Achilles Tang Primer
- Thread starter BrianD
- Start date
Lots of posts on garlic, including one that suggest regular use is not good for your fish. I don't ever use it, as I have never found it useful.
ru4serious
New member
Well I picked up some Kent's garlic extreme and he went after it almost immediately. I don't plan on using it daily long term but I wanted him to eat and to recognize what I was offering as food.i will slowly ween him off of it once I'm sure he's eating well.as I have heard to many times already that it not a good long term solution. Thanks everyone for the input. Someday I'll learn how to take and post pictures of my tank and occupants
ru4serious
New member
By the way I have only used it on nori so far.
If it's eating nori that's a good sign. My hybrid would only eat nori if I mashed it into tiny pieces for weeks, he finally started picking at it on the clip after about a month. Took another 2 months before he ate any prepared foods. Now he is a fat pig and eats like crazy but still won't touch NLS pellets. When he's not eating whatever food I throw in he is always grazing in the rocks. His appetite does get him in trouble with my starry blenny who feels the need to bite my hybrid at least once a week leaving an ugly mark for a few days. Apparently the blenny is afraid he will starve to death if he isn't first in line.
HI all
I had my achilies for almost 9 months now, its growing very slow, and the orange color is not very bright nice orange, it looks very dull orange, also the orange spot is oval shape, and not very round tear drop shape like other achilies. Can you please let me know why mine is like this, can this be female? that is why the color is dull and not bright.
Thanks
I had my achilies for almost 9 months now, its growing very slow, and the orange color is not very bright nice orange, it looks very dull orange, also the orange spot is oval shape, and not very round tear drop shape like other achilies. Can you please let me know why mine is like this, can this be female? that is why the color is dull and not bright.
Thanks
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Dr.C BVSC.DVM
New member
Despite popular misconception, Achilles Tang can become a very hardy specimen in the home aquarium.
Generally, tank size requirements have been grossly exaggerated. Achilles Tangs can thrive in aquariums as small as 20 gallons, so long as they are provided with three feet of space.
Waterflow and tank dimensions:
240 gph, 4 feet long
Acclimation and quarantine:
Not necessary if you purchase in stellar condition and from a dealer who has already quarantined the specimen for weeks. Perform a visual inspection for marine ich and perform a 5 minute freshwater dip followed by a 5 minute Hydroplex dip mixed with saltwater. Then perform drip acclimation for 1.5-2 hours.
Tank mates (good and bad):
Tangs of similar size added concurrently is ideal. However, small variants in size and adding to a pre-existing tank can be compensated by adding multiple tangs at once. This will force any bullies in the pre-existing community to attack multiple new tangs, making persistent bullying behaviour less likely.
Suggested foods
Offer Nori seaweed attached to a clip every day, then offer the following in the span of a couple days (attempt one each day, if they eat it, slowly progress to the next) Larry's Herbivore Diet, then PE Mysis, then Hikari Herbivore Diet with Probiotics.
Recommended size at purchase
Juveniles are the best. Also, choose PLUMP specimens without signs of ulcers or ich as they will most likely refuse to eat the first couple days to the first week in your tank. Specimens that are already skinny are more susceptible to secondary infections, parasites and fatal starvation.
Dr. C. Bourge
Veterinary Specialist in Aquatics
BVSM
DVC
Dr.C BVSC.DVM
New member
Offer Nori seaweed attached to a clip every day, then offer the following in the span of a couple days (attempt one each day, if they eat it, slowly progress to the next) Larry's Herbivore Diet, then PE Mysis, then Hikari Herbivore Diet with Probiotics.
Achilles Tangs take many days to acclimate to a tank, generally at least 3-5 days. Some may take a week. You have to be patient during this time and not overfeed the tank as water quality will quickly deteriorate and the tang will worsen in physical condition. Attempt the aforementioned regime only once, at most twice, a day to preserve pristine water conditions.
Attempt to not stand right in front of the tank as your unfamiliar presence may be intimidating to the specimen. This tang will not eat if it is stressed.
Once it has fully acclimated itself in the tank and the community, it will develop an interest to feed. You will notice this interest by more vigorous swimming, interest in your presence (swimming up and down the glass when you are looking at the tank instead of hiding in caves), and pecking at the sand or live rock for algae.
This is the time where the Achilles Tang will most likely start eating.
If after following this regimen for 1.5 weeks and the tang is still refusing to eat, then you must attempt to rehome it at a local fish store (LFS).
If that is impossible, the last resort would be to insert a feeding tube, where small doses of pellets and algae in liquid form (use blender) can be carefully delivered down to the stomach of the fish via a syringe. The fish must not be under anaesthetic or the stomach and other organs will not be able to digest and excrete the food. This protocol is to be done only as a last resort by a skilled aquarist, preferably an experienced veterinarian specializing in aquatic life.
Dr. C. Bourge
Veterinary Specialist in Aquatics
BVSM
DVC
Dr.C BVSC.DVM
New member
It appears that your tang is suffering from acute malnutrition.
You must offer a more abundant portion of seaweed, in green, purple and red forms. We would also advise you to offer a more varied diet, including PE mysis, enriched brine shrimp, Larry's Herbivore Frenzy Diet and Hikari Marine Herbivore Diet with Probiotics.
If your fish a shy feeder, you will want to place it in an acclimation box for in one week intervals (one week in box, 2 days outside of box, one week in the box and so on). You can then offer a lot more food for the specimen. Mixing in garlic and Selcon into the diet described above may expedite the fattening process.
Following this Isolate-And-Feed (IAF) regimen should produce a much plumper and coloured specimen within three feeding intervals (3 weeks with 2 day breaks in between).
If the fish refuses to eat and appears to grow skinny (bones are visible) and weak, the last resort would be to insert a feeding tube, where small doses of pellets and algae in liquid form (use blender) can be carefully delivered down to the stomach of the fish via a syringe. The fish must not be under anaesthetic or the stomach and other organs will not be able to digest and excrete the food. This protocol is to be done only as a last resort by a skilled aquarist, preferably an experienced veterinarian specializing in aquatic life.
Dr. C. Bourge
Veterinary Specialist in Aquatics
BVSM
DVC
bif24701
New member
Can I keep a Achilles in my system?
180 display, 72x24x24"
300 gallons total volume
Flow: MP60, RC max+Tunze 6105, controlled via APEX
Skimmer SRO-5000
Mostly keep SPS, have kept tangs with success.
QT all fish to ensure crypto and disease free, (>8weeks)
Feed: Nori, PE mysis, Hakari pellets plus many other foods.
System is well kept and been stable since install, Aug 2016.
What do you think?
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180 display, 72x24x24"
300 gallons total volume
Flow: MP60, RC max+Tunze 6105, controlled via APEX
Skimmer SRO-5000
Mostly keep SPS, have kept tangs with success.
QT all fish to ensure crypto and disease free, (>8weeks)
Feed: Nori, PE mysis, Hakari pellets plus many other foods.
System is well kept and been stable since install, Aug 2016.
What do you think?
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
bif24701
New member
I will tell you yes. Enjoy the fish if it get larger it will easy to sell locally. I have one two years in my 200
Thank you for your input. Great looking fish and coral.
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IMO a 180 can be plenty of space for an Achilles but there are things to consider. It needs to have lots of open space for swimming as well as tons of flow. I grew up in Hawaii and this has always been my favorite fish but my current tank is just too small so I went for a Hybrid instead. I specifically designed my aquascape with it in mind and he appears to be very pleased with my work.
bif24701
New member
I don't have a tank full of LR, and an MP60+Tunze 6105 gives me a lot of flow. Additionaly I will add more Tunze when corals grow or I feel the need.
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ru4serious
New member
I have four mp40wes on mine two on the ends and two on the back wall, enough?
Thank you Doctor
I think the colour issue is the lighting bc in the morning and late night the colour is really nice sun orange colour, only mid day when there is more white light, it is dull orange.
I think the colour issue is the lighting bc in the morning and late night the colour is really nice sun orange colour, only mid day when there is more white light, it is dull orange.
HI All
I was wondering if getting a show size achilies 7+ inch is easier to keep than getting a small one 3-4 inch. I have heard, the AChilies which are very big, like 7+ inch and fat from the wild, are very strong and when you put them in the tank , they will stay healthy and if they get ich (after treatment and QT process) they are strong enough to fight it back. How true is this?
I have a friend who has been getting small AChilies for the past 5 years, maybe around 15 so far, but they all die after few weeks.
Another friend of his, got his first achilies, which was 7+ inch and put it straight into his display and its very healthy and alive.
Please advise.
I was wondering if getting a show size achilies 7+ inch is easier to keep than getting a small one 3-4 inch. I have heard, the AChilies which are very big, like 7+ inch and fat from the wild, are very strong and when you put them in the tank , they will stay healthy and if they get ich (after treatment and QT process) they are strong enough to fight it back. How true is this?
I have a friend who has been getting small AChilies for the past 5 years, maybe around 15 so far, but they all die after few weeks.
Another friend of his, got his first achilies, which was 7+ inch and put it straight into his display and its very healthy and alive.
Please advise.
