How to Have Success with An Achillies tang

[@ReefRondo]

My number one fish. Adore mine. So lucky to have one. Yours is absolutely stunning.

[@abcha0s]

I have 11 tangs in a 360G (8ft x 3ft). This includes an achilles, achilles/white cheek hybrid, powder blue, hippo, naso, bristletooth, gem, 3x purple, and a sailfin. All are full grow, fat, healthy and happy. There is very little aggression during the day. They do display dominance behavior at night, but its an opt in game to confirm the pecking order. Presently, the Powder Blue defends the prime realestate, with the largest of the Purples being the second contender. The Achilles is probably 3rd. At night, the hybrid Achilles sticks to one side swimming fast and aggressively in a circular motion hugging the side panel for hours after the lights go off. It might just be energy and exercise but the behavior has the benefit of avoiding any aggression. The Naso is the largest tang, but the Achilles is a close second. The Naso is the most chill of the bunch and swims anywhere that he wants without concern. For the most part the other tangs leave him alone and he never instigates aggression. All of the fish were quarantined, i feed lots, the habitat has sufficient hides and territory, the flow is high on the tank sides but calm in the middle. It does take some planning to house multiple tangs. Achilles have a reputation for being difficult to keep and beginners would be well advised to avoid them, but they are certainally not impossible to keep. Your tank is amazing. I have many of the same fish (other than tangs) that you keep. I love that you pushed the boundaries with keeping 17 tangs. I would consider 3 years as long term success. Personally, i've had my tang gang in my tank for right around 2 years.

[@pelagicswimmer]

Thanks for watching. I notice that behaviour too as the lights ramp down before going off. My Sohal is so dominant really the others seem to just get on with life and let him strutt his stuff.

[@abcha0s]

My approah and my system is very similar. Everything wet has been quarantined. My achilles was about 4 inches when i got him. He must be 10 inches now with the beginnings of streamers. He has been the fastest growing fish that I've ever kept. He developed an aggressive bacterial infection in qt. I treated with Kanamycin and metronidazole and he recovered. Saving him and seeing him thrive for two years since is my greatest fish keeping experience. Other fish i keep... A leopard wrasse pair, a pair of oreni tilefish, a bluespot jawfish, a starry and a watchmen goby, a couple of fairy wrasses, and a harem of 15 bimaculatus anthias. I feed lots of pellets from three individual autofeeders. The staples are fauna mixed and seaweed extreme. I run a pair of automatic plankton feeders (freeze dried) that each run every 30 minutes thus feeding every 15 minutes. I feed a homemade froozen blend once or twice a day. I fed continuous ammounts of nori sheets for the first year, but havent been feeding them recently. I should get back to providing nori. Nori sheets in a mesh holder are a fantasic way to deliver vitamim additives, immune boosters and even medications. My philosophy on feeding is that you have to target the most timid fish in the tank. For me thats the blue spot jawfish. My fish are never hungry. I dont clean the backwall. I run am 80 watt HO UV that im really just using to breakdown ozone on the output side of my skimmer. Many of the fish that i keep need a deep sand bed to thrive. Mime is about 5 inches but carefully constructed and optimized. I also need high flow in most of the tank. High flow and deep sand beds dont typically mix. My tank is bare bottom on both the left third and the right third. The middle third is a raised DSB formed in place by aquascaped rockwork. The middle section also provides for clear seperation of territory. During the day the tank is free space. At night your either a right side fish or a left side fish. The boldest of the tangs will enforce their right of passage at night and there is ongoing posturing, but never any actual fighting. The prime realistate is a protected area on the DSB that presently the powder blue defends. The top of the tank is fully covered by a mesh top. Any equipment entry is through bulkheads.

[@TrevorHiller]

Such a pretty fish! Really good info in this one

[@gavingrafton680]

Enjoyed that. Jealous, knowing I'll never have one - only a 300 litre tank here. Here's to continued success 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@fishpalace]

What a stunning tank and love that fish. Can i see a vampire tang too? I miss mine but had to move it on as just too big for my 5 tank. Stunning and love the bright blue outline and how they turn black when they want to hide or are spooked. great video

[@pelagicswimmer]

Cheers Paul, yes there is a vampire tang in there had him about 6 yrs now I think. You're always welcome to drop in as I think you are pretty local.

[@melvinpartridge688]

Great fish, nice tank, hows that Masterflex doing

[@pelagicswimmer]

That's so weird I was literally playing with it today, haven't used it all yet but thinking of making some changes to the sump room and was thinking I might put that pump to use, seems insane not to use it really as it's such a great bit of kit. Thanks for the comment, got to love a tang :)

[@Bruinleeuwtje]

great video! Would you consider doing the same for your soahl and naso tang? i also wonder, you seem to have sand dwelling wrasse but no sand, how do you deal with that?

[@pelagicswimmer]

I did think I might do some of the other tangs. Regarding the wrasse I have a pot at the end of the tank with some sand in.

[@jasonbarker8116]

How long did it take for your Lennardi wrasse to adjust to no sand

[@pelagicswimmer]

There is a pot of sand in the tank I don't think she uses it. She got used to sleeping in a pot with sand when I qt her

[@jasonbarker8116]

@@pelagicswimmer I live in Western Australia and there quite common here was thinking of getting one but don't won't the sand

[@pelagicswimmer]

@jasonbarker8116 ah you're lucky living there they are expensive here in the UK, they get pretty big and my one doesn't play well with other anampses wrasse

[@jasonbarker8116]

@@pelagicswimmer an adult is around $300 a young one $200 so not to bad in pounds half that

[@pelagicswimmer]

@jasonbarker8116 I paid £800 😮‍💨 she's worth it to me though.