Achilles Tang Primer - Page 3

luckydog104 · 01/24/2009, 01:11 AM

By the way I have a uv but don't use it. Tried it with a powder blue and it just didn't help. If you ran a inline uv that might help more , not sure just throwing that out there.

matt 76 · 01/24/2009, 09:24 AM

The inline uv seems to help with my tank. The achilles gets a few ich spots on him but never bad and always goes away in a couple hours.

tdsounds · 01/24/2009, 11:17 AM

I'm thinking about quarantining this fish when I get it. I'm deciding if hyposalinity or just regular quarantining it would be better. When I mean regular quarantining is just letting the tang sit in the quarantine tank for 4 to 6 weeks feeding it well and watching out for parasites. Since maintaining ph in hyposalinity conditions may be a little difficult due to the hypo. I read that buffers may help.

vamaro · 01/27/2009, 11:31 PM

I put a deposit on an achilles today. A LFS just got the fish in and I will not take it home until I see it eat. The fish is about 4 inches, maybe slightly bigger, really nice color. Looks healthy. I still plan on leaving it in a QT after I get it home. I have a QT tank with UV all set up and ready. I will post some photos when I get him home.

Vince

tdsounds · 01/27/2009, 11:40 PM

Awesome! Keep us posted!

Slpolo121 · 02/02/2009, 04:22 PM

i pick one up not too long ago and got it to eat frozen foods but never touch pellets. but my friend pick one up the same day and that one eats everything. but also the orange spot near the tail does that get bigger over age? because both ours is really small.

thanks for your help

vamaro · 02/02/2009, 04:22 PM

Update - Went there yesterday, my Achilles is still not eating. They are trying mysis and pellets so far. But they are going to try some other things.

They had him in one of those really small holding tanks usually meant for small fish. They put him in a bigger tank (about 80 gallons) to see if he is happier. I will call back today.

Vince

matt 76 · 02/02/2009, 11:19 PM

vamaro have them try nori or romaine. It will eat one of those.

vamaro · 02/02/2009, 11:22 PM

Thanks! I will pick him up this week. I think I can take better care of him at home.

Americanreef · 02/06/2009, 02:34 AM

It seem that the key to keeping achilles tangs is water flow I have had mine for about 2 years and he is doing great. The tank is a 125 with a 5800 gph reeflo hammerhead. After the head pressure loss I am recirculating about 40x and hour and the fish is doing great.

vamaro · 02/06/2009, 04:57 PM

Mine never ate. I will have to wait for another one that eats.............

SMOOTHIE · 02/07/2009, 01:15 AM

Kudos on being patient.

reefslugs · 02/08/2009, 12:24 AM

I've had mine now for about three months. This is my second time trying to keep one. I've got to locale salt water stores that I go to. But a friend of mine called me and said he was at this little pet store out in the sticks. He said they mostly sell dogs and cats. But they have one small salt water tank in the back that has an achilles. I drove over there three days later. I found the tank in the back of the store. I could barely see in it from all the algea on the glass. Looking through the dirty tank glass hard I saw a 7'' achilles tang. The young laddie working there said he's been in here about two months. She said they just put in nori sheets everyday and they see him eating on it. I ask the young laddie how much to buy him. She said $90.00. I asked are you sure about that price? That fish at that size should be way more.

Well I bought him for $90.00. He's been in my tank for about two months now. He went through a rough battle with ich, to where I didn't think he would make it. Now he's clean and looks great. The problem I'm having now, is he is getting skinny. I've thrown in every type of food, but he only eats nori. He's not an aggressive eater. So when I put nori in the tank, he waits in line with the other fish before he takes a bite.

My tank is a 200 gallon mixed reef. The temp stay's close to 78. Besides my main pump, I run two Maxijet mods. My achilles loves to swim in the maxijet mod flow.

Gary Majchrzak · 02/08/2009, 05:04 AM

any Achilles that's starting to get skinny doesn't have long to live- you need to get this fish fatter ASAP.

Try this: break up a small amount of nori and let the small pieces float around the aquarium to allow all fishes to eat it at the same time. Do this for three days. On the fourth day mix in some other type of food. (I'd recommend New Life/Spectrum small pellets.)
Once an Achilles starts getting skinny you have to make some type of corrective actions.

sunfish11 · 02/09/2009, 09:34 AM

I have had mine for 14 months now and he still wont touch any type of flakes or pellets. He loves nori (all types) and frozen meaty foods, especially mysis shrimp. I recommend putting nori in every day. Putt two servings in on opposite sides of the tank at the same time so that all the fish can get their share. I have to do that because the Achilles I have likes to guard the nori and not let the other fish get thier share. Also mixing small pieces of nori with frozen might help him try some as well like the other poster said. If he is skinny and only eats nori you might have to try nori more than once a day as well.

Lisa

SMOOTHIE · 02/09/2009, 07:57 PM

Soak the nori in selcon and askyour lfs for any other fish oils they may have to add to it. Also try a fresh clam from your local market. Cut it in pieces and attach that to the clip.

reefslugs · 02/09/2009, 10:47 PM

Thanks for all the advice. My achillies will not eat anything but nori. I've put in every type of flake food, made buy different companies. I've tried all the different frozen foods. I did try putting nori on a clip and at the same time add some spirilenium flake. He spits the flake out.

Now this is weird. It does not matter what kind of nori / algea sheets I put in the clip. I can put in nori from the grocery store, or I can put in any kind of Ocean Nutrition algae food. Whether it be green, red or the purple algae. The thing is when it's on the clip, he bights off a large pease and he is not able to take it in. Also my other fish eat it so fast. The next day, the pease of food that is left in the clip that the fish can't get a hold of, the achillies eats it like a shark. Now I'm thinking I need to soak the nori for several hours so it softens up. It's all most like he's an old man with his dentures out.

Creetin · 02/12/2009, 07:13 PM

With my old one i got him to eat fresh algae first, and then got him to eat mysis. I used seachems entice. You can use garlic, But after smelling up the house feeding fish i started using entice.
Got a new one today. Nice and fat eating mysis, and grazing on the rocks. He is alot more confident once i got him home. He cowered in the lfs tank. Now he swims all over and comes right up to me to check me out.
He is with my peacefull orange shoulder and scrappy purple tang.

vamaro · 02/12/2009, 09:33 PM

Creetin - Really nice fish! He looks great!

I saw a really nice one over this weekend but I was afraid to buy him because he was hiding in the rocks every time I got close to the tank. Was yours also hiding like that? How long did it take for him to feel better in your tank?

Creetin · 02/13/2009, 08:41 AM

Yes mine was like that. I asked the fish store guy to drop in the food then leave. I watched him from 10-15 feet away. The fish ate the mysis pretty good.
I understand with these hyper active fish that crowning them in a 30 gallon with a puffer and a hogfish with some small angels and a mean coris wrasse that the fish would feel uneasy.
My tank has the peacefull orange shoulder and my purple tang. I knew he would feel better in my tank, But it was way better than i expected.
He was swimming all over instantly checkin things out.

reefslugs · 02/15/2009, 08:23 PM

Up date on my Achilles. He is improving more and more each week. I can say he beet the ich attack and I think he has either become immune to it or my tank and the food I feed him, has helped him make it through it. Still he only eats nori only. I've been soaking it in Seclion, as someone on here suggested. He has been getting more aggressive at eating now. I've been target feeding him, since he'll eat out of my hand. Trying to make sure he gets enough food over the more aggressive eating fish.

He's a few pic's. You can see he is doing good but is skinny.

SMOOTHIE · 02/16/2009, 01:09 AM

Keep up the extra feedings and water changes. That ich still on him will keep stressing him out. Don't know your schedule, but I would try 3 a day on the feedings.

Creetin · 02/16/2009, 06:52 AM

The Achilles looks like a cool fish there. He does not have much fat reserve at all, Have you tried fresh algae?
Ora has the best around. Their red gracilaria is crack for tangs.
Any lfs that sells ora can get it for you. I just ordered some more.
My tangs go ape over it. More than the tang heaven.
Too bad your fish wont eat mysis. He needs some fat intake.

Good luck!!

Creetin · 02/20/2009, 10:57 AM

My achilles is doing good. Eating mysis freshwater and marine. Eating frozed foods like emerald selects, and eating nori.
I had bought some fresh algea for him to eat but he isnt wanting that he wants the prepaired stuff which is good i guess. Easier to supply.
Belly is getting nice and full. Here is a short vid of my 300 with him in it. He has found his pecking order and no troubbles with other tangs.

seth&angelle · 02/20/2009, 11:14 PM

Has anyone ever had any success with keeping a powder blue and an achilles in the same tank?

01/24/2009, 09:24 AM	#52
matt 76 Reefing is an addiction! Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Boise, Idaho Posts: 175	The inline uv seems to help with my tank. The achilles gets a few ich spots on him but never bad and always goes away in a couple hours. __________________ 250 DD starphire, Apex controller, 4 t5s, 2 G5 XR15 Blue ,Geo Kalk reactor, geo 618, 2 MP60QD, Fluval SP6 return pump, Bubble King supermarin 250, Lots of tangs Current Tank Info: 250 DD

01/27/2009, 11:31 PM	#54
vamaro Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: San Juan Capistrano Posts: 1,334	I put a deposit on an achilles today. A LFS just got the fish in and I will not take it home until I see it eat. The fish is about 4 inches, maybe slightly bigger, really nice color. Looks healthy. I still plan on leaving it in a QT after I get it home. I have a QT tank with UV all set up and ready. I will post some photos when I get him home. Vince __________________ Vince Current Tank Info: 220 Gallon Tank 72L x 30W x 24H, FOWLR, APEX Controller, ATB 1260 (Large) with Airstar 2000, Ozotech Ozone with Avast Reactor, Tripplite 750 Inverter with Optima Batteries, 72' Current USA Extreme Pro T5 light

02/02/2009, 04:22 PM	#57
vamaro Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: San Juan Capistrano Posts: 1,334	Update - Went there yesterday, my Achilles is still not eating. They are trying mysis and pellets so far. But they are going to try some other things. They had him in one of those really small holding tanks usually meant for small fish. They put him in a bigger tank (about 80 gallons) to see if he is happier. I will call back today. Vince __________________ Vince Current Tank Info: 220 Gallon Tank 72L x 30W x 24H, FOWLR, APEX Controller, ATB 1260 (Large) with Airstar 2000, Ozotech Ozone with Avast Reactor, Tripplite 750 Inverter with Optima Batteries, 72' Current USA Extreme Pro T5 light

02/02/2009, 11:19 PM	#58
matt 76 Reefing is an addiction! Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Boise, Idaho Posts: 175	vamaro have them try nori or romaine. It will eat one of those. __________________ 250 DD starphire, Apex controller, 4 t5s, 2 G5 XR15 Blue ,Geo Kalk reactor, geo 618, 2 MP60QD, Fluval SP6 return pump, Bubble King supermarin 250, Lots of tangs Current Tank Info: 250 DD

02/02/2009, 11:22 PM	#59
vamaro Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: San Juan Capistrano Posts: 1,334	Thanks! I will pick him up this week. I think I can take better care of him at home. __________________ Vince Current Tank Info: 220 Gallon Tank 72L x 30W x 24H, FOWLR, APEX Controller, ATB 1260 (Large) with Airstar 2000, Ozotech Ozone with Avast Reactor, Tripplite 750 Inverter with Optima Batteries, 72' Current USA Extreme Pro T5 light

01/24/2009, 01:11 AM	#51
luckydog104 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: tenn Posts: 268	By the way I have a uv but don't use it. Tried it with a powder blue and it just didn't help. If you ran a inline uv that might help more , not sure just throwing that out there.

01/24/2009, 11:17 AM	#53
tdsounds Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: New Orleans Posts: 131	I'm thinking about quarantining this fish when I get it. I'm deciding if hyposalinity or just regular quarantining it would be better. When I mean regular quarantining is just letting the tang sit in the quarantine tank for 4 to 6 weeks feeding it well and watching out for parasites. Since maintaining ph in hyposalinity conditions may be a little difficult due to the hypo. I read that buffers may help.

01/27/2009, 11:40 PM	#55
tdsounds Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: New Orleans Posts: 131	Awesome! Keep us posted!

02/02/2009, 04:22 PM	#56
Slpolo121 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: SF bay area Posts: 317	i pick one up not too long ago and got it to eat frozen foods but never touch pellets. but my friend pick one up the same day and that one eats everything. but also the orange spot near the tail does that get bigger over age? because both ours is really small. thanks for your help

02/06/2009, 02:34 AM	#60
Americanreef Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: corona, california Posts: 69	It seem that the key to keeping achilles tangs is water flow I have had mine for about 2 years and he is doing great. The tank is a 125 with a 5800 gph reeflo hammerhead. After the head pressure loss I am recirculating about 40x and hour and the fish is doing great.

02/06/2009, 04:57 PM	#61
vamaro Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: San Juan Capistrano Posts: 1,334	Mine never ate. I will have to wait for another one that eats............. __________________ Vince Current Tank Info: 220 Gallon Tank 72L x 30W x 24H, FOWLR, APEX Controller, ATB 1260 (Large) with Airstar 2000, Ozotech Ozone with Avast Reactor, Tripplite 750 Inverter with Optima Batteries, 72' Current USA Extreme Pro T5 light

02/07/2009, 01:15 AM	#62
SMOOTHIE Premium Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Valdosta GA Posts: 498	Kudos on being patient.

02/08/2009, 12:24 AM	#63
reefslugs Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: St.Charles, Mo. Posts: 1,647	I've had mine now for about three months. This is my second time trying to keep one. I've got to locale salt water stores that I go to. But a friend of mine called me and said he was at this little pet store out in the sticks. He said they mostly sell dogs and cats. But they have one small salt water tank in the back that has an achilles. I drove over there three days later. I found the tank in the back of the store. I could barely see in it from all the algea on the glass. Looking through the dirty tank glass hard I saw a 7'' achilles tang. The young laddie working there said he's been in here about two months. She said they just put in nori sheets everyday and they see him eating on it. I ask the young laddie how much to buy him. She said $90.00. I asked are you sure about that price? That fish at that size should be way more. Well I bought him for $90.00. He's been in my tank for about two months now. He went through a rough battle with ich, to where I didn't think he would make it. Now he's clean and looks great. The problem I'm having now, is he is getting skinny. I've thrown in every type of food, but he only eats nori. He's not an aggressive eater. So when I put nori in the tank, he waits in line with the other fish before he takes a bite. My tank is a 200 gallon mixed reef. The temp stay's close to 78. Besides my main pump, I run two Maxijet mods. My achilles loves to swim in the maxijet mod flow.

02/08/2009, 05:04 AM	#64
Gary Majchrzak Team RC Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Rochester, NY Posts: 41,560	any Achilles that's starting to get skinny doesn't have long to live- you need to get this fish fatter ASAP. Try this: break up a small amount of nori and let the small pieces float around the aquarium to allow all fishes to eat it at the same time. Do this for three days. On the fourth day mix in some other type of food. (I'd recommend New Life/Spectrum small pellets.) Once an Achilles starts getting skinny you have to make some type of corrective actions. __________________ over 24 years experience with multiple types of marine aquarium systems see Upstate Reef Society Forum on RC and FB GOOGLE JUNIOR'S REEF Current Tank Info: 84x24x30 265g reef past TOTM honors

02/09/2009, 09:34 AM	#65
sunfish11 Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Weyauwega, WI Posts: 2,365	I have had mine for 14 months now and he still wont touch any type of flakes or pellets. He loves nori (all types) and frozen meaty foods, especially mysis shrimp. I recommend putting nori in every day. Putt two servings in on opposite sides of the tank at the same time so that all the fish can get their share. I have to do that because the Achilles I have likes to guard the nori and not let the other fish get thier share. Also mixing small pieces of nori with frozen might help him try some as well like the other poster said. If he is skinny and only eats nori you might have to try nori more than once a day as well. Lisa

02/09/2009, 07:57 PM	#66
SMOOTHIE Premium Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Valdosta GA Posts: 498	Soak the nori in selcon and askyour lfs for any other fish oils they may have to add to it. Also try a fresh clam from your local market. Cut it in pieces and attach that to the clip.

02/09/2009, 10:47 PM	#67
reefslugs Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: St.Charles, Mo. Posts: 1,647	Thanks for all the advice. My achillies will not eat anything but nori. I've put in every type of flake food, made buy different companies. I've tried all the different frozen foods. I did try putting nori on a clip and at the same time add some spirilenium flake. He spits the flake out. Now this is weird. It does not matter what kind of nori / algea sheets I put in the clip. I can put in nori from the grocery store, or I can put in any kind of Ocean Nutrition algae food. Whether it be green, red or the purple algae. The thing is when it's on the clip, he bights off a large pease and he is not able to take it in. Also my other fish eat it so fast. The next day, the pease of food that is left in the clip that the fish can't get a hold of, the achillies eats it like a shark. Now I'm thinking I need to soak the nori for several hours so it softens up. It's all most like he's an old man with his dentures out.

02/12/2009, 07:13 PM	#68
Creetin Limestone Cowboy. Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: In a little place i like to call a little place. Posts: 4,552	With my old one i got him to eat fresh algae first, and then got him to eat mysis. I used seachems entice. You can use garlic, But after smelling up the house feeding fish i started using entice. Got a new one today. Nice and fat eating mysis, and grazing on the rocks. He is alot more confident once i got him home. He cowered in the lfs tank. Now he swims all over and comes right up to me to check me out. He is with my peacefull orange shoulder and scrappy purple tang. __________________ If only common sense was common. Current Tank Info: 300 gal marineland deep

02/12/2009, 09:33 PM	#69
vamaro Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: San Juan Capistrano Posts: 1,334	Creetin - Really nice fish! He looks great! I saw a really nice one over this weekend but I was afraid to buy him because he was hiding in the rocks every time I got close to the tank. Was yours also hiding like that? How long did it take for him to feel better in your tank? __________________ Vince Current Tank Info: 220 Gallon Tank 72L x 30W x 24H, FOWLR, APEX Controller, ATB 1260 (Large) with Airstar 2000, Ozotech Ozone with Avast Reactor, Tripplite 750 Inverter with Optima Batteries, 72' Current USA Extreme Pro T5 light

02/13/2009, 08:41 AM	#70
Creetin Limestone Cowboy. Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: In a little place i like to call a little place. Posts: 4,552	Yes mine was like that. I asked the fish store guy to drop in the food then leave. I watched him from 10-15 feet away. The fish ate the mysis pretty good. I understand with these hyper active fish that crowning them in a 30 gallon with a puffer and a hogfish with some small angels and a mean coris wrasse that the fish would feel uneasy. My tank has the peacefull orange shoulder and my purple tang. I knew he would feel better in my tank, But it was way better than i expected. He was swimming all over instantly checkin things out. __________________ If only common sense was common. Current Tank Info: 300 gal marineland deep

02/15/2009, 08:23 PM	#71
reefslugs Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: St.Charles, Mo. Posts: 1,647	Up date on my Achilles. He is improving more and more each week. I can say he beet the ich attack and I think he has either become immune to it or my tank and the food I feed him, has helped him make it through it. Still he only eats nori only. I've been soaking it in Seclion, as someone on here suggested. He has been getting more aggressive at eating now. I've been target feeding him, since he'll eat out of my hand. Trying to make sure he gets enough food over the more aggressive eating fish. He's a few pic's. You can see he is doing good but is skinny.

02/16/2009, 01:09 AM	#72
SMOOTHIE Premium Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Valdosta GA Posts: 498	Keep up the extra feedings and water changes. That ich still on him will keep stressing him out. Don't know your schedule, but I would try 3 a day on the feedings.

02/16/2009, 06:52 AM	#73
Creetin Limestone Cowboy. Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: In a little place i like to call a little place. Posts: 4,552	The Achilles looks like a cool fish there. He does not have much fat reserve at all, Have you tried fresh algae? Ora has the best around. Their red gracilaria is crack for tangs. Any lfs that sells ora can get it for you. I just ordered some more. My tangs go ape over it. More than the tang heaven. Too bad your fish wont eat mysis. He needs some fat intake. Good luck!! __________________ If only common sense was common. Current Tank Info: 300 gal marineland deep

02/20/2009, 10:57 AM	#74
Creetin Limestone Cowboy. Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: In a little place i like to call a little place. Posts: 4,552	My achilles is doing good. Eating mysis freshwater and marine. Eating frozed foods like emerald selects, and eating nori. I had bought some fresh algea for him to eat but he isnt wanting that he wants the prepaired stuff which is good i guess. Easier to supply. Belly is getting nice and full. Here is a short vid of my 300 with him in it. He has found his pecking order and no troubbles with other tangs. __________________ If only common sense was common. Current Tank Info: 300 gal marineland deep

02/20/2009, 11:14 PM	#75
seth&angelle Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Louisiana Posts: 68	Has anyone ever had any success with keeping a powder blue and an achilles in the same tank?