLS Pellets
-ON Flake foods
It only appears to eat the brine and it's not doing that with much gusto. I've got it in my 50 gallon breeder quarantine set up, which has a couple small koralias, a mag 5 return pump and a Deltec Skimmer. I think there is probably good oxygen saturation, but the flow might be on the low side.
Is this just a fish that takes a long time to eat with gusto or should I be worried after a week? It does a lot of the "eating the food and then spitting it back out" move.
It nibbles on Nori occasionally, I feed the TLF puprle and I also feed the LRS green. It doesn't appear to care for the green.
I've tried a number of food offerings including:
-Brine
-PE Mysis
-LRS foods
-Shaved Shrimp
-NLS Pellets
-ON Flake foods
It only appears to eat the brine and it's not doing that with much gusto. I've got it in my 50 gallon breeder quarantine set up, which has a couple small koralias, a mag 5 return pump and a Deltec Skimmer. I think there is probably good oxygen saturation, but the flow might be on the low side.
Is this just a fish that takes a long time to eat with gusto or should I be worried after a week? It does a lot of the "eating the food and then spitting it back out" move.
Reefsi
New member
I posted this in my thread under Reef fish, but maybe I will get more view/suggestions here. I recently acquired an achilles tang from the DD on live aquaria. He has been eating great, he eats brine, green seaweed, and red seaweed. He will try other things but seems to spit them out. He is nice and fat, eating well, and shows no signs of any disease. My question is at night he seems stressed to the max. He is swimming with the fins up and changes color to a lighter color. This has happened every night since I have gotten him about 4 days ago. Why is this? I have no ammonia and put in some Prime to eliminate any if there was, its a 29g QT and I am feeding a lot so I wanted to be on the safe side. 0 ammonia, PH8, SG 1.025, temp solid 80, and I have extra flow. I also have a HOB filter that is above the water and is dumping in tons of bubbles to try and create an oxygen enriched environment. I am just trying to wonder why he seems stressed at night, and changes to a light color? It almost scares me enough to put him into my main tank which is 240g and only has a pair of clowns. Im tempted because I think he is not happy in QT.
Reefsi
New member
caribfan
I have had my achilles tang for a 5 days now and I have this to say. I have observed him for well over 20 hours total, night time, day time, feeding time, and just swimming time. I have tossed many different kinds of foods at him as well. He seems to take to brine shrimp the best. He will pick at mysis and spirulana and usually spit that back out, but as for the brine he eats it. He is not overly aggressive toward eating but that is normal for a fish that is new, especially this species. I have noticed mine becoming more and more aggressive toward eating, slowly but surely. I have also noticed that whatever he doesn't eat right away he will swim around and pick off of the bottom and eat it.
I also have fed him green, red, and purple sea veggies. He doesn't even go for the purple seaweed, but seems to like the green and love the red. He gracefully picks at both throughout the whole day.
From my understanding from what I have read, from previous posts and articles, is that the fish is a very docile feeder at first while getting acclimated. Once acclimated and safe with its surroundings the species can become very outward toward eating and more "agile" toward eating. I started a thread and others have helped me with my questions. Just monitor the fish closely, I feed small and numerous times throughout the day so he can get acquainted to feedings. Little changes is huge steps for this fish.
How does your fish react at night when the lights turn off?
I have had my achilles tang for a 5 days now and I have this to say. I have observed him for well over 20 hours total, night time, day time, feeding time, and just swimming time. I have tossed many different kinds of foods at him as well. He seems to take to brine shrimp the best. He will pick at mysis and spirulana and usually spit that back out, but as for the brine he eats it. He is not overly aggressive toward eating but that is normal for a fish that is new, especially this species. I have noticed mine becoming more and more aggressive toward eating, slowly but surely. I have also noticed that whatever he doesn't eat right away he will swim around and pick off of the bottom and eat it.
I also have fed him green, red, and purple sea veggies. He doesn't even go for the purple seaweed, but seems to like the green and love the red. He gracefully picks at both throughout the whole day.
From my understanding from what I have read, from previous posts and articles, is that the fish is a very docile feeder at first while getting acclimated. Once acclimated and safe with its surroundings the species can become very outward toward eating and more "agile" toward eating. I started a thread and others have helped me with my questions. Just monitor the fish closely, I feed small and numerous times throughout the day so he can get acquainted to feedings. Little changes is huge steps for this fish.
How does your fish react at night when the lights turn off?
I ended up putting my AT into my main display about six weeks ago, give or take a few days. It is indeed showing spots, though interestingly the Hippo is not anymore and none of the other fish are. No signs of breathing distress from the AT and no flashing. It is very strange. I have not had ich in one of my tanks in many years, but when I did it rapidly infected most of my fish.
Other than a few spots, AT seems pretty happy. I have been able to get it to eat green and purple nori (though not red); as well as that new era grazer ring. It loves spirulina brine, but rejects all other forms of frozen.
Other than a few spots, AT seems pretty happy. I have been able to get it to eat green and purple nori (though not red); as well as that new era grazer ring. It loves spirulina brine, but rejects all other forms of frozen.
Holsteiner
New member
Mine had a few spots when I first got him, I just keep him as fat as I possibly can and haven't seen anymore spots in over 2 years (knock on wood)
Reefsi
New member
Anyone's AT here eat like a pig? I mean a FAT pig? Today I got back from out of town, my GF kept him fed like I have been. I thought I would see how much he would eat until he stops eating...... Still haven't reached that point. I fed him and him alone about 1-1 1/2 cubes of brine/spirulana brine shrimp and when Im not adding a little he is constantly picking at my clips of algae. This was over the course of 5 hours probably.
Holsteiner
New member
If you scroll up a little you'll see how thick my AT is ;-) about 3" thick...he has continuous access to nori, and will eat NLS pellets for hours...I haven't found his "full" limit yet!
