Achilles tang...

rad

rad

Member
Aight, bad idea. for sure. I know. Ive heard lots of bad stuff about them, where they dont eat and get diseased etc. but I have one at the store where I work, its been there two days. its immaculate, AND IT F'IN EATS!!!! I have the chance to get the fish for sixty bucks, question being: would you do it? I really wanted to set up a quarantine before I tried such a fish, or any tang really, but sometimes circumstances and reality dont really correspond to one another realistically. Specs being: 100g tank, 90lbs of lr, 5 inhabitants: Flame angel, blue angel, starry blenny, purple psuedochromis and bamboo shark. I know the bamboo will get big, but a friend put him in there (he works at *****) while I was away on vacation and he was watching my tanks. He he eats, and is 6" so lets not make this thread about that. But I was thinking, if the achilles already eats, what are the chances of him surviving? and I know he eats, I feed the fish. It seems all too tempting to me. But thanks for any responses you may have. Im on the fence about this one.
 
sepulatian

sepulatian

Moderator
Originally Posted by rad
http:///forum/post/2519040
Aight, bad idea. for sure. I know. Ive heard lots of bad stuff about them, where they dont eat and get diseased etc. but I have one at the store where I work, its been there two days. its immaculate, AND IT F'IN EATS!!!! I have the chance to get the fish for sixty bucks, question being: would you do it? I really wanted to set up a quarantine before I tried such a fish, or any tang really, but sometimes circumstances and reality dont really correspond to one another realistically. Specs being: 100g tank, 90lbs of lr, 5 inhabitants: Flame angel, blue angel, starry blenny, purple psuedochromis and bamboo shark. I know the bamboo will get big, but a friend put him in there (he works at *****) while I was away on vacation and he was watching my tanks. He he eats, and is 6" so lets not make this thread about that. But I was thinking, if the achilles already eats, what are the chances of him surviving? and I know he eats, I feed the fish. It seems all too tempting to me. But thanks for any responses you may have. Im on the fence about this one.

If it is at a store that you work at then why can't you just hold it until you have a cycled quarantine? I wouldn't add him directly into the display, regardless of his chances of carrying a parasite. You have to keep him in a tank without competition to be certain that he will eat.
 
rad

rad

Member
oh great. sep replied. this thread now entered 'the serious zone.'
If you worked at the same store I did, you would understand why I cant just hold the fish. I for one, dont like to ask for deals, and on getting a achilles for cost? which is a deal in the first place...I wouldnt like to push it. dont get me wrong, the owners are nice people. but thats just not how I roll. If anything Id rather port over all my fish to my other tanks and make my 24g pod the quarantine like I had suggested earlier. Only I was thinking I would have more time to make my mind up about that matter until this approached. damn. I know its not a good idea to rush things, especially in this hobby, but come on. this achilles is eating, and super cheap. and super healthy. *shakes head* I just dont know what to do. hence why I created the thread. maybe I could just shoot my self in the face?
not! but this is one of those life changing decisions. what to do, what to do... *whistles the andy griffith tune*
 
al mc

al mc

Active Member
Originally Posted by sepulatian
http:///forum/post/2519048
If it is at a store that you work at then why can't you just hold it until you have a cycled quarantine? I wouldn't add him directly into the display, regardless of his chances of carrying a parasite. You have to keep him in a tank without competition to be certain that he will eat.
I totally agree with Sep. I have an Achilles. Great fish. But, if you do not have a cycled QT to put him in when you first get him home you will lose him to an uncycled QT or by putting him directly into your DT.
 
srfisher17

srfisher17

Active Member
Originally Posted by rad
http:///forum/post/2519040
Aight, bad idea. for sure. I know. Ive heard lots of bad stuff about them, where they dont eat and get diseased etc. but I have one at the store where I work, its been there two days. its immaculate, AND IT F'IN EATS!!!! I have the chance to get the fish for sixty bucks, question being: would you do it? I really wanted to set up a quarantine before I tried such a fish, or any tang really, but sometimes circumstances and reality dont really correspond to one another realistically. Specs being: 100g tank, 90lbs of lr, 5 inhabitants: Flame angel, blue angel, starry blenny, purple psuedochromis and bamboo shark. I know the bamboo will get big, but a friend put him in there (he works at *****) while I was away on vacation and he was watching my tanks. He he eats, and is 6" so lets not make this thread about that. But I was thinking, if the achilles already eats, what are the chances of him surviving? and I know he eats, I feed the fish. It seems all too tempting to me. But thanks for any responses you may have. Im on the fence about this one.

Its not just the Achilles, any fish that isn't QT'd can easily introduce a parasite to all your fish. Any new fish (IMO) will raise the stress level of most established fish, making them more vulnerable to parasites & disease. BTW, not commenting on the shark addition with your current stock list, by a ***** employee no less, is one of the toughest things I've ever done.
 
rad

rad

Member
^ha! thanks srfisher.
As of now he is in an 80 gallon hex with a large blond naso, marine betta, yellow coris. It seems as though he isnt competing for food at all, despite the 5-6" naso in there. And all my fish are small... as you can see this is eating me alive. I more than appreciate your suggestions, if I feel like it and the achilles is still there I may tear down the 24g and just make that my QT for the new addition for a month. The only reason I hesitate is because I have a good sized flame angel in there right now, not really large but about 2.5" and he would be going in a 12g aquapod where he will most certainly eat all my xenia. Hes done it before. But I figure it will be alright if I move him again after the quarantine is over and he only stays in there for a month. I would like to move him to my main tank, but with me already having a flame in there...dont get me wrong. the thought has crossed my mind as that would be totally sweet. But I dont think I want to risk it. All these thoughts.
so hot! milk was a bad choice...
 
sepulatian

sepulatian

Moderator
Originally Posted by rad
http:///forum/post/2519463
^ha! thanks srfisher.
As of now he is in an 80 gallon hex with a large blond naso, marine betta, yellow coris. It seems as though he isnt competing for food at all, despite the 5-6" naso in there. And all my fish are small... as you can see this is eating me alive. I more than appreciate your suggestions, if I feel like it and the achilles is still there I may tear down the 24g and just make that my QT for the new addition for a month. The only reason I hesitate is because I have a good sized flame angel in there right now, not really large but about 2.5" and he would be going in a 12g aquapod where he will most certainly eat all my xenia. Hes done it before. But I figure it will be alright if I move him again after the quarantine is over and he only stays in there for a month. I would like to move him to my main tank, but with me already having a flame in there...dont get me wrong. the thought has crossed my mind as that would be totally sweet. But I dont think I want to risk it. All these thoughts.
so hot! milk was a bad choice...
Yep, it is serious now
In all honesty though, the fish is in with a tang. Do not add him directly into the display. Tear down the 24 and use that as a qt if that is what you have to do.
 
anthropo

anthropo

Member
i havn't read any of the responses...alls i'm gonna say is achilles tangs are a bad idea to waste your money on. it may be eating and look great now. it might even last you 6 months but it will die. they need very turbulant water to survive which i don't know anyone except for aquariums with HUGE tanks could support this environment.
 
aquaknight

aquaknight

Active Member
First off, really? A 6" Naso in a 80 hex?
It sounds like the Achilles is already in and it's too late to prevent against Ich (I figure about 24hrs for a cycle of some Ich to form cysts and fall of?) in the 80. Definitely short cossing fingers. Probably would be a good idea to QT him anyway, still unknown about other things like internal worms and also to get him eating. I would skip on filtration in the QT and just do large enough water changes to keep the levels in check.
 
al mc

al mc

Active Member
Originally Posted by anthropo
http:///forum/post/2520107
i havn't read any of the responses...alls i'm gonna say is achilles tangs are a bad idea to waste your money on. it may be eating and look great now. it might even last you 6 months but it will die. they need very turbulant water to survive which i don't know anyone except for aquariums with HUGE tanks could support this environment.
There is no doubt that these can be difficult to keep for the hobby aquarist.
However, I do feel with proper Qt procedures and a DT with swimming space and a lack of predators you can keep an Achilles over 6 months. I have had mine 1 (+) years in a 156 gallon DT. I may just be lucky or have an uncommonly hardy one, but that is my experience.
 
anthropo

anthropo

Member
Originally Posted by Al Mc
http:///forum/post/2520515
There is no doubt that these can be difficult to keep for the hobby aquarist.
However, I do feel with proper Qt procedures and a DT with swimming space and a lack of predators you can keep an Achilles over 6 months. I have had mine 1 (+) years in a 156 gallon DT. I may just be lucky or have an uncommonly hardy one, but that is my experience.
good luck man...i have never heard of anyone keeping one for very long.
 
tangwhispr

tangwhispr

Member
Originally Posted by rad
http:///forum/post/2519055
oh great. sep replied. this thread now entered 'the serious zone.'
If you worked at the same store I did, you would understand why I cant just hold the fish. I for one, dont like to ask for deals, and on getting a achilles for cost? which is a deal in the first place...I wouldnt like to push it. dont get me wrong, the owners are nice people. but thats just not how I roll. If anything Id rather port over all my fish to my other tanks and make my 24g pod the quarantine like I had suggested earlier. Only I was thinking I would have more time to make my mind up about that matter until this approached. damn. I know its not a good idea to rush things, especially in this hobby, but come on. this achilles is eating, and super cheap. and super healthy. *shakes head* I just dont know what to do. hence why I created the thread. maybe I could just shoot my self in the face?
not! but this is one of those life changing decisions. what to do, what to do... *whistles the andy griffith tune*

60 is way over cost...pretty much double of what we pay
 
rad

rad

Member
^naw man, 60 is cost. its 55 for the fish, and we figure 5 for shipping. I know this, I saw the list.
AquaKnight: A naso in a 80 hex, thats up for sale, isnt a bad idea. Thats not his permanent home as he will be sold some time soon.
but I have good news! I did NOT buy the achilles. Instead I bought a blue tang
I feel pretty confident about it as someone just brought him in today from their tank where they have had it for 2 years. For that reason I am going to add him directly to my display. I figure if he would have had any parasites that they would have shown up by now. Good or bad idea, thats my decision. I talked to the guy for a while about it when he brought it in, he is going to college and is tearing his whole tank down. I figured the situation was ideal, and jumped on it. Its a good 5" and he was $45. That was good enough for me. more good news: the achilles is eating like a champ, and is beautiful. but luckily I spent my fish limit for a while and now cannot afford him, so consider him not mine.
 
rad

rad

Member
Now I have some bad news, the achilles now has ich. I knew that was going to happen, and I am even more glad now that I didnt purchase it.
 
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