Achilles Tang

[jverna1]

My Achilles Tang is really aggressive. I put a Bellus Angel in my tank and he did everything but kill the fish. He chased him all over the tank attacking him. I got the Bellus out and took him back to the LFS. Are there any suggestions to what I can do to catch him or prevent him from attacking fish?

 

[prickles]

Well before you will get helpful responses, you will be asked the following questions:

What DIMENSIONS (not gallonage) of tank?
What other occupants currently?
what else are you planning on adding?

In general though achilles can be mean. I may be off here, but they are more aggressive to "flat" fish such as angels, tangs etc. You should add them nearer to the end of your stocking plan so they don't develop a territory before everyone else moves in. If you must add fish after them, add larger ones so they stand a chance.

I have had good luck with the "mirror trick" where you tape big mirrors outside of your tank to distract the aggressive fish. Perhaps he will cool down over a few weeks and you can remove the mirrors.

Ideally you catch him and take him out until you are ready to put him in last (or near it) and make sure the other fish don't look too much like him before you do, or are big enough to defend themselves.

 

[Sardaukar]

All of those ideas are good advice, but we do need more information. If hes an 8" achilles in a 75g for example, hes probably stressed and going to kill anything you throw in.

How big is the tank, what else is in there, how long have you had him, previous tank mates, etc.

 

[agreeive?fish]

you can catch him and put him in my tank or follow the suggestions above or even a combination of the suggestions above

 

[Drjusc00]

I will buy him from you. Im in Southern California.

 

[jverna1]

I have a 180 (6'x2'x2')

Currently have:
Achilles Tang (1 month) 3"
Vlamingi Tang (2 months) 4"
Salfin Tang (2 weeks) 5"
Midas Blenny
Blue Jaw Trigger (1 week)
Percula Clown
Dragon Goby
Longnose Hawk
Manderine Dragonet

 

[jverna1]

I cant catch him!

 

[SMOOTHIE]

Most tangs from that family are best added last because of aggression. Achilles, powders, clown, sohal etc. If you do try the angel again do it with the lights out and tape some printed pictures of an achilles on the tank. The achilles will take way more time flexing on the pics while the new guy gets established.

 

[LKGRenegade22]

Adding last and other things related to acclimation will help but if the tang is a bully now he will probably always be one and it will only get worse as time goes on. I've always had a powder blue in my tanks and it is hit and miss with them. The one I have now does not bother anything...but some are terrors.

 

[prickles]

aren't triggers likely to eat your smaller fish like your mandarin?

If you really want to catch him, use a trap. You will get him after a week or two. Again, the mirrors worked wonders for me. I taped 2 4' mirrors from home depot on the tank for a day and gradually reduced the size of the mirrors over several weeks. The tangs forgot about each other and simply attacked their reflections nonstop.

 

[michealprater]

They make large fish traps. That is what you need. You feed in it every single day or put a mirror in it and be patient. Traps never fail, but the trap users sometimes does.