Achilles Tang

DavidJTawil · Mar 30, 2020

I started a 150 gallon mixed reef tank around 5 months ago. I’m thinking that later down the road I’d like to add an Achilles tang. I’m aware that this requires an environment completely rid of ich and strict quarantine procedure; ich management just won’t cut it. Currently I have some damsels, anthias, gobies, and wrasses in the tank which were not quarantined. Being that none of the prior fish were quarantined, what are the chances that ich is in my system. Further how would you go about adding an Achilles. Do I need to go fishless and treat all the fish with copper or is the fact that I haven’t had an ich outbreak enough to say that there’s no ich in the tank.

ndrwater · Mar 30, 2020

DavidJTawil said:
Currently I have some damsels, anthias, gobies, and wrasses in the tank which were not quarantined. Being that none of the prior fish were quarantined, what are the chances that ich is in my system.

I would go so far as to say 99% chance.
Ich is one of those things that is almost always present unless strict protocols have been followed. This also includes things like live rock, snails, or ANYTHING wet that has been in another system.

DavidJTawil · Mar 30, 2020

I was afraid that would be the case

ndrwater · Mar 30, 2020

It IS possible to have an Achilles make it through even though there is ich present. Achilles are just one of those fish, like a Powder Blue or Brown that just ALWAYS seem to get it straight away.
Having a well established system, with compatible fish, all being fed a good and balanced diet, goes a LONG way to success.
Trust me when I say there have been many a fish who died in quarantine even though their keepers had the best intention. Just know the risks going in.. make an educated decision and move forward.

seayu · Mar 30, 2020

I've had an Achilles in my tank now for about a year and a half. I'd have to say a mature tank is important. These fish pick on rock all day. They tend to take their time beginning to eat. If this is the case the mature tank will provide plenty to pick on while the fish adjust to new environment. Aside from that offer a variety of food. As for Ich in the system and how hardy they are, I just think getting them to eat with some decent flow in your tank and healthy parameters will always help. They are pretty bold once settled so plan wisely as they will soon become a bully. I love mine.

ndrwater · Mar 30, 2020

Well said^^^^^

DavidJTawil · Mar 30, 2020

When you added your Achilles to the tank we’re all of your previous fish quarantined.

seayu said:
I've had an Achilles in my tank now for about a year and a half. I'd have to say a mature tank is important. These fish pick on rock all day. They tend to take their time beginning to eat. If this is the case the mature tank will provide plenty to pick on while the fish adjust to new environment. Aside from that offer a variety of food. As for Ich in the system and how hardy they are, I just think getting them to eat with some decent flow in your tank and healthy parameters will always help. They are pretty bold once settled so plan wisely as they will soon become a bully. I love mine.

DavidJTawil · Mar 30, 2020

I think my best bet is to allow the tang to establish for a bit longer. Additionally, prior to adding the Achilles, I’ll leave a gap of a few months where no other fish has been added to the tank to ensure that if there is any ich in the tank, the parasites population will be low.

On another note I’ve been reading a lot about how having more tangs in a tank disperses the aggression and is a better platform for success than having just 2. Does anybody have any experience with such?

ndrwater · Mar 30, 2020

DavidJTawil said:
Having more tangs in a tank disperses the aggression and is a better platform for success than having just 2. Does anybody have any experience with such?

I have 5 Zebrasoma tangs in my tank currently and 7 total.
I have 4 Yellows, a Purple, Naso and Tominni. For the most part they get along. My tank is 8' long which also helps..
All these fish have been together for 6 years and counting.

bblumberg · Mar 30, 2020

I have a 4 year established (150g) tank. When starting it, I quarantined fish with copper for a month (at separate times) and then moved them in. These were a yellow tang, Desjardin's tang, 2 pajama cardinals, snowflake clown, one-spot foxface, matted file fish, Klein's butterfly, lawnmower blennie, orange spot goby, 2 green chromis and 6 Springeri damsels.

Since then (mostly over the past 8 months), I have added a copperbanded butterly directly to the tank with drip acclimation but no quarantine whatsoever (it survived and is thriving), an Achilles tang quarantined for a month without meds, a powder blue tang quarantined for a month without meds, a pair of pintail fairy wrasses, a mystery wrasse and a Lineatus wrasse - one month quarantine without meds (other than 2 rounds of Praziquantel), 2 rainbow bassletts with a month quarantine without meds.

No signs of ich or other distress and the tangs are fat and happy. They get 2 sheets of nori per day and eat it voraciously. I have definitely lost fish in quarantine (some bluestar wrasses and a small yellow tang) , but none that made it for a month caused any trouble in my tanks. I had a potter's wrasse do well in quarantine, but after putting it in my display tank I have never seen it again.

I have since gotten another copperband and plunked it directly into my frag tank (after drip acclimation) where it is thriving, along with another lawnmower blennie.

I am not saying that you should do as I did, but having an existing, thriving tank is not a guarantee that new fish added to the tank will get ick. Ick may well be in the tank, but if fish are not stressed, then you may never see evidence of it...

DavidJTawil · Mar 30, 2020

Were all of these fish added together or by specific genus

ndrwater said:
I have 5 Zebrasoma tangs in my tank currently and 7 total.
I have 4 Yellows, a Purple, Naso and Tominni. For the most part they get along. My tank is 8' long which also helps..
All these fish have been together for 6 years and counting.

bblumberg · Mar 30, 2020

ndrwater said:
I have 5 Zebrasoma tangs in my tank currently and 7 total.
I have 4 Yellows, a Purple, Naso and Tominni. For the most part they get along. My tank is 8' long which also helps..
All these fish have been together for 6 years and counting.

I have heard that keeping tangs well-fed also reduces aggression. My Desjardins chases many of the other fish around, especially the other tangs and the copperband, but not to any serious extent.

DavidJTawil · Mar 30, 2020

Thank you. I understand that your specific luck shouldn’t be applied as fact but this is exactly what I was looking for. Did your system ever have an ich outbreak in the past?

bblumberg said:
I have a 4 year established (150g) tank. When starting it, I quarantined fish with copper for a month (at separate times) and then moved them in. These were a yellow tang, Desjardin's tang, 2 pajama cardinals, snowflake clown, one-spot foxface, matted file fish, Klein's butterfly, lawnmower blennie, orange spot goby, 2 green chromis and 6 Springeri damsels.

Since then (mostly over the past 8 months), I have added a copperbanded butterly directly to the tank with drip acclimation but no quarantine whatsoever (it survived and is thriving), an Achilles tang quarantined for a month without meds, a powder blue tang quarantined for a month without meds, a pair of pintail fairy wrasses, a mystery wrasse and a Lineatus wrasse - one month quarantine without meds (other than 2 rounds of Praziquantel), 2 rainbow bassletts with a month quarantine without meds.

No signs of ich or other distress and the tangs are fat and happy. They get 2 sheets of nori per day and eat it voraciously. I have definitely lost fish in quarantine (some bluestar wrasses and a small yellow tang) , but none that made it for a month caused any trouble in my tanks. I had a potter's wrasse do well in quarantine, but after putting it in my display tank I have never seen it again.

I have since gotten another copperband and plunked it directly into my frag tank (after drip acclimation) where it is thriving, along with another lawnmower blennie.

I am not saying that you should do as I did, but having an existing, thriving tank is not a guarantee that new fish added to the tank will get ick. Ick may well be in the tank, but if fish are not stressed, then you may never see evidence of it...

ndrwater · Mar 30, 2020

DavidJTawil said:
Were all of these fish added together or by specific genus

The yellows all went in at the same time. The Naso was existing at that time. The purple came next and the Tominni was last. They all went in within a year and a half.
I wouldn't dare try to add another yellow at this point, or add a yellow to an existing yellow population without having an absolutely HUGE tank.
Because I have been known to do dumb things, I tried adding a Black tang to my tank about a year ago....... That didn't go well........ And you'll notice that fish isn't on my list above..

bblumberg · Mar 30, 2020

DavidJTawil said:
Thank you. I understand that your specific luck shouldn’t be applied as fact but this is exactly what I was looking for. Did your system ever have an ich outbreak in the past?

None of my salt water tanks have ever had ick. Just lucky I suppose. I have not had it in an fresh water aquarium for many, many years either.

I should also note that I fed my Achilles and power blue tangs with red ogo while they were in quarantine. This may have helped to ease their transition from LFS to my display tank.

bblumberg · Mar 30, 2020

ndrwater said:
The yellows all went in at the same time. The Naso was existing at that time. The purple came next and the Tominni was last. They all went in within a year and a half.
I wouldn't dare try to add another yellow at this point, or add a yellow to an existing yellow population without having an absolutely HUGE tank.
Because I have been known to do dumb things, I tried adding a Black tang to my tank about a year ago....... That didn't go well........ And you'll notice that fish isn't on my list above..

yeah, I had a similar experience. I tried to move a yellow from my smaller tank into the 150g and the yellow in there killed it in a couple of days, despite there being many hiding places.

DavidJTawil · Mar 30, 2020

This is definitely true. As somebody that has Kept Fowler tanks for over ten years, I’ve seen the benefit of keeping fish well fed definitely out ways the higher nitrates; something rich could be fixed with oversized equipment and water changes.

bblumberg said:
I have heard that keeping tangs well-fed also reduces aggression. My Desjardins chases many of the other fish around, especially the other tangs and the copperband, but not to any serious extent.

vetteguy53081 · Mar 30, 2020

I have a larger Achilles- no ich, etc and an eating machine

DavidJTawil · Mar 30, 2020

This might have something to do with your lfs. Seems to me like they have strict quarantine protocol as do you.

bblumberg said:
None of my salt water tanks have ever had ick. Just lucky I suppose. I have not had it in an fresh water aquarium for many, many years either.

I should also note that I fed my Achilles and power blue tangs with red ogo while they were in quarantine. This may have helped to ease their transition from LFS to my display tank.