Achilles Tang

[Justin Thain]

I am serious thinking about going with an Achilles tang in my 210. I currently do not have any fish in the tank, and in the planning phase as to what i want in it. I would love to hear advise for or against having this type of tang in my tank.

Thoughts?

 

[Diesel]

Well.............. sure one of the most delicate Tangs around but our friend @4FordFamily can tell you all about it.

 

[Justin Thain]

Well.............. sure one of the most delicate Tangs around but our friend @4FordFamily can tell you all about it.

Thanks Diesel for the reply. I guess i should also ask if any other tangs (minus tang in similar shape) would be acceptable house mates.

 

[Diesel]

Thanks Diesel for the reply. I guess i should also ask if any other tangs (minus tang in similar shape) would be acceptable house mates.

No biggie my friend.
I've been around a long time in this hobby and yet I have to burn my hands on the Achilles tang.
IMO I don't think they are pretty but maybe one day when I set up the 1500, for now I enjoy the GT and BT.

 

[eatbreakfast]

Achilles tangs are a fish that is one of the most susceptible to parasites I have ever dealt with. Everything going into the tank needs to be properly qt'd.

Achilles tangs come from a surge zone, so absolutely love high flow, the higher the better. This also helps lessen their aggression, which can be quite high.

 

[4FordFamily]

I am serious thinking about going with an Achilles tang in my 210. I currently do not have any fish in the tank, and in the planning phase as to what i want in it. I would love to hear advise for or against having this type of tang in my tank.

Thoughts?

I would add the Achilles last, they're pretty fragile but also quite aggressive. Very very print to disease you'll need to pretreat all fish with copper for 4 weeks minimum at full therapeutic dose of copper so it doesn't catch something. If you don't, the odds are literally almost 100% that it will get ich or worse velvet and die.

I made a thread about acanthurus tangs (but Achilles is the poster boy for this conversation) you may find helpful.

https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/ich-and-acanthurus-tangs-years-of-experience-and-ich-management.106/

Feel free to tag me (use @4FordFamily) if you have any Achilles or tang angel and wrasse specific questions, but especially Achilles this is probably my favorite fish. I only log in for say 20-60 minutes per day, and if you tag me it'll guarantee I get to you same day!

 

[4FordFamily]

Thanks Diesel for the reply. I guess i should also ask if any other tangs (minus tang in similar shape) would be acceptable house mates.

My article about tang aggression answers your tankmate question as well

https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/tang-aggression-understanding-and-combating.76/

 

[radiata]

Achilles tangs are a fish that is one of the most susceptible to parasites I have ever dealt with. Everything going into the tank needs to be properly qt'd.

Achilles tangs come from a surge zone, so absolutely love high flow, the higher the better. This also helps lessen their aggression, which can be quite high.

How would you rate them as compared to Powder Blues when it comes to parasite susceptibility? I consider the Powder Blues to be "ich magnets".

 

[4FordFamily]

How would you rate them as compared to Powder Blues when it comes to parasite susceptibility? I consider the Powder Blues to be "ich magnets".

They're more fragile even than Powder blues, they're in the same ballpark but more fragile and more susceptible.

 

[eatbreakfast]

They're more fragile even than Powder blues, they're in the same ballpark but more fragile and more susceptible.

I agree. If you thought powder blues were ich magnets, achilles will reset the curve.

 

[Justin Thain]

I agree. If you thought powder blues were ich magnets, achilles will reset the curve.

I'm sure it's here on the forums, I'm just wondering what a good post to read on proper copper treatment.

 

[Danny N]

I had a Achillies for about a month. I hadn't added anything to my tank for 6 months. After QT, he still managed to catch ich. There must have been a strain in there that my other fish had, but never showed signs of. I will also add that they produce a ton of bio waste, so make sure your filtration is adequate.

 

[Maritimer]

I'm sure it's here on the forums, I'm just wondering what a good post to read on proper copper treatment.

Hey, Justin!

I think this thread will cover what you're looking for: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/copper-treatment.193343/

Good luck - Achilles, with their dramatic elegance, are one of my favorite tangs to look at!

~Bruce

 

[Justin Thain]

@4FordFamily What do you recommend for how to quarantine "Clean Up Crew". Also how would you suggest treating/ensuring wrasse's are ich free; Tank transfer method?

Thanks

 

[Maritimer]

I know I'm not 4FordFamily (and he's way better at this than I am) but until he gets here . . .

The only way I know of to quarantine a cleanup-crew would be to keep them in a fallow (no fish) tank for 76 days, allowing any encysted ich time to hatch out and die of starvation. TTM can work well with wrasses, but make sure your tanks are well covered! I tried it with a ten-gallon on the kitchen counter, and had a young exquisite wrasse jump through the holes in the egg-crate top ... and straight into a sink full of dirty dishes and hot, soapy water.

Now I use chelated copper, such as "Copper Safe", and an API test kit, and have been successful with several wrasses. Also, be aware that Tank Transfer Method, while it works very well against ich, works against ich _only_, and does nothing for velvet.

My $0.02.

~Bruce

 

[4FordFamily]

I know I'm not 4FordFamily (and he's way better at this than I am) but until he gets here . . .

The only way I know of to quarantine a cleanup-crew would be to keep them in a fallow (no fish) tank for 76 days, allowing any encysted ich time to hatch out and die of starvation. TTM can work well with wrasses, but make sure your tanks are well covered! I tried it with a ten-gallon on the kitchen counter, and had a young exquisite wrasse jump through the holes in the egg-crate top ... and straight into a sink full of dirty dishes and hot, soapy water.

Now I use chelated copper, such as "Copper Safe", and an API test kit, and have been successful with several wrasses. Also, be aware that Tank Transfer Method, while it works very well against ich, works against ich _only_, and does nothing for velvet.

My $0.02.

~Bruce

I agree on every single count of this, and do the same. I now have a coral and invert qt, just to be certain.