Pairing Achilles Tang

BlueMac92

BlueMac92

Member
I've seen a couple tanks with multiple Achilles in them. Anyone keep a pair or trio in their tank? If so how did you go about it? Is a pair or trio best? I currently have two, one in DT (3") and one in QT (4"). Had 3 but the one from DD didn't make it. So what do you guys recommend? They will be housed in a standard 8' 240 FOWLR. If anything goes awry I have a 150 I plan on housing a single fish in. Just feel a 6' will be a tad small for an achilles in the long run, but it's a good backup for now.

Current other tankmates:
Purple tang
Des. Sailfin tang
Tomini tang
Aussie Tusk
Harem of squam. anthias
2x Juv. Flagfin Angel
Mac. Angel
Navarchus Angel
Regal Angel

I am also working on a Bandit Angel, althought the supplier is taking awhile to obtain one. Anyone who can help speed up that process I would greatly appreciate :)
 
U have links to those tanks? I think it would be tuff to have 2 acan. In the same tank - and I would imagine 2 of the same species would be worse(?)
 
I have had pairs of them in a 240. I had a clown in there too. Massive amounts of food and reef quality clean water. Keep their needs totally met and they are not the jerks that everybody thinks. When I say massive amounts of food, I mean enough food that they are quickly growing.
 
jda said:
I have had pairs of them in a 240. I had a clown in there too. Massive amounts of food and reef quality clean water. Keep their needs totally met and they are not the jerks that everybody thinks. When I say massive amounts of food, I mean enough food that they are quickly growing.
Click to expand...

Jerks? You mean clowns or achilles? I have an auto feeder for pellet twice a day, Then the other two to three feedings I do myself.

Maybe I should scratch the idea of a third and stick with a pair?
 
Tangs are not the mystery that people make them out to be. They are like people, in some ways. If you cram them into a small space, under feed and overstimulate them, then they act like idiots similar to the folks on Jersey Shore or Big Brother. If you keep them well fed with solid water quality, then they can be nice tank mates.

Any tang can be a jerk if you underfeed it or otherwise give it a non-ideal place to live. Some are worse than others. Sohal and Clown can be very abusive if they have to compete for food, but are quite nice if their needs are met.

The tough thing about tangs in reefs is that sometimes the reefer is not willing to feed the required amount of food so that they can keep their N and P down. This is not good for some tangs... especially in loaded tanks.
 
LOL....my Achilles is over fed (about 3" thick) and will kill anything around him that is new. Unfortunately the "keep him well fed and he'll get along with others" would never fly with mine ;-)
 
BlueMac92 said:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igH5AlCUkqc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtMsKaIerL0


There is also a tank on here thats a BB FOWLR with a pair in it.
Click to expand...

If you watch the vids in the first there is all sorts of aggressive posture and behavior and that will never work long term and with a PBT? No way! (note how the AT bullies the black in the vid) The second tank is better suited but if you notice the are constantly darting and pacing the tank which means stress and anxiety( if fish even have this). If you want two, do yourself and those two beautiful creatures a favor and make sure your tank is at least 500g, preferably larger with PLENTY of flow ( like 2-300x DT turn over, they just love flow and thrive with it)
 
I am currently thinking of doing a pair, I have one in QT and another is in DD and I may have to order him and set up another QT. But I may hold off because cycling another QT will take some time....
 
BlueMac92 said:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igH5AlCUkqc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtMsKaIerL0


There is also a tank on here thats a BB FOWLR with a pair in it.
Click to expand...

In the first video, they obviously haven't been together long-term and I would doubt both are still alive today. Second video is much better, but the tank looks small for them. Also, that was a pretty short clip so who knows what kind of posturing goes on normally. This is something I wouldn't attempt unless it was a very large tank (500+) and even then, the personality of the individual fish comes into play and a backup plan would need to be waiting.

I think I know the BB tank with two you are referring to, and that case didn't work long term.
 
Rea17 said:
In the first video, they obviously haven't been together long-term and I would doubt both are still alive today. Second video is much better, but the tank looks small for them. Also, that was a pretty short clip so who knows what kind of posturing goes on normally. This is something I wouldn't attempt unless it was a very large tank (500+) and even then, the personality of the individual fish comes into play and a backup plan would need to be waiting.

I think I know the BB tank with two you are referring to, and that case didn't work long term.
Click to expand...

Geaux xman's tank was the one I was referring to. Thought I read somewhere he had them together for awhile. But, again, that begs the question "how long is successful?". Guess I'll have to try it first. If it doesn't work the 150 is a good backup until i find a more fitting solution.
 
I had two AT together for about a yr then one died for some unknown reason. Then the 2nd one died about 1-2 month after.

It took them a little while to tolerate each other. At first they wanted to kill each other and one quit eating completely. I had to separate with egg crate for about 3 wks.
 
Holsteiner said:
LOL....my Achilles is over fed (about 3" thick) and will kill anything around him that is new. Unfortunately the "keep him well fed and he'll get along with others" would never fly with mine ;-)
Click to expand...

Would love to see some pictures. Always like seeing fat tangs

...:lol:
 
Last edited:
geaux xman said:
I had two AT together for about a yr then one died for some unknown reason. Then the 2nd one died about 1-2 month after.

It took them a little while to tolerate each other. At first they wanted to kill each other and one quit eating completely. I had to separate with egg crate for about 3 wks.
Click to expand...

Hey man thanks for your input. Did you use an acclimation box or anything?


My plan is to QT the achilles when everyone makes the switch to the 240. Throw some eggcrate down the middle of a 40b and let him and the new guy get acquainted. Atleast in there it'll be a lot easier to pull one instead of my 240
 
BlueMac92 said:
Would love to see some pictures. Always like seeing fat tangs

...:lol:
Click to expand...

I have some pics in the AT primer thread, but here's my fatty...

1488255_10151852823928831_823110817_n.jpg

9a018baaf4a4df651548644c484ba727.jpg
 
The videos you posted were the second day of adding all the tangs. In the thirty second clip you could see them fighting with each other. I bet the Achilles are now dead from stress and fighting. One was literally chasing the other one and not to mention the powder blue and black tang were fighting them lol. You can have As many Achilles tangs and u want in your tank.. FOR a few days atleast before they kill each other! Its not a good idea I bet that powder blue in the video either won or lost agaisnt the Achilles and is one of them sadly died.

Honestly just seeing those videos of all the tangs in such a small environment ****ed me off specially having them fighting each other like that.

Dont turn your tank into a **** Fight its not cool.
 
geaux xman said:
I had two AT together for about a yr then one died for some unknown reason. Then the 2nd one died about 1-2 month after.

It took them a little while to tolerate each other. At first they wanted to kill each other and one quit eating completely. I had to separate with egg crate for about 3 wks.
Click to expand...



Thats pretty ****ed to have 2 AT in a 180G when thats the minimum size tank for a AT.

Why do you think they died because they need more room to swim they are an active fish.
 
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