how many success achillies owner ?

[nava405]

as the topic says, how many people can keep their achillies alive for more than a year ?

 

[Kahuna Tuna]

I have kept two achilles on two seperate occasions. The first I kept in a 90 gallon tank (which is too small) and was able to keep him for two years. I lost the fish when I had to tear the tank down to move it, he got ick and died shortly after the move.

I didn't buy another until I upgraded to a 180 and again I kept the fish for about two years. I just happened to walk into the room to watch the end of the fight between my achilles and my asfur angel. The asfur beat him up and he died within minutes of what I would call shock since his wounds were minimal. I have no idea what set the asfur off.

The achilles is a very touchy fish that simply doesn't handle stress very well IMO. They need a large tank , excellent water quality, lots of flow, a variety of good quality foods, and tankmates that will not stress the fish. In short, unless you get lucky and find a very hardy one you really need to build a system around this fish. With that said this is just a spectacular and beautiful fish and I can fully understand the desire to want to provide for one.

 

[nava405]

yah, i really want to get a bigger size of achilles for my 200 gallon tank just because they are sweet fish for a reef tank.. thankx for your input!

 

[Kahuna Tuna]

You are welcome. I think 210 should be plenty of tank for an achilles, just remember they do like a lot of water flow and be sure they get lots of green food like nori.

 

[nava405]

the flow wouldn't be a problem cuz it's a SPS tank, and i'm running 3 tunze 6100 with wave box..the only thing i'm worrying about if it's going to get alone with white face powder brown or not, or even later on with sohal ...etc

 

[Scuba Dog]

The powder brown is the same genus as the achillies, and the repatation of the sohal is well known. I think you would be rolling the dice on those tangs living together even in a 200. I have read accounts here of people having problems with sohols in a 500 gallon display.

 

[kevin4052002]

At my work, we have a 535 tank with a Clown (5"), Powder Blue (4"), White-Tailed (thompsoni, 3.5"), and Dussumieri (8"). In my two years of employment there has only ever been one conflict that left any damage, on the Dussumieri and Powder Blue. They are in there with many larger tangs and other fish, so their aggression is heavily diffused by other fish in their way.

These fish have decided that they will get along, thankfully. I'm sure if a tang were to be added, it would be murdered. I think the mixing of several tangs is highly possible, if you don't pick the ones with similar colors, identical (perfectly) shapes.

You could do an Achilles, but not with a Powder Brown or Powder Blue. I don't think that would work at all. A Sohal might work, if it doesn't decide to kill the Achilles.

 

[thor32766]

no, dont put a achilles with those other tangs. plain and simple if you want an achilles leave him as the only tang. Other people might have them with other tangs, but you dont want anything else to add on to the fact of this tang not being a long lived resident.

 

[nava405]

well it's kinda hard for me to keep only 1 tang in a tank...

 

[Kahuna Tuna]

I think the achilles might be OK with some of the smaller, mellower, less aggressive species of tangs in a 210 but it is a risk since they do stress easily. I would think one of the bristletooth tangs might be a go as might a convict since they are all pretty laid back. I would definately not add another Acanthurus or a similarly shaped or colored tang with the possible exception of the convict or mimic tang. You might get away with a small hippo tang as well, some of them are fairly easy going.