divers den 8 1/2 achilles

achilles update

achilles update

hey guys just giving an update on my dd achilles.hes eating almost anything you put in the tank.I left him a 1/4 sheet of nori this morning and its gone and a mix of plankton,marine cuisine,and blood worms with selcon ,vitamin c and garlic to dt and checked to see if he ate it and he did.put some flakes in yesterday and ate those like a pig.so alls well so far.I took some video of him on the powerhead treadmill over the weekend and I 'll try to post it as soon as I can.oh yea no signs of ich yet."knock on wood".
 
mtbiker41 said:
ok guys here are some quick pics I shot not great but I'm doing the best I can.
he's really active swimming figure 8s in acllimation cooler.I actually have 3 tanks 2 fowlr and reef so if there are fighting issues they will separated .
4365668429_8cbebfa3ee.jpg

4366417560_2c557b78fe.jpg

4365681575_a3a5a3fd8b.jpg
4365684037_8b905a949c.jpg
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The dorsal fin looks orangish in this picture, is that how it looks when it is scared only? Or is it sill orange looking? I remember this fish in the DD picture a couple weeks ago it looked all black so I am assuming it only looks this way when it is scared???
 
ac

ac

yep it still looks like that and he ain't scared at all.he hasn't hid since started qt.he just keeps on swimming and eating.when he was in blackout I would pull the cover up and look in the end of tank and he would come right up to me and look back at me .he's already eating more variety than I thought he would.I keep wanting to go ahead and put him in the display but I know it's best if he stays in qt a little longer .
 
mtbiker41 said:
yep it still looks like that and he ain't scared at all.he hasn't hid since started qt.he just keeps on swimming and eating.when he was in blackout I would pull the cover up and look in the end of tank and he would come right up to me and look back at me .he's already eating more variety than I thought he would.I keep wanting to go ahead and put him in the display but I know it's best if he stays in qt a little longer .
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I was comparing it to this pic of him http://www.liveaquaria.com/diversden/itemdisplay.cfm?c=2733+3&ddid=81733
It must just depend whether the dorsal fin is up or down.
 
treatment

treatment

tcmfish said:
Are you treating with anything?
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I treated with low dose of prazipro friday.thats been it so far other selcon,garlic,and vitamin c food soak.do you think I should be treating even though he shows no signs of disease yet?and did the 2nd water change today.
 
I would do cupramine and prazi together to speed up QT but its up to you. Before it goes in the display I would treat with cupramine, especially since it is eating so well and nice and fat it should take to treatment just fine. Many people with achilles who don't treat talk about how it has had ich before it gets it from time to time, in other words it has ich just the ich hasn't won yet.
 
tcmfish said:
I would do cupramine and prazi together to speed up QT but its up to you. Before it goes in the display I would treat with cupramine, especially since it is eating so well and nice and fat it should take to treatment just fine. Many people with achilles who don't treat talk about how it has had ich before it gets it from time to time, in other words it has ich just the ich hasn't won yet.
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I disagree, you should not treat a fish that does not show any signs of disease. Especially with a delicate fish like an Achilles. This will only impede the progress you have already made. Best analogy I have heard is, like giving chemotherapy to someone before you know they have cancer. Plus, there is agood chance he was treated at la. No need to put him through it again. People forget copper is a poison.
 
People also forget how mild cupramine is. And cancer is quite an extreme analogy. Its more like giving someone a vaccine so they won't get sick again ;) I think many people forget we maintain controlled systems and control what goes in and out. Why would you want to risk everything else????

Here is a comical vid about corals, but its the same thing in fish. Why introduce a pest that could risk all your corals? So why introduce a pest that could risk all your fish?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FoX1-dFppYQ

But whatever its up to you guys, I'm getting sick of trying to tell people because no one listens.
 
Last edited:
tcmfish said:
People also forget how mild cupramine is. And cancer is quite an extreme analogy. Its more like giving someone a vaccine so they won't get sick again ;) I think many people forget we maintain controlled systems and control what goes in and out. Why would you want to risk everything else????

Here is a comical vid about corals, but its the same thing in fish. Why introduce a pest that could risk all your corals? So why introduce a pest that could risk all your fish?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FoX1-dFppYQ

But whatever its up to you guys, I'm getting sick of trying to tell people because no one listens.
Click to expand...

I am not trying to argue, just a freindly debate. I want the best for this beautiful fish like you do. I hear that cupramine is mild. In fact it is the copper I use when I need to treat. However, there is no way to really tell if it is actually mild or not. A marine biologist or a chemist may be able to say otherwise. I do not claim to be either, and I am just throwing my opinion out there just like you. Even if treated with cupramine, the fish may still get ich in the display. Ich can be dormant in systems for long periods of time until it finds a good host (achilles tang). I am in total favor of quarantining all new additions, I just disagree with treating with chemicals as a preventative.

I totally agree with dipping corals, but that video was an advertisement, doesnt make it exactly the gospel.

BTW, I am listening to you, doesnt mean I have to agree with everything you say. This is a discussion forum and it is open for healthy debate. We can all present our case, and the end user can determine which he feels is the best advice. :)
 
The only way it could get ich after being treated with copper is if it was put in a tank with fish that haven't been treated with copper. That is why I don't like not treating as a preventative because then your fish can still get sick after QT.

I am not targeting you either, just see so many people against QT and I don't understand it.
 
To me it makes the most sense to QT all of your fish in a similar way. If you use preventative cupramine, do it with all. If you do it with some then skip it for an expensive beauty like the achilles you might as well not do it with any. I agree that cupramine is mild, and i've yet to see any evidence that prior treatments shorten lifespans. However, because unlike a vaccination if a fish introduces ich to the tank, a previous cupramine treatment can't help current residents, I now treat all incomers with cupramine. Previously i used standard QT, wait and watch, then had a devastating outbreak despite such efforts with no visible signs for a year from the last entrant prior to the outbreak. I think how you approach QT also depends on how difficult it is to get your fish out and treat if there is an outbreak. Having a big full reef tank makes treatment once an outbreak happens a huge PITA and has knocked many out of the hobby.
 
ryshark said:
I can't decide if I like the those markings on the top better than just plain black or not... I keep going back and forth. Either way they are awesome looking fish.
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Like many tangs, the achilles can change colours based on mood/excitement level. That redness on the top fin isn't always there, nor is the white belly. Their eyes also take on a distinct blue colour at times. It is all perfectly normal.
 
tylorarm said:
To me it makes the most sense to QT all of your fish in a similar way. If you use preventative cupramine, do it with all. If you do it with some then skip it for an expensive beauty like the achilles you might as well not do it with any. I agree that cupramine is mild, and i've yet to see any evidence that prior treatments shorten lifespans. However, because unlike a vaccination if a fish introduces ich to the tank, a previous cupramine treatment can't help current residents, I now treat all incomers with cupramine. Previously i used standard QT, wait and watch, then had a devastating outbreak despite such efforts with no visible signs for a year from the last entrant prior to the outbreak. I think how you approach QT also depends on how difficult it is to get your fish out and treat if there is an outbreak. Having a big full reef tank makes treatment once an outbreak happens a huge PITA and has knocked many out of the hobby.
Click to expand...

You said it better than I could! +1

But as far as color I also agree it is perfectly normal, some people have reported the eye color change during aggression, maybe others can comment on that.
 
I remember in the Achilles Premier somebody showing a pic of their Achilles with eyes that change to blue. By the way, I was the one that got that Achilles jmccown linked above. I have had my eye out for a 5"-6" Achilles for a long time. I was only able to see the picture on my Blackberry before I placed the order while driving (I've seen how fast the DD Achilles can sell and didn't want to risk losing it) When I got home and saw the big picture on my computer screen I noticed the orange dorsal fin and I wasn't sure if I liked that or not. I like what untammed and tcmfish said about them changing color, this way I will get the both of both worlds depending on the tangs mood. I figured this color changing may be possible because I have seen other Acanthurus like powder browns and tennant tangs change color very quickly. Anyway, he will be here tomorrow.
 
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