Achilles Tang Long Term

[ca1ore]

I am curious to hear folks experiences with keeping the Achilles tang long term, either with or without doing quarantine. I’ve defined long term for the purposes of this question as at least one year in your display. Also, I mean QT in terms of whether you QT all fish versus none at all. Selective QT is equivalent to none at all.

AT is a difficult fish, and many die quickly. I’m only interested in longer term success. As always, please add verbatim as appropriate.

 

[KJ]

@4FordFamily hi is the man to ask

 

[4FordFamily]

I’ve kept a few for several years, until one emergency or I sold it to someone with larger tank as they outgrew mine at the time. Zero successes without full quarantine of all inhabitants. I killed at least 20 trying, prior. I figured they could handle it as zebrasoma tangs often can. I’m not proud of that. Every time I was sure I had the new “secret sauce” that would make it work, or “oh it would not have made it anyway”. Since proper treatment and prophylactic of all fish I’ve had great luck in the display tank. I even kept a pair for a couple years before a power outage.

I kept one for 8-10 months without QT it came from another hobbyist that ran a huge UV I suspect because the PBT nor it seemed susceptible. Then, 2 months later the PBT died and 8-10 months later probably, the Achilles finally did as well. This was the last straw.

Now everything gets treated and as long as they eat in quarantine they’ll make it to the DT and do fine, short of infection or some other ailment prior to DT.

 

[4FordFamily]

@HotRocks has one as well, has had it more than a year, no issues with disease. He joined the hobby and I told him full QT and prophylactic treatment was the only way from the start.

As a result he has a PBT, powder brown, Achilles, regal angel, other tangs, etc thriving.

Also now he is better at QT than me! LOL

 

[fastest302]

I have a friend that works at Colchester Pet in CT that has one in his 328g for a few years now

 

[Kmsutows]

I’ve kept a few for several years, until one emergency or I sold it to someone with larger tank as they outgrew mine at the time. Zero successes without full quarantine of all inhabitants. I killed at least 20 trying, prior. I figured they could handle it as zebrasoma tangs often can. I’m not proud of that. Every time I was sure I had the new “secret sauce” that would make it work, or “oh it would not have made it anyway”. Since proper treatment and prophylactic of all fish I’ve had great luck in the display tank. I even kept a pair for a couple years before a power outage.

I kept one for 8-10 months without QT it came from another hobbyist that ran a huge UV I suspect because the PBT nor it seemed susceptible. Then, 2 months later the PBT died and 8-10 months later probably, the Achilles finally did as well. This was the last straw.

Now everything gets treated and as long as they eat in quarantine they’ll make it to the DT and do fine, short of infection or some other ailment prior to DT.

I know you said you got one that had been in a UV tank but did You ever run UV or ozone etc with achilles?

I currently have a small Achilles in a known ich tank. The LFS QTd it in copper for a while and I ran my UV for a week when I got then just at night then stopped. When I stopped it got a few white spots then I decided I really was over due for a new bulb so I bought a new bulb and ran it at night for a few days and spots went away and haven't needed to run the UV in at least a month or 2 since it showed signs. I also have a larger hippo that would show spots on occasion but nothing has shown any in a while now