cervidaejager
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Which tang is more difficult, a powder blue or an achilles?
Which tang is harder to keep?
- Thread starter cervidaejager
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cervidaejager
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Have you had either one? Is there anyone that's had experience with one or both?
Allmost
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I have kept both ... currently have an anchilles ...
I honestly see nothing special [being hard to keep wise] about PBT ! they eat well, and adopt to aquarium life fast and easy ... at least the 2 I had were that way.
Anchilles ... very sensitive fish ! If feed him less for a day and u can see stress signs on him the next day ! but sooo beautiful
I honestly see nothing special [being hard to keep wise] about PBT ! they eat well, and adopt to aquarium life fast and easy ... at least the 2 I had were that way.
Anchilles ... very sensitive fish ! If feed him less for a day and u can see stress signs on him the next day ! but sooo beautiful
cervidaejager
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Very beautiful fish. Have any of you kept them together?
Allmost
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I havent, but both my anchilles and PBT were the boss of the tank at the time ... so unless u have a very large system, I wouldnt try it ...
and you really dont need the added stress on the anchilles .. when I first got my moorish Idol about 10 months ago, the anchilles showed white spots from the stress of the moorish Idol picking at him ! but after a couple of days it showed the Idol who the boss is
haha
cervidaejager
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I have a 210 with a 55 dump. I had an achilles for about a year until I shut my tank down, ex decided she didn't like it or me for that matter. I've got it up and running now for about 6 months and I'm trying to decide which one I want more. I never had problems with my achilles. I bought him because I felt sorry for him. He was in a 20 with about 5 other gangs and was grey not black. I hated to give him away. All I've read is how hard a PBT is to keep so I wondered.
Recty
New member
I've had both, but not both at the same time.
I'd say it depends where you got your fish from. I received an achilles tang direct from a diver in Hawaii and had no issues at all with the fish. He came in with ich but was easily treated and since my display was treated he never contracted it again.
I've received two powder blues. First one was from a LFS, not sure where they got their fish. It wasnt healthy when I bought it. This was when I was first starting out in the hobby and didnt know much. I put it into my reef, where it started eating well but continued to have ich problems. I never treated and it eventually died, although it hung on for a couple months before kicking the bucket. All other fish in the reef did OK, it seemed to be the fragile one which is pretty much what you hear from other hobbyists these days.
Second one I got from Live Aquaria, one of their Marshall Islands powder blues and it was so much healthier than the one I got years ago from the LFS. No ich, never showed signs of ich and after a month in QT I put it into my tank and never had a problem with it. It eats great, doesnt cause problems with the other fish and was super healthy as far as I'm concerned.
Anyway, I think either fish can be hardy, depending on how good of condition it is in when you get it. I'd give the nod towards achilles as being the more finicky of the fish, but in my experience once they are doing well in your tank, they are not hard to keep. It's just getting your tank totally disease free and low stress that is the hard part to keeping an achilles
Just to show he wasnt the only tang in the tank, he had some larger buddies but handled it totally fine.
And here is my totally disease free (as far as I can discern) powder blue.
Again, I feel the key to keeping both of these fish that are labelled as hard is keeping a disease free aquarium. I wouldnt plan on keeping either if you cant spend the time/effort quarantining all your fish.
I'd say it depends where you got your fish from. I received an achilles tang direct from a diver in Hawaii and had no issues at all with the fish. He came in with ich but was easily treated and since my display was treated he never contracted it again.
I've received two powder blues. First one was from a LFS, not sure where they got their fish. It wasnt healthy when I bought it. This was when I was first starting out in the hobby and didnt know much. I put it into my reef, where it started eating well but continued to have ich problems. I never treated and it eventually died, although it hung on for a couple months before kicking the bucket. All other fish in the reef did OK, it seemed to be the fragile one which is pretty much what you hear from other hobbyists these days.
Second one I got from Live Aquaria, one of their Marshall Islands powder blues and it was so much healthier than the one I got years ago from the LFS. No ich, never showed signs of ich and after a month in QT I put it into my tank and never had a problem with it. It eats great, doesnt cause problems with the other fish and was super healthy as far as I'm concerned.
Anyway, I think either fish can be hardy, depending on how good of condition it is in when you get it. I'd give the nod towards achilles as being the more finicky of the fish, but in my experience once they are doing well in your tank, they are not hard to keep. It's just getting your tank totally disease free and low stress that is the hard part to keeping an achilles
Just to show he wasnt the only tang in the tank, he had some larger buddies but handled it totally fine.
And here is my totally disease free (as far as I can discern) powder blue.
Again, I feel the key to keeping both of these fish that are labelled as hard is keeping a disease free aquarium. I wouldnt plan on keeping either if you cant spend the time/effort quarantining all your fish.
cervidaejager
New member
Thank all of you for the replies. I figure I'll give my tank another 6 months to mature a little more plus that will give me more time to decide which one I want more.
flameangel88
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geaux xman
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i say go ahead decide on one and start a 6 week QT process.
what fish do you currently have in the 210g?
what fish do you currently have in the 210g?
cervidaejager
New member
I have a flame hawk, 3 bartlett's anthias and a coral beauty for now. No coral yet and the only inverts o have are snails and hermit crabs. I'm taking it slow because I want to make sure everything goes as smooth as possibly. How about you?
fishguy597
Member
I have had two pbt both got ich or velvet (think it was velvet) wiped out everything in my tank fish wise other then a damsel . what are you guys doing as far as water parameters. and care for these fish in a reef tank ? the only success I have seen is in a fish only with copper and low salienty .
geaux xman
New member
check out this achilles primer thread. i bet the success rate is less than 20%.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1492655&page=44&highlight=achilles+primer
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1492655&page=44&highlight=achilles+primer
cervidaejager
New member
I've never had a PBT just the one achilles. When I had him it was in a reef tank with sps, lps and a couple of clams so all I did was keep the water in line for the sps and I never had a problem.
I have the chance to have both getting along in my tank
I don't know how this will end up on the long term, but over the past 7 years and besides the initital 6 months, there have been only a few real agressions, each one in turn trying to be the boss. At the moment it is Achilles turn.
But I won't redo that... unless I upgrade to a much bigger tank than my current 145 gal.
I don't know how this will end up on the long term, but over the past 7 years and besides the initital 6 months, there have been only a few real agressions, each one in turn trying to be the boss. At the moment it is Achilles turn.
But I won't redo that... unless I upgrade to a much bigger tank than my current 145 gal.
cervidaejager
New member
Sohalfr you currently have both in your tank now? It sounds like you do and if so that's great it gives me hope. Which did you add first or were they both added at the same time?
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