Achilles tang in LFS

[secret_reefer337]

My LFS got a fresh shipment of Achilles tang, it is about 4 or 5 inches. Beautiful but the thing is it is not eating yet. I believe it is at the LFS for two days now. My question is, should I gamble purchasing this tang and hope once it settled in my qt tank that it will eat? I know they are one of the hardest to keep alive fish and finicky about eating when new. I wanted to get an achilles just in time for my new tank.

Any advise will be appreciated especially if you have a first hand experience. I hope to hear from @eatbreakfast @vetteguy53081 @ca1ore

Thanks in advance.

 

[vetteguy53081]

My LFS got a fresh shipment of Achilles tang, it is about 4 or 5 inches. Beautiful but the thing is it is not eating yet. I believe it is at the LFS for two days now. My question is, should I gamble purchasing this tang and hope once it settled in my qt tank that it will eat? I know they are one of the hardest to keep alive fish and finicky about eating when new. I wanted to get an achilles just in time for my new tank.

Any advise will be appreciated especially if you have a first hand experience. I hope to hear from @eatbreakfast @vetteguy53081 @ca1ore

Thanks in advance.

See if seller can send you a video of the fish eating and observe its breathing rate also

 

[secret_reefer337]

See if seller can send you a video of the fish eating and observe its breathing rate also

The owner said it hasn’t eat yet. I will be going there tomorrow to check personally. If the tang looks healthy, what is the percentage that it will eat anytime soon?

 

[rmay6850]

I would wait until you see it eating at the LFS

JMO

 

[vetteguy53081]

The owner said it hasn’t eat yet. I will be going there tomorrow to check personally. If the tang looks healthy, what is the percentage that it will eat anytime soon?

50/50.
Take your best or typical food you will feed with you and see if it shows interest in it

 

[secret_reefer337]

I would wait until you see it eating at the LFS

JMO

But my worry is somebody might bought it before I do, and I don’t usually see achilles in the LFS’s here in our area. But yeah it is better to see it eating.

50/50.
Take your best or typical food you will feed with you and see if it shows interest in it

That is a good idea, too.

 

[lion king]

One of the main reasons this fish doesn't eat is internal parasites and it doesn't recognize what you are feeding is food. Offer him live macro algae, caulerpa or gracillaria would be good choices. If he doesn't eat and you take him home, be prepared to dose general cure to clear internal parasites. Have a mature rock with micro algae for grazing and live macro algae to offer. Live brine shrimp and live black worms are also good to initially offer.

 

[ca1ore]

Hard to say. I’ve never been a big ‘make sure its eating at the store’ guy frankly, much more focused on the overall appearance of the fish. Plus, I buy all my fish now online so no way to know they’re eating beyond places like DD.

Achilles are going to get really hard to find and the prices will skyrocket. If it were me, I think I’d take the chance. I’ve had five in my time in the hobby and had no major problems getting any of them to eat. Disease a much bigger issue.

Put it into a decent sized QT (30L minimum) with plenty of flow. I always got mine started on spiralina brine. Gradually then they’ll take other foods. None of mine ate nori initially.

 

[secret_reefer337]

Thank you guys for sharing piece of your mind, really appreciate it.

 

[lion king]

Oh yeah. plenty of flow

 

[SR Reefing]

I guess the real question is How Much? If it's lower price than average, it might worth the gamble.

 

[kenchilada]

But my worry is somebody might bought it before I do

Plenty of fish in the sea. Sorry couldn’t resist.

 

[secret_reefer337]

Plenty of fish in the sea. Sorry couldn’t resist.

I understand. Thing is most of the Achilles comes from Hawaii, and since the ban is ongoing it is hard to get one. Another reason is I am upgrading and setting up a new tank, I’ve already have yellow, purple and tomini and my plan is once I introduced the current tangs in the new tank I want the achilles to go with the rest so that it is less troublesome in the introduction.

 

[Fishyfish22]

But my worry is somebody might bought it before I do, and I don’t usually see achilles in the LFS’s here in our area. But yeah it is better to see it eating.

While the hawaii shut down is going to make them rare they're not going extinct, and even before they were selling for quite the pretty penny. You're better off waiting for it to eat or waiting for the next one to come along than buying a tang that has a higher chance of dying in your tank from the additional stress of a second habitat transfer with still no food in its system.

 

[secret_reefer337]

While the hawaii shut down is going to make them rare they're not going extinct, and even before they were selling for quite the pretty penny. You're better off waiting for it to eat or waiting for the next one to come along than buying a tang that has a higher chance of dying in your tank from the additional stress of a second habitat transfer with still no food in its system.

You have a valid point there. I will be visiting the LFS tomorrow and check. If I am not satisfied then either wait or forget it.

 

[Viking_Reefing]

You have a valid point there. I will be visiting the LFS tomorrow and check. If I am not satisfied then either wait or forget it.

If you decide to pick it up and going to try and QT it make sure to have a big QT tank ready, they won’t do well in cramped spaces.

 

[Nick Steele]

Also maybe see if the store will take a deposit on the fish and that you’ll take it once it starts eating. Make sure if it dies you’ll get the deposit back though.

 

[secret_reefer337]

If you decide to pick it up and going to try and QT it make sure to have a big QT tank ready, they won’t do well in cramped spaces.

Yes I have a spare 55 gal in the garage which I supposed to be used as temporary tank during the breakdown and set up of the new tank.

 

[secret_reefer337]

Also maybe see if the store will take a deposit on the fish and that you’ll take it once it starts eating. Make sure if it dies you’ll get the deposit back though.

That is a good idea, I will do that.

 

[secret_reefer337]

So I did bite the bullet and take the AT home. It has bright color, no skin lesions, breathing normal and swimming well. The only minus factor so far is, it hasn’t eat yet. In the next few days, I will be treating it with general cure to see if it will help for possible worms or whatever. Then once it starts eating will do copper.