what about an Achilles thread??

[Mike de Leon]

I thought I'd start on this thread. This fish is so beautiful it is worth trying to get together and share experiences, good and bad, to help raise the successes in keeping them alive.

I have one now in quarantine for over four weeks. I will wait another two and start raising the SG to 1.026. By the way, he's in hyposalinity. It is the best method that I tried so far. No chemicals, HOT skimmer running with no interruption on the biofiltration.

He's looking real good. I have talked to a guy in the LFS. He told me that Achilles Tangs are the hardest to keep. Even with quarantining them, they can still end up with Ich even if the tank did not have Ich before and all inhabitants have been quarantined. I only have a Yellow Tang, a Clownfish and a Six Line Wrasse and all went through quarantine. I now hesitate to put the Achilles in the display after what this guy said.
My tank is a 6' long 125 AGA. Total water volume is about 150 incl fuge.

In the quarantine with him is a juv Blue Face that is also doing very well. His coloration is starting to change to adult.

Any tips on the Achilles??

 

[Tyrosinase]

I also just got an Achilles tang, so I will be interested in what people post here. Mine, unfortunately, has come down with ich. The fish has been eating Nori, which I have been adding a little garlic to it. Hopefully this will help with the ich. Eventhough I saw the fish eating mysis shrimp at the LFS, it has not wanted to eat any of the mysis shrimp that I have put in the tank. It takes a bite of it but then spits it back out.

 

[Fishfirst]

I had one for a good 4 months in my LFS that I used to work at... did fairly well and ate like a pig. Never came down with ich, but I'm sure that was a complete fluke considering we never quarentined him. Of coarse this tank was around 250 gallons and had a fairly good amount of flow... few other inhabitants too, just a saddle wrasse, a christmas wrasse, and a tomato clownfish. Sold him after 4 months and never saw him again... such a beautiful fish!

 

[Mike de Leon]

Tyro, I find that quarantine should be a part of owning a saltwater tank. I have learned the very hard way. Others say it cost more money to have one set up, but it would actually help prevent any unneccessary loss of livestock, hence, savings. Not only on money but time and heartache.

Of all fishes, the Achilles should be quarantined. If they ever come down with Ich there is a 99 % chance it will not recover.
If you want to keep your fish, you need to do something immediately.

My Achilles only eats Nori and Cauleurpa. I soak the Nori with Selcon and other vitamins.
Good Luck!

 

[rkehockey16]

i got my achilles a week ago, what a beaut! they truly are my favorite fish. Mine has been doing great, was a little stressed a couple days after i got it but is since doing fine. The naso tang i have was just showing some dominance but now they are friends.

 

[Mike de Leon]

rkehockey, what is the size of your tank? did you set up so there's ample swimming space?

 

[vanmle]

What would be the minimum size for a QT for the Achilles. I was thinking of getting a PBT, but the Achilles sparked my interest lately.

 

[KEstep]

I have the most amazing Achilles Tang that has been named Peanutbutterjellytime... I have to tell this tangs story from the beginning, sorry it is so long but I have to emphasize what this guy went through.

Last November I placed an order for my maintenance company and decided to get an Achilles Tang for myself. Needless to say everything went very wrong from the start because the order was placed close to Thanksgiving and airlines were mega swamped (black Friday). My order was misshipped from FL to Amarillo, turns up in Midland TX late that night without a chance of being flown to Amarillo until morning. :mad2: I thought for sure my tang was dead. Luckily a company I worked for before picked up my order and stored it in their shop to keep them out of the freezing cold airport facility. Next morning the fish were finally shipped to Amarillo and arrived around midday. I was so sure that my entire order would be dead due to the major major delay and the freezing cold weather. I picked up my order and brought them home.

After I opened the boxes I was immediately infuriated even further. They had not placed ANY hot packs in the boxes after I requested they triple the amount they normally ship with. The fish were FREEZING!!!!:mad2: :mad2: Surprisingly they were all alive, I could not believe it. This included my Achilles Tang.

I immediately got my tang acclimating very slowly, so slowly (I am embarrassed so badly to admit this) that when I came in to let him out of the bag he was asphyxiated. I put him in the tank and watched as he spun in circles and hit the walls and rocks in the tank (btw he is the only fish I have or want in the tank). I was so angry at myself so I walked away and said my prayers. Two hours later I came back to what I figured was the end of my beautiful tang, but instead I had an alive one that was swimming all over the tank and brightly colored. He ate brine and kelp on his first feeding and did not hide when you came to the tank EVER. I was so happy.

A week later he broke out with ich... He never stopped eating or swimming, but he broke out over and over again. I finally pulled him from the tank and placed him in QT. I used Cupramine treatment for 6 weeks. During QT I had 3 major ammonia and nitrite spikes, one of which occurred for days because I was not home to do water changes. Again the tang never stopped eating or swimming. Now as of two or so weeks he is back in his reef alone and happy and ich free.

He is so personable that when I walk to the tank he swims wherever I am at. When I put my hand in the tank he swims circles and will occasionally brush up against my fingers. I absolutely LOVE this miracle Achilles Tang. With all the problems that my wholesaler and myself caused him, he hung in like a champ. He was frozen, delayed in shipping, asphyxiated (stupid me), major ich outbreaks, QT'd with copper, made it through ammonia and nitrite spikes in QT (copper is a bad treatment, I must say hypo next time), and back home finally. I never thought he would make it from day one.

I can only hope for everyone else that they get a tang as great as mine. He is the best thing in the tank.

Any spots that look like ich on him are tiny white shrimp that are all over my glass. He is so nicely colored now. Now you know the story of my miracle tang Peanutbutterjellytime.

 

[rkehockey16]

i have a 125 and i have a lot of swimming space and caves to hide in if he wants to

 

[vanmle]

KEstep,

That is a great story and they say Achilles Tang are weak.

 

[KEstep]

Thanks, it's all true. I always told people to stay away from them because if you looked at them wrong they would die But I can honestly say that is not the case for mine.

 

[KEstep]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6852882#post6852882 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by vanmle
What would be the minimum size for a QT for the Achilles. I was thinking of getting a PBT, but the Achilles sparked my interest lately.

I placed mine in a 20 long with a piece of holy rock to hide behind. You could tell he was bored but he stayed in there for 6 weeks.

 

[Mike de Leon]

KEstep,

Nice specimen! Pictures never give justice to how they really look! It does not show how the body is somewhat dark blue.
What incredible story. I hear that once they are acclimatized they are quite hardy.
I need to learn how to post pics so I can show you mine.....