Do you have problems with Achilles tangs?

Lazys Coral House · Jan 9, 2015

I have an Achilles Tang. Of my three tangs it is the most docile. It shares the tank with a Yellow and Powder Blue. Although the Powder Blue is smallest and was put in tank last it is boss. I do quarantine all fish in Hypo-salinity before putting them in the tank.

Here it was on day three of Quarantine.

[video=youtube;gZrJDWUlOkc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZrJDWUlOkc[/video]

Armon_p · Jan 9, 2015

Tank you

Lazys Coral House · Jan 16, 2015

Just checking to see if you decided to get an Achilies tang or something else

Armon_p · Jan 16, 2015

I did thanks for asking

Armon_p · Jan 16, 2015

It's survived a week so I'm in temporary clear

Palting · Jan 16, 2015

Lazylivin, whatever happened to your AT in your video with the Ich?

Rob Top1 · Jan 16, 2015

I have always wanted an AT, and have come close a few times. i have a good relationship with my LFS and would get it slightly above cost and even get to go to the distributor to pick mine. Dave and Todd, I think you have convinced me my 240 is too small. guess I will leave this one in the sea

Armon_p · Jan 16, 2015

A 240 is okay as long as there is not too much competition, I have one in a 150 gallon, he is the only fish in there

Kworker · Jan 16, 2015

A 240 will be fine.

Armon_p · Jan 17, 2015

Is it true that an Achilles tang will become hardy as it settles in?

Kworker · Jan 17, 2015

Armon_p said:
Is it true that an Achilles tang will become hardy as it settles in?

In my experience, yes.

Armon_p · Jan 17, 2015

How long should I wait before adding in my hippo tang that is smaller than him?

Kworker · Jan 17, 2015

Armon_p said:
How long should I wait before adding in my hippo tang that is smaller than him?

Since the achilles is the only fish you should be fine. There may be some harassing to begin with but as long as the Hippo is big enough and healthy he will be fine. I've found Acanthurus tangs generally are harsh from the beginning but usually ease up once things are established.

Armon_p · Jan 17, 2015

I added the Achilles a week ago, how much longer should I wait, or should I just add in the hippo when I know he's healthy?

Palting · Jan 17, 2015

Armon_p said:
How long should I wait before adding in my hippo tang that is smaller than him?

NEVER! Lol.

What I mean is, never add a hippo to any tank. He is the one tang I regret getting. In the 4years I had him, he was skittish, unfriendly with other fish, as crazy as Dori in the movie. And there have been several reefers who have had similar experience with a hippo, so it's not that I got the one crazy one. Lots of better looking tangs with better disposition out there, especially for a 240 gallon.

BTW, you do know tangs are Ich magnets, right? Are you doing proper QT?

Armon_p · Jan 17, 2015

My hippo is in another tank, he loves throwing off when there is other tangs, he swims and acts like the tank is his reef

Palting · Jan 17, 2015

Ah, so you already have the hippo, just in another tank.

If it were me, I'd leave him in the other tank. I'm not an Achilles expert, I just got one. But I have had a tank with 4 tangs: naso, tennenti, purple, and the dreaded hippo. They all grew together from juvenile to adult in a span of 4 years. The naso was the police, the keeper of the peace, whereas the hippo was the brat that always created trouble. So, I say, stay away from the hippo. I love tangs, but the hippo is the one tang I am not getting for my new tank.

Armon_p · Jan 17, 2015

My hippo has accually been tolerant of other tangs, he left the purple alone and even the powder blue that died from the purple tang. My blue hippo some how avoids trouble

Lazys Coral House · Jan 17, 2015

Palting said:
Lazylivin, whatever happened to your AT in your video with the Ich?

It is doing great. Here is a video a couple days after the first video.

[video=youtube;FMFjk34DOv0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMFjk34DOv0[/video]

Here it is today. Kind of blurry, it is hard to get a good pic, he is almost always moving.

Kworker · Jan 18, 2015

lazylivin said:
It is doing great. Here is a video a couple days after the first video.

[video=youtube;FMFjk34DOv0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMFjk34DOv0[/video]

Here it is today. Kind of blurry, it is hard to get a good pic, he is almost always moving.

What size tank do you have the achilles and powder blue together in? They look great!