Achilles Tang Primer

Although my AT is not yet the largest fish in my tank (not yet 4"), it is gradually assuming the role of alpha. I hadn't really noticed before, but when I recently added a Naso Tang to the tank it is the AT that is giving the newbie the toughest time. Hopefully not fatally :(
 
Good luck! Within two weeks mine became the biggest bully ever! My husband wanted to add a blonde naso and figured since he was so new (this was over 3 years ago) we should be fine. Within 15 minutes the poor naso was so worn down he just sucked onto the vortech :-( I grabbed him with my hand and he's been living in our other reef tank ever since. We tried to add a wrasse one other time with same result, haven't tried another fish since and will never in this tank.
 
Thanks :lol:! I'm actually optimistic. My AT is not as large as yours and I already have a sizable fish population to diversify aggression. Things have improved considerably throughout the day. Plus the Naso was in QT for three months getting fed 5 times a day so it's up for the fight I think.
 
Holsteiner said:
Good luck! Within two weeks mine became the biggest bully ever! My husband wanted to add a blonde naso and figured since he was so new (this was over 3 years ago) we should be fine. Within 15 minutes the poor naso was so worn down he just sucked onto the vortech :-( I grabbed him with my hand and he's been living in our other reef tank ever since. We tried to add a wrasse one other time with same result, haven't tried another fish since and will never in this tank.
Click to expand...

Attempt is a failure. Had to remove a very beat up and cowed Naso. Not just the AT, but YT giving it a really bad time. Will have to keep it in my 90 until it gets a bit more size and then I may try again.
 
I got back from MACNA on Sunday night and the next morning noticed that my Achilles Tang that is in QT had some small bumps under its skin, some loss in coloration on certain parts of its body and just behind its left pectoral fin some white spots, that look more like an abrasion from a rock instead of ICH.

I have been watching him closely the last few days and there isn't any increase in breathing and he is still eating Nori constantly throughout the day and some Mysis as well. He is very actively swimming around the tank and swims in front of my WP40's just enjoying the water movement a lot.

I also noticed that he is slightly rubbing his body against the rock in the video that he is actively swimming around. Its like he is trying to get something off of his body. Its not the sharp quick jerky against rock like I see fish that have ICH do.

Below is a quick video I shot this evening, that shows a little bit of whats going on.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/CzZwnvAf4uc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

I am thinking that he might have some parasites.

Should I do a fresh water dip on him, or just start treating the tank with PraziPro?
 
^+1 do the PP and see if it helps, if after 2 treatments do PP the Achilles is still scratching I would suspect ich and would suggest chloroquine phosphate or TTM
 
I have a question: a very good friend of mine is selling off his livestock and tank (he has a 72 x 24 x 30tall) and offered to sell me his achilles at a very good price. He's had it for a year, and it eats nori, pellets, mysis....everything. Its 4" long and 1.5" thick...maybe even 2" thick. He also informed me he doesn't want to really sell it to anyone else as he doesn't trust any of the local reefers. My tank is a 60 x 30 x 18 with flow provided by 1 MP60 and 2 MP40s. I have already ordered and expect delivery of a 66 x 32 x 20 tank after Xmas (slow slow build as my 2 sons b-days are Oct and Nov...then Xmas...wow where does the time go?).

I have 12 wrasses, 2 clowns and a small chevron. Would I be able to keep the achilles successfully?
 
Adding Achilles tang with Chevron

Adding Achilles tang with Chevron

Might be late to the reply, but it sounds like something that can be done, however the Chevron might want to establish his pecking order as soon as you put him in. Use an acclimation box( cricket container from petsmart) with some magnet cleaners to hold it up on the glass vented with screen mesh for flow to keep the achilles in for a few days. That way it has a chance to survey the tank and see the layout, and the chevron will hopefully lose interest. I did this with an achilles and a powder blue, and added them together into a tank with three existing extra large Yellow tangs and it worked wonderfully. Good luck
 
Pulled the trigger on a 3.5" achilles tang just this Saturday. I skipped QT as it seems most people suggested going straight to the DT to avoid additional stress. After a few minutes of being shadowed by my sailfin who just HAD to show how "big" his fins were, everything calmed down. The AT actually started asserting some dominance over the other non-conspics in the tank but that has seemingly stopped as well. Picked him up a little on the skinny side but he eats nori and LRS frozen as well as eats some of the GHA that is left in the tank. I expect with a hearty appetite, it will put on weight in no time. Such an amazing looking fish. I'll have to pull the Nikon out and try to get a better picture.

E3DF7B9A-C1E7-4D53-98B4-1CF46736747E.png
 
Pastey said:
it seems most people suggested going straight to the DT to avoid additional stress.
Click to expand...

That's a very scary suggestion. I got an Achilles that I didn't keep long enough in quarantine. 3 out of 7 or so fish survived from whatever he gave em, probably a really bad Ich outbreak.
 
Yikes, not what I would've recommended. Our Achilles was in QT for 6 weeks. That was 4 years ago and haven't had a problem since.
 
If buying an established achilles (had a year before listing for sale), is qt necessary?

Do the same tank requirements still stand for a 1 year old achilles (regarding flow, stocking etc)
 
None of my fish display ich and I know it has to be present so I know they are tough enough to withstand it. Tang is still being a pig and being very active. It has eaten LRS frozen, NLS pellets and nearly all of a 1/4 sheet of green nori since I've been home in the last 2 hours. I'll worry when it's appetite dissipates.
 
Picked this guy up in November. He was skinny came up with ich in two weeks than two weeks later eye cloud. I had a really bad case of aptasia so I pulled out all inverts and went with copper. It's harsh but the fish is doing very well and aptasia is 100% gone. I want a reef and I am set up for one but dam I love the fish. He eats brown flakes as a first and mysis , reef frenzy (frozen) and nori last
 

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Pastey said:
Pulled the trigger on a 3.5" achilles tang just this Saturday. I skipped QT as it seems most people suggested going straight to the DT to avoid additional stress.
Click to expand...

I am surprised that anyone would suggest not QT'ing an Achilles. That is a very scary move not only for the Achilees but the healthy fish in your system. Achilles, Powder Blue's etc.. are very, very prone to disease and should be QT'ed so you can treat them when needed and they don't need to compete for food etc.. I hope it works out for you.
I had my Achilles in QT for 6 months and after the first month of doing amazing he came down with either ICH or Velvet and started breathing very rapidly. I immediately started Chloroquine Phosphate and he was doing much better in 24 hours.
He is doing great in my DT tank along with my other tangs and my Sohal Tang of which they were introduced into the DT at the same time.
 
I picked up a three inch Achilles last week. It was eating at the LFS and looked good overall. I have it isolated in my dirty frag system (Dirty means lots of algea and macro). The Achilles is loving it and mowing through algea, predictably it shows no interest in prepared foods. I'm not worried and figure its appetite will return once the frag tank is cleaned up a bit.

What are favorite go to foods to get these guys eating? I'd like to have some ready to go.

Thanks
 
79chopperdr said:
I picked up a three inch Achilles last week. It was eating at the LFS and looked good overall. I have it isolated in my dirty frag system (Dirty means lots of algea and macro). The Achilles is loving it and mowing through algea, predictably it shows no interest in prepared foods. I'm not worried and figure its appetite will return once the frag tank is cleaned up a bit.

What are favorite go to foods to get these guys eating? I'd like to have some ready to go.

Thanks
Click to expand...

Nori soaked in Selcon and luck.
 
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