He ate, Achilles is eating!

[Mark Novack]

It's eating. No veggies yet but it gorging on frozen krill and artemia! Acanthurus Achilles is eating!

 

[Mark Novack]

But it's too darn shy for a photo. Too skinny too.

 

[tdlawdo]

They are beautiful. Mine never quits grazing! He will come around soon enough.

 

[Katrina71]

I'm happy for you! Please post pics of your new friend when he gets comfortable!

 

[Mark Novack]

He is thinner than I thought. He is eating but I'm not holding my breath. I'm doing my best and putting in food more often but in smaller quantities. His size was well hidden under the blue lights. He is coming out more, maybe because the Stichodactyla is rearranging the rock work into a new scape. It's dragging around some good sized pieces. Naughty anemone, naughty.

 

[ScottR]

Cool! I used to see these when snorkeling in Hawaii. They’d usually be in shallow water, grazing lightly on the rock. They didn’t seem to care that I was there. I’d love to keep some as well.

 

[Mark Novack]

Cool! I used to see these when snorkeling in Hawaii. They’d usually be in shallow water, grazing lightly on the rock. They didn’t seem to care that I was there. I’d love to keep some as well.

OH Hawaii! Loved it. Was followed around by a big ugly brown parrot fish for at least three hours. It kept picking at my waist pouch for fresh peas. In the Maldives I was kept company on three dives by the same adult Batfish. I cannot convey in words the wonder I feel when diving.

Mark

 

[Mark Novack]

OK. It's day five of the Achilles saga. He's out and about, no more attacks, everyone is getting along super again. He like Ocean Nutrition Formula One, the meaty flavored pellets. Good! They are

balanced and fortified. I'd like to see him take the Number Two for the vegetarian bulk but he's getting calories. He let me get this photo on zoom so it's not to great but voila, there is Achilles.

 

[Mark Novack]

It seems that 320 Euros might be a bit pricey. Next time I just buy them by the kilo.

 

[Mark Novack]

OK. I went food shopping. He gorged on live artemia and then tore into Ocean Nutrition red algae. He's eating completely now. He ate a lot. I'm feeling better about this fish! That white shadow is already darkening.

Mark

 

[Aetius]

How big is your tank?

 

[Mark Novack]

About 180 gallons. It 2x0.7x0.6 meters. About 50 gallons of sump and filter volume too. It's very basic save for the Rollermat filter and an auto top off. Good skimmer and biopellets too but I'm not sure if they help. Water changes and Mg and buffer is the attention it gets plus the time to time iodine and strontium because I have the bottles. I do run a cannister too with siporax and purigen but no floss to clog up. It's pumped from the sump, the cannister pump doing nothing and impeller removed.

I once, slowly over a two month period, removed the cannister. Big expensive mistake. Suffered an ich/velvet blowout that took 2k in fish and gave me insomnia for 6 months. Now I only rinse it gently. I disconnect, give it a little shake, dump the water and restart it.

Mark