Achilles Tang Questions!

[CrazyLionfish]

Ich goes away when you continue to feed a fish because the more stressed out they are - the more suceptible they are to ich and the more ich they get and the faster they die. If they continue to keep eating they get stronger and stronger making them less suceptiable to ich and less ich on their bodys and if they keep this up they will eventually fight off the ich. My lionfish and trigger has fought it off this way.

[Mikkel]

[CrazyLionfish]

LMAO!!! Well said.

[Shawnts106]

Hello to all you Achilles Tang FANS!...

I have always been an Achilles Tang fan.... Ever since I first started my Reef Tank 6 years ago!... this was one of those fish that MAKE you want to become a saltwater fish keeper!


yes, these tangs are BEAUTIFUL but their beauty is also matched at a cost.... These tangs are fairly susceptible to ICH, because of stress due to capture, collection and shipping!...

These tangs are from an area of the ocean where the current is tremendous! They LOVE really strong currents and HIGHLY Oxygenated waters to swim in. Plus they need very large tanks to have that room to roam so to speak!

They are voracious algae eaters and in the wild they are constantly nipping at the rocks to find their favorite meal.. ALGAE!

In the home Aquarium their main diet needs to be Nori, or Calurpa, or some type of nutritious macro-algae. They need this to retain their beautiful colors and keep them healthy and strong to fight off ICH! As long as they continue to eat they can build their immune systems to help fight of ICH that they are so susceptible to!


I bought one of these fish UNKNOWING of their specific care requirements.... I have had the fish in my possesion for 6 days now.... and in my home aquarium for 2... so far, so good, not a spot of ICH and EATTING LIKE A MAD FISH!... it arrived in very good condition, and has remained in it, Lets hope it will continue to remain in it!


I, now knowing, will tell ANYONE concidering an Achilles, that they need a big tank MIN. 6 feet!... and strong water movement! BE PREPARED TO CARE FOR YOUR ACHILLES!... also, DO NOT CROWD THE TANK with other fish because these fish NEED their space to not stress! Stress leads to ICH and ICH, as we all know, leads to death! Be prepared also, to spend quite a bit on SeaWeed to feed your ACHILLES WITH!


I created this thread for the LOVERS of Achilles Tangs, and to teach people about this beautiful fish!


I ask ANYONE and EVERYONE who has any information about this fish species to post it here for everyone to view and read!

and EVERYONE to post their Achilles here so everyone can see them in a PROPER setup!.. lol, and so you can just show off your fish!


Good luck to all!

[Confooseld]

Or you did know and you felt guilty about troubling the LFS owner! http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=683869
Well done! I love Achilles tangs too but I also love research before ordering/buying!

[stonecold]

Strong currents....how many pumps do you have in your tank?

[Confooseld]

A mag7 and two maxijet 1200's. The other thread pretty much covers how he is going to kill the fish within about 3-6 months.

[JENnKerry]

[CrazyLionfish]

Shawnts.. why did you start this thread.. lol

Anyways - POST PICS!

[Shawnts106]

Nevermind this thread... I can already see this is going to turn into a big BASH SHAWNTS106...

THREAD TERMINATED!

[tsquad]

Ok, well ignoring Shawnts idiocy...I have a real question.

Would a 135g BB SPS tank (good water quality) with 8,000+gph (Tunze 6100, two Seio 1500s, Mag18 return, two Aquaclear 402s for deadspots) be enough space and flow for this fish? The only other fish would be a pair of clowns and a wrasse, or several anthias. That's the tank I have planned...am transitioning to BB right now, and will have the Tunze/Seios before the New Year. I wouldn't get the Achilles until later. If not, then I won't look into one any further. See Shawn, that's what you do. If you can't successfully house something, then don't get it!

[JENnKerry]

I'm thinking a 135 might be a little too small. It might work though.

[tsquad]

Yeah that's what I thought too...maybe the excessive flow would fool him into thinking he's swimming a lot farther than he actually is. I like Powder Browns a lot too (A. japonicus, not nigricans), I think one of those would work nicely. They seem fairly hardy.

[sixxer]

This is one of my favorite tangs. Have had mine for over a year now, originally in my 300 gallon tank, now in my temp. 600-750 gallon pool waiting for his new 96x48x30 to be set-up!!!!

Very, very active swimmer, he loves swimming straight into the stream my Iwaki100 is putting into the pool.

[JENnKerry]

I like Powder Browns a lot too (A. japonicus, not nigricans), I think one of those would work nicely. They seem fairly hardy.

I think that would be a better choice. I have a powder blue in my 125 and I love him. Fat, healthy and no ick. Great fish.,

[billpa]

Originally posted by Shawnts106
I bought one of these fish UNKNOWING of their specific care requirements...



I created this thread for the LOVERS of Achilles Tangs, and to teach people about this beautiful fish!



and EVERYONE to post their Achilles here so everyone can see them in a PROPER setup.

Cmon now...you state in your other thread that you knew the requirements of this fish and then got it anyhow because you didnt care...you liked the fish. Don't act like you didn't know what you were getting into.

And then later to say that you created this thread to teach people about this fish and so that everyone can see them in a PROPER setup!!??!! Please...neither are the case with your experience, or with most people that try to keep an Achilles.

And then when the fish dies in a few months (if it has that long) you will blame it on ich while not completely understanding why it got ich. Was it poor shipping or perhaps was it because you are keeping one in poor conditions!??!

[CrazyLionfish]

I agree, I thought you knew the care requirements and you did. You're just saying you didn't to justify the buying of your tang.

[Cluckr7]

Eh. 2 Maxi 1200s and a Mag7 is good flow for a 75? That's like 1300 GPH. I have 2 maxi 1200s in my 20 gallon and was worried that wouldn't be enough.

[MCary]

Put me down for 12 days, in the pool, if its still available. And I'll take 14 days too.

Mike

[nucklehead]

I don't have an achilles tang, but I have two achilles tendons and I'm quite fond of them.

[Shawnts106]

maybe the excessive flow would fool him into thinking he's swimming a lot farther than he actually is.

so... now we are trying to "syck" the fish out??? MY GAH!


Well... Despite what I wrote earlier about "THREAD TERMINATED" I have decided to continue with this thread untill its shut down...


Despite what you all think, or believe, or wish other people to believe.... I have gotten, and will keep this fish for MORE THAN 8 MONTHS!!!!!! STARTING 1 WEEK AGO TODAY!....

I really really respect all your opinions or knowledge on this fish species... but despite ONE thing that I have read is the whole ICH MAGNET thing... MINE has now been in my possession for 7 days... WITHOUT THE TINNIEST TINIIIII SPOT OF ICH yet!....
I BY NOOOOOOOOOOOO MEANS am saying he will NOT GET ICH, but I am saying that so far he has seemed to do better than MOST ANY OTHER FISH IVE BOUGHT, heck, the Achilles is eatting and looking/acting better than my coral beauty... or my 5 year old percula clown!!!!!!!!.... well... ok, so the clown and him are matched!...

the Coral Beauty Ive had for a week too... they came together.. and the tang is doing 40% better id say... eatting more, being more active, staying out more, and just being healthy looking and acting.... the coral beauty is still good, eatting well.. yet not as good as the Achilles, but is not comming out all that much, yes, shes comming out, just not as much as the other fish...

INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, I HAVE YET TO NOTICE THE SLIGHTEST agression tward the Regal Tang.... which is quite surprizing... concidering I have heard that Achilles are VERY agressive, and need their space... HEY... IM NOT SAYING THEY ARENT, just funny mines not being an @$$ so to say!... haha


Now.... Im not saying that the Acanthuras Achilles can do very well in a 75 gallon tank with less than optimal water flow and room to roam, BY far, I DONT BELIEVE THAT.... I tell anyone who asks that these fish need big tanks with a whole lota lota whata movement ( no joke intended )... because I NOW KNOW THEY DO...


I notice that everyone keeps saying... OH PLEASE ... la da la da la da.... na na na, you already knew when you got the fish, blah blah blah...

well.. thats just not the case, I suppose you are just not understanding this so Ill make it simple...

step one Order Fish :...
step 2 order gets to supplier:
step 3 supplier processes order:
step 4 supplier preps fish:
step 5 supplier sends fish
step 6 orderer recieves fish:

time taken?....
step one : 24 hours
step two : 48 hours
step three : a few hours
step four : a few hours
step five : 24 hours
step six : immediately

time taken... approximately 5 days

AKA: I had already placed the order the following day after asking questions, without reading the post....


now... YES I SHOULD HAVE DONE RESEARCH BEFORE HAND... which MIGHT I ADD I normally do... despite what you all my think...

and for those who want to throw up the Moorish Idol issue... go ahead... but I new what they ate, how to care for them the best as we can.... and yes I knew that there was some spectation about the whole 75 gallon thing... however I PERSONALLY DO NOT believe that moorish Idols need big tanks for the SWIMMING ROOM... but rather for the food... reason being???

Reason:
Well.. Moorish Idols are found on reefs where they are constantly grazing on algae, sponge, tunicates, corals etc.... they are normally found in pairs. If you watch them they swim in circles around a large area of their reef home.... why? NOT FOR THE EXERCISE... why?... because Moorish Idols have a HIGH metabolism.... why if you had a super high motabolism would you run around a say... 500 foot circle to get one bite of food every 10 feet or so.... .... you would end up burning more energy that you would gaining it!!!!

they swim gracefully, as they glide with the currents to find morsels to eat.... they CONSERVE ENERGY this way... and get the MAXIMUM amount back from their foods ....

so A moorish Idol in a 75 gallon is not a problem IF ITS SMALL... as in between 3 to 5 inches... Ideally being 3.5-4inch... which MINE WAS!... the trick with feeding them in such a small tank to to have alot of their natural foods, SPONGE, on hand to WEEN them off of it!... I REALLY COULD GO ON AND ON, but im not!



now back to the Achilles Tang.... I think that these guys are the exact oposite, they need to BURN more then they ingest because of their really extra long intestinal track to digest algae!...

I am agreeing that these fish need alot of room to swim and alot of current to help with that, plus provide the proper amount of O2 as well!...

now, do I HAVE that, somewhat, is it ideal, no not really, is the fish going to die in a few months due to stress, I MYSELF DO NOT KNOW!... do I think it will... NO, but thats just because I want it to survive... and at the rate its going, it SEEMS as if it will!


Now, I hope you all read that so I could get that out of my system.... now that you have read that you may DISAGREE all you wish, disagree untill all your little hearts are content... that doesnt bother me...


but... I think that instead of BASHING SOMEONE DOWN for their mistakes, or opinions you guys should be supportive of the situation... no, this hasnt been done before success fully to my knowledge, however I do not also know that it has failled or successed!.... so I WILL SEE.... so far you guys, while not all but most, have just spouted hate and disagreement to the issue, yet have provided no concret evidence of why you do... I mean, no one has pulled a site of a documented Achilles tang dieing within a 4 foot by 2 foot by 2 foot system in the amount of 6 to 8 months...

lol, now GONIOPORAS.. yes, but I have not seem anything of the sort on Achilles Tangs... so please provide that information if you have it!

I also, stated on my other post that some are found at deaper deapths... I think remember reading up to 400 feet down?... maybe 300 feet?.... anyway... these guys down there are not use to really " turbid... just kidding, turbulent" water movement, or alot of disolved O2.... so.... they do not require this?... is is possible that the collectors can collect the achilles down their easier???

HECK my Tang only cost me 35$... for a 3 inch... they CANT BE THAT HARD TO CATCH! for that amount!


In fact, NO ONE has yet to reply on the Achilles found at deaper deapths post.... hum... WONDER WHY??????? could anyone help me there?

Well you should know that the Achilles are one of the more aggressive tangs you can get. You know how aggressive powder blues are? Imagine an aggressive tang like a powder blue in a small tank like a 55 gallon. The aggression dished out by the PBT would be doubled or tripled. So that being said, I wish you, your Achilles and especially your other fish lots of luck.

like I said... not a SMIG of agression to either of the 3 fish... why is this?


plus its a 75 gallon not a 55.... I duno if you knew that or not... just lettin' ya' know...

well... thats all I have to say for this post... untill tomorow...

[Shawnts106]

OH, and as for Crazy, yeah, Hey.. what happened, to ohhhhh SWF people are SOO MEAN and they are rude, and bash people all the time...

I could say something NOW about RC... BUT I WONT!


as for you crazy, you are doing some bashing of your own!

[Bass Master]

You're an lfs employee? The previous and this is all I could come up with -

[reeftec]

i heard cooking your rock will help your achilles tangs,as it says here
http://archive.reefcentral.com/forum...hreadid=683067

[CrazyLionfish]

Sorry for the bashing but this same thing has happend three times to you, with gono, moorish idol, and now the achilles. I would think after the first time you would have learned to do extensive research and accept others opinions.