PBT + Achilles x2

[geaux xman]

Well my achilles and PBT has been getting along rather peacefully with very minimal aggression. I figure I'd tempt fate and add another smaller achilles. After 3 weeks of cupramine in QT, a week in a 12x6x6 acrylic acclimation box in the DT, I released the smaller achilles.

The video is less than 30 minutes after releasing the smaller achilles. I have a small "cave" in which the smaller achilles can escape for refuge. The white spots on the big achilles is lymph. The spots are huge and no other fish has it.

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This video is 3 days after. Aggression is still at a very high level. I believe some of the torn fins are self-induced from bumping into the rocks trying to cause trouble with the smaller achilles. Some from assault. The torn fins usually heals within a couple of days. What's seen in the video is actually the two achilles on their best behavior. Right after I shot the video, I separated the tank in half with eggcrate.

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[geaux xman]

Heres feeding the fish bloodworms. The lymph on the big achilles has also gone away. I intend on keeping the fish separated for about 4-6 weeks, then release and see what happens. Yes, I know all about keeping 2 similar appearance tangs is a bad idea, especially 2 acanthurus tangs. If it doesnt work, I will resort to getting a 2nd bigger tank or rehome the fish to my local buddy. If it does work, I might opt for getting a bigger tank to house the two achilles.

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Just sharing my fish keeping experience... Sorry for the poor quality video. I have a carbon reactor that needs to be hooked up(no pump yet).

 

[humaguy]

You don't think the larger Achilles is being torn up by the PB?
Looks like the PB is pretty unhappy with the larger Achilles...
Beautiful tank...

 

[geaux xman]

Thanks.

Nah the achilles was flawless til i had let the smaller one loose as you can see in the first vid. No rip fins. Initially the larger achilles and pbt would go at it and i would occasionally see a rip fin. That was months ago.

The last video is today. The torn fins healed and the white lymph spots are gone too.

 

[jt48]

The videos are private and can't be viewed??

 

[nonimmigrant]

IME, three Acanthuri is a bad mix in a tank, as one is always beating on one and leaving the other alone. Four or five is the magic number. Now I've done this in a 400G with non-super sized Acanthurus tangs, but I would not recommend in tanks much smaller. GM's experience here is typical of a (newly created) three Acanthurus tang environment. It's not the PBT or the AT per se, but the situation. I would have put the new AT in a long acclimation box for a min of a week before putting in the tank. My fear, and I've seen this before with AT's, is that the new AT gets beaten up to the point where it gets really stressed and stops eating. Just my two bits...