I am wanting a achilles tang but want some opinions on if I should add one or not. My concern is that I have 3 yellows and a purple tang in the tank now. I am afraid of aggression when I add it due to the body shape. Anyone have experience with this?
Achilles tang question
- Thread starter Brenden
- Start date
Help Support Reef Aquarium & Tank Building Forum:
steve-s
Well-known member
Your biggest issue with the Achilles is getting one in good health. In a 500 gallon tank, I don't think you'll have aggression issues as long as you get one about 4-5" in size.
Personally I would forgo this species simpley due to their dismal survival rates. If you do end up getting one, I would go the extra mile with this tang and set up a spacious QT and be sure it is feeding well and very healthy before attempting to place in the display system. You will most likely want to keep in there for about two months. Don't be surprised if it is infested with some kind of parasite on arrival so be prepared to treat as needed. Choose meds wisely with this species as they are very sensitive.
Cheers
Steve
Personally I would forgo this species simpley due to their dismal survival rates. If you do end up getting one, I would go the extra mile with this tang and set up a spacious QT and be sure it is feeding well and very healthy before attempting to place in the display system. You will most likely want to keep in there for about two months. Don't be surprised if it is infested with some kind of parasite on arrival so be prepared to treat as needed. Choose meds wisely with this species as they are very sensitive.
Cheers
Steve
Just...IMO...but the Achilles tang is one of those tangs that I think should not be brought to the aquarium trade....
Mortality rates are high....and the 'normal' aquarium will be too small.....and finding one eating voraciously and healthy is hard to begin with...
Let it prowl in Hawaii....
Best,
Ilham
Mortality rates are high....and the 'normal' aquarium will be too small.....and finding one eating voraciously and healthy is hard to begin with...
Let it prowl in Hawaii....
Best,
Ilham
mm949
Member
i think achilles do better than most tangs...since its different species you should be ok...little fighting the first few days...
not sure about the whole diet thing since i never feed my fish....
not sure about the whole diet thing since i never feed my fish....
I must have gotten lucky, huh???
Last edited:
Sascha D
Well-known member
They say the rule with tangs goes by bodyshape. You can keep one of each of the 3 types:
Zebrasoma
Acanthurus
Ctenochaetus
There are more families but they say these are the body shape differences you should look out for. Technically Yellow, Purple, Sailfin tangs are all in the same family. With that said everyone knows its all case by case and it is possible.
Personally I had a Sailfin, Achilles and Clown tang in my 200g and they got along fine. Unfortunately the Achilles was caught using cyanide and died from the poison
Zebrasoma
Acanthurus
Ctenochaetus
There are more families but they say these are the body shape differences you should look out for. Technically Yellow, Purple, Sailfin tangs are all in the same family. With that said everyone knows its all case by case and it is possible.
Personally I had a Sailfin, Achilles and Clown tang in my 200g and they got along fine. Unfortunately the Achilles was caught using cyanide and died from the poison
Bojangles said:Unfortunately the Achilles was caught using cyanide and died from the poison
How do you know this is true? What signs, or did you have the fish tested? I'm not saying it's not true, just wanted to know.
This fish is very, very difficult to acclimate, let alone survive long-term. In clownfish terms, I'd say it is about equal to acclimating Bluestripe (A. chrysopterus).
Best,
Ilham
Slickdonkey
Drink me
I've been considering adding one of these in the future but want to be sure I'm ready for it. Steve, what would you consider a spacious QT? Is a 55 gallon too small? My other QT is a 29 gallon and I assume that's not going to cut it even in the short term.
Other tips I've read while researching this fish include maintaining a high DO content (i.e. > 7ppm) and of course lots of swimming space.
I'm also curious to hear your opinions on mixing this fish with a regal/hippo tang (already in tank) and potentially a purple tang (possibly added in the future). This a 240 gallon tank.
Sorry Brendan, don't mean to hijack but thought the answers might be useful to you as well.
mmkeeper
Well-known member
I had one in a 46 for 8 to 10 months. He did really well, loved to eat, would eat any color of seaweed out of my hand. He would follow me to the seaweed clip when he saw me getting to the food. Then I had a major ich outbreak. After 5 weeks of hypo he and the rest were up back in the reef but he would not eat and I lost him about two weeks later.
steveweast
Well-known member
- Joined
- Aug 29, 2003
- Messages
- 69
I also think that they are one of the more difficult tangs....but, I'm sure why. I do think that clown tangs are more difficult though. I don't see very many achilles offered these days. I'm fortunate to have a LFS near me that uses a Hawaiian transhipper.....which (from the flights to Portland on Hawaiian Air) means the fish being in a box for less than 10 hrs. I have had no problem with aggression....I currently have a PBT, a black tang, a few blue hippo tangs, and a chevron tang. The achilles was added last....but, he is the biggest tang and is the biggest eater.
steveweast
Well-known member
- Joined
- Aug 29, 2003
- Messages
- 69
the tank is 850 gals.
Krish
RF STAFF
I have it saved in my favorites! One of the nicest tanks I've ever seen
http://www.oregonreef.com/sub_aquascaping.htm
http://www.oregonreef.com/sub_aquascaping.htm
