Trying to convince a friend- NO Achilles in a 65g

opiumpipez · #1 12/26/2007, 02:53 PM

My friend has been into sw for about 14 years and he is in the early states of building a 65aga reef (36x18 foot).

he works at an LFS so he already thinks he knows pretty much everything about stocking.

the issue i am having is that he is dead set on an Achilles tang, midnight angel, cherub and flame angel all in the same tank.

my question is, how do i tell him that he would be a moron if he stocked his tank as mentioned above given that he is the one who got me into the hobby.

should i let him stock the tank only to have him watch his fish struggle?

a2fire2i · #2 12/26/2007, 03:38 PM

IMHO, i wouldnt even bother. You can tell people anything, but if they have their heart set on it, it wont do anything..

reef_doug · #3 12/26/2007, 07:42 PM

Lock him in a closet and ask him how it feels?

oct2274 · #4 12/26/2007, 08:48 PM

ummm, he works at an LFS and is going to try those fish in that tank? The angels are probably all going to try to kill each other and the tang isn't going to make it in a tank that small for long. He needs to read up. I hope he isn't making suggestions like this to customers..................

schigara · #5 12/26/2007, 08:52 PM

He sounds like a real tool!!

blas · #6 12/26/2007, 10:16 PM

I like the closet line : ) Come on he knows better, at least I would hope.

ACBlinky · #7 12/26/2007, 11:43 PM

He may have success with the angels, then again he may not, but there's no way an achilles will do well. I've seen a 10" achilles in action, that was something to behold. It looked cramped in a 220g tank with very open rockwork, rather like a pacing tiger at the zoo. It was a bully, ate like a horse, and pooped like one as well.

You can't really tell your friend what he probably already knows; he may have to learn for himself that it's just not a good idea to put that many territorial and potentially large fish into a 36" tank. IME willpower takes time to develop in this hobby - just today I was at the LFS and saw a stunning puffer (and I detest 99% of puffers). Two years ago I might have tried to rationalize bringing it home, but now I can see a fish like that and know instantly that although it's beautiful, it's not going to work with my current setup.

Fairy Wrassler · #8 12/27/2007, 05:40 AM

Quote:

My friend has been into sw for about 14 years and he is in the early states of building a 65aga reef (36x18 foot).

36X18 feet would be a good size tank for an achilles

FW

Capt_Cully · #9 12/27/2007, 07:28 AM

You guys are killin' me

opiumpipez · #10 12/27/2007, 11:16 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Fairy Wrassler
36X18 feet would be a good size tank for an achilles

FW

hahaha ok i lied it really is a 36x18 foot tank!! jk

i want to let him make his own choices on this matter..but i would hate to see such a beautiful fish die (tang..and perhaps the angels).

maybe ill cram my friend into a hope chest (are these even around anymore?) or something.

checkinhawk · #11 12/27/2007, 11:20 AM

wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy too small for an achilles,i have one thats about 5-6" in my 5x2x2 150g and he will be getting a new home this year,hopefully he will be moved into a 600g.

myerst2 · #12 12/27/2007, 02:37 PM

The Achilles is out of the question. The angels probally will pick at the corals, depending on which ones he keeps. You should tell him to get a vlamingi, clown tang, and might as well throw a black tip reef shark. oh wait he probally has room for a great white shark, or if he wants to be safe a whale shark. Tim

snorvich · #13 12/27/2007, 02:37 PM

There are people who know what they want and are not going to be persuaded by anything, certainly not reason.

It is a shame to subject animals to that type of thinking. We owe it to our guests to provide them with at least a reasonable place to live. An Achilles Tang would be too large for anything less than an 8 foot tank. Tangs need to be able to swim as that is their natural inclination.

opiumpipez · #14 12/27/2007, 03:23 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by snorvich
There are people who know what they want and are not going to be persuaded by anything, certainly not reason.

It is a shame to subject animals to that type of thinking. We owe it to our guests to provide them with at least a reasonable place to live. An Achilles Tang would be too large for anything less than an 8 foot tank. Tangs need to be able to swim as that is their natural inclination.

which is exactly what i told him!

he seems to think the depth of the 65g (24" i beleive) will be sufficient for a 3-4" achilles. i keep telling him tangs need more lateral space than height.

oh well. he is going to get it no matter what.

ACBlinky · #15 12/27/2007, 03:52 PM

Tangs need LONG tanks, height isn't nearly as important. If he's hooked on getting a big tang, he needs a long tank - it's not an option. In a 36" long tank that fish is going to become more and more stressed as it grows, and probably won't last long. Remind him that this is a living, breathing, stress-prone animal and what he's proposing is unkind, bordering on abusive.

2004jeepoutlander · #16 12/27/2007, 06:06 PM

yep agree with above.. just tell him you had a frined with a 300 glalon tank and they couldnt keep the achiles.

wan 2 B reef'in · #17 12/27/2007, 09:18 PM

.... You could just tell me how far from Hartford CT you are, and I'll buy it before he does for my 220

opiumpipez · #18 12/31/2007, 11:12 AM

well my friend took my advice!!!

no achilles!!!

but he just added a naso AND pbt within one week of setting up.

i gotta get a pic of this!

Kahuna Tuna · #19 12/31/2007, 12:44 PM

I had an achilles in a standard 180 for a few years and that tank isn't big enough for an achilles IMO. They are swimming machines.

Hogfish77 · #20 01/01/2008, 03:57 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by opiumpipez
well my friend took my advice!!!

no achilles!!!

but he just added a naso AND pbt within one week of setting up.

i gotta get a pic of this!

lol wow added 2 more Tangs ?! Guess your advice only made it worse lol.

zemuron114 · #21 01/01/2008, 01:30 PM

he put a naso in a 65? he should be fired from his job....

pbt in a 65 is just as bad as an achilles - you should just smack him

opiumpipez · #22 01/02/2008, 12:50 AM

ok saw the tank tonight. looks pretty actually. low on LR and flow (30lbs max and 400gph)

both tangs are juvis (2"max) but the PBT is eating but has early signs of ich and the naso looks famished (not eating anything)

i would think a 65g would stress out even juvis.

zemuron114 · #23 01/02/2008, 01:10 AM

both will die. give it 2 weeks tops