gold rim tang

achillesheel · #1 10/20/2007, 10:38 PM

im looking for personal experience with this fish. i am well aware of the poor success rate but i am looking for any experiences at all good or bad.

the fish i am speaking of is the acanthurus nigricans not the powder brown or mimic (a. japonicus or a. pyroferus)

thank you
shad

jnc914 · #2 10/20/2007, 11:29 PM

They are on par with the Achilles when it comes to mortality rates. It is very difficult to get a healthy one from the start. They are somewhat stubborn when it comes to eating in the home aquarium, even if they are eating at the LFS. Most get stressed to the point that their immune systems start to break down and they attract ich, and or starve. LiveAquaria had a few last month in the Diver's Den, i would be more willing to try one of those. I have also noticed that the prices on them have gone down a bit. I personally think the powder Brown and any of the mimics are a nicer and hardier fish.

zemuron114 · #3 10/21/2007, 12:08 AM

I have extremely good luck with them. Always eat for me, brine mysis, algae, you name it! I get them to eat right away, usually on mysis first, then algae (hawaiian ogo algae) They are fragile though on the same scale as achilles.

Featherdusters · #4 10/21/2007, 04:40 PM

I just picked one up a week ago. I originally bought him a month and a half ago, but since I didn't have a large enough QT tank for him my fellow local reefer offered to help. He has a 55G QT. While he was in QT he was safely treated for ich and parasites, even though he didn't show any signs. I wasn't going to take any chances.

So far he has adjusted well to my tank. He didn't hide at all when I first introduced him. He spends most his day swimming through the live rock. He hasn't shown any signs of aggression and just minds his own business. Cute fella. And I actually find him very pretty.

As a small note though, he looked extremely healthy when I first spotted him. Thats the reason I bought him. He had to be the happiest, active and healthiest tang I have ever seen at a fish store. I wouldn't have gotten him if I saw him in any less of a condition. Especially since they are known to be delicate. I wouldn't call him a complete success yet though, I won't be able to say that till I have had him for a year.

achillesheel · #5 10/21/2007, 04:58 PM

ive heard that they do much worse than the achilles tang. they kind of do the moorish idol dance where they look good for a couple months then die. i hope i am mistaken. ive had relative success with achilles tangs but as soon as anything goes wrong with the tank i lose them. i love the goldrim and never understand when people say the powder browns are nicer. hey to each his own. maybe they always just see them in that faded stressed mode.

what is the longest anybody has kept these guys? i know of pletty of achilles tangs that have been kept for several years. anybody with that kind of success with them?

Red Sea Purple Tang · #6 10/21/2007, 07:51 PM

I had a Gold Rim and it beat the crap out of my Black Tang.

achillesheel · #7 10/22/2007, 12:38 AM

thats what i am afraid of. im looking at getting one but i have a black tang and spot cheek tang (a. mauliceps). dont really care to lose either one. my lfs has had one for a week now and has looked very healthy from the start but dont want to try it if it means losing $500 worth of tangs. i dont want to lose any tangs for that matter. ive got a large enough tank so what do you think.

zemuron114 · #8 10/22/2007, 02:51 AM

achillesheel - i think you will be fine. You have a large tank.

Any pics of the A. mauliceps??

achillesheel · #9 10/22/2007, 02:05 PM

not a great picture but you get the idea. he's about 3"-3.5" right now.

zemuron114 · #10 10/22/2007, 02:49 PM

nice! good find. How much did you pay for him? (if you dont mind me asking)

achillesheel · #11 10/23/2007, 10:25 PM

well i picked him up and he is already eating in my sump. ill get a shot or two when i get him in the display. thanx for all of the input guys

yoboyjdizz · #12 10/24/2007, 02:34 PM

can't wait to see some pictures, as i've been interested in one myself.

Toddrtrex · #13 10/24/2007, 02:47 PM

I had one years ago (( sold it when it started to get too big for my tank ))

Was a great fish, and at the time was kept with a yellow tang and a Koran angel (( those were sold at the same time )). Mine started eating within a day of being in my tank. Never once had a spot of ick. Eat anything that I put in the tank and was very personable. Was the boss of the tank, but wasn't a tool about it.

If you look right above the yellow tang in this picture you can see it.

Here are a few pictures of it in a holding tank before I sold it.

Miss the "little" guy, but sold him so a fellow reefer who had a 300+ gallon tank.

yoboyjdizz · #14 10/24/2007, 04:01 PM

Thanks for the pictures todd, fish was a beauty!

Goodwood · #15 10/24/2007, 09:13 PM

On par with Achilles for sure

achillesheel · #16 10/24/2007, 09:16 PM

definately. in my tank his yellow really glows.

DamnPepShrimp · #17 10/25/2007, 11:40 AM

Lets see some pics! I have always liked this tang, but never seen them at any LFS. I wouldn't want to order one online, without seeing a fish with a low mortality rate. Good luck with yours.

Todd, never been a big fan of Korans, but your's is gorgeous! Love the blue outlining on him! You didn't have him in with any corals did you?

Toddrtrex · #18 10/25/2007, 11:45 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by DamnPepShrimp

Todd, never been a big fan of Korans, but your's is gorgeous! Love the blue outlining on him! You didn't have him in with any corals did you?

Yea, he was a great looking fish, and didn't want to get rip of him, but he was getting too big.

At the time I had him, my tank was mainly mushrooms, yellow polyps,
GPS, and a few SPS. Along with a bunch of RBTAs. He didn't pick on any of them. At the time I had hoped that he would.