Acanthurus Achlles : Care And Requirements Of This Beautiful Hawaiian Endemic Tang
Written by Roman Veaila
Monday, 31 August 2009 08:19
(Not Yet Rated)
| The Achilles tang (Acanthurus Achilles) is another beautiful fish that the hobby sees from time to time. Its body is a very dark chocolate accentuated by a single orange teardrop on its spine. | |
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hite, orange and chocolate lines its tail. It is commonly known as the Achilles surgeonfish and the red-tailed surgeonfish.
by RomanVeaila This beauty known as the Achilles tang (Acanthurus Achilles) pops up in the trade from time to time. Its body is a very dark chocolate accentuated by a single orange teardrop on its spine. Its tail is a mix of chocolate, white and orange bands. It goes by other names that include the red-tail surgeonfish and the achilles surgeonfish. A highly prized fish, they hail from Hawaii and its surrounding waters. A quick seller, finding one in the market may prove frustrating. A very pri |
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he trade from time to time. Its body is a very dark chocolate accentuated by a single orange teardrop on its spine. Its tail is a mix of chocolate, white and orange bands. It goes by other names that include the red-tail surgeonfish and the achilles surgeonfish. A highly prized fish, they hail from Hawaii and its surrounding waters. A quick seller, finding one in the market may prove frustrating. A very pricey tang, juveniles sell for $100 or slightly more while adults can fetch up to $300 per fish. Very big show quality specimens can fetch even more, $400 and above. Regrettably, this tang doesn't do all that well in captivity. They seem to be more delicate than other tangs like the yellow tang (zebrasoma flavescens) or the Blue Tang (paracanthurus hepatus). And thats not the entire story, these tangs don't seem to feed prepared foods. Like its brethren they are also prone to lateral line erosion, hole in the head disease and marine parasites. In the wild, achilles tangs are known to interbreed with the goldrim tang (acanthurus nigricans). They're highly prized offspring rarely appear on the market and usually cost quite a bit. Achilles tangs are considered aggressive, they can be very hostile to larger tank mates. Smaller species like gobies, damsels and dottybacks are usually left alone. They do not take too kindly to sharing tank space with other tangs and can be absolutely brutal towards other achilles tangs. As always, if you insist on keeping multiple tangs always introduce them at the same time and make sure your aquarium is large enough for them. Achilles tangs attain 9 inches in the wild, which means a maximum length of 7 inches or so in captivity. They require tanks at least as big as 100 gallons. Larger tanks are recommended as they require ample swimming room. Getting the achilles tang to accept prepared foods is difficult. Neverth |
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he trade from time to time. Its body is a very dark chocolate accentuated by a single orange teardrop on its spine. Its tail is a mix of chocolate, white and orange bands. It goes by other names that include the red-tail surgeonfish and the achilles surgeonfish. A highly prized fish, they hail from Hawaii and its surrounding waters. A quick seller, finding one in the market may prove frustrating. A very pricey tang, juveniles sell for $100 or slightly more while adults can fetch up to $300 per fish. Very big show quality specimens can fetch even more, $400 and above. Regrettably, this tang doesn't do all that well in captivity. They seem to be more delicate than other tangs like the yello |
| The Achilles tang (Acanthurus Achilles) is another beautiful fish that the hobby sees from time to time. Its body is a very dark chocolate accentuated by a single orange teardrop on its spine. White, orange and chocolate lines its tail. It is commonly known as the Achilles surgeonfish and the red-tailed surgeonfish.
by RomanVeaila This beauty known as the Achilles tang (Acanthurus Achilles) pops up in the trade from time to time. Its body is a very dark chocolate accentuated by a single orange teardrop on its spine. Its tail is a mix of chocolate, white and orange bands. It goes by other names that include the red-tail surgeonfish and the achilles surgeonfish. A highly prized fish, they hail from Hawaii and its surrounding waters. A quick seller, finding one in the market may prove frustrating. A very pricey tang, juveniles sell for $100 or slightly more while adults can fetch up to $300 per fish. Very big show quality specimens can fetch even more, $400 and above. Regrettably, this tang doesn't do all that well in captivity. They seem to be more delicate than other tangs like the yellow tang (zebrasoma flavescens) or the Blue Tang (paracanthurus hepatus). And thats not the entire story, these tangs don't seem to feed prepared foods. Like its brethren they are also prone to lateral line erosion, hole in the head disease and marine parasites. In the wild, achilles tangs are known to interbreed with the goldrim tang (acanthurus nigricans). They're highly prized offspring rarely appear on the market and usually cost quite a bit. Achilles tangs are considered aggressive, they can be very hostile to larger tank mates. Smaller species like gobies, damsels and dottybacks are usually left alone. They do not take too kindly to sharing tank space with other tangs and can be absolutely brutal towards other achilles tangs. As always, if you insist on keeping multiple tangs always introduce them at the same time and make sure your aquarium is large enough for them. Achilles tangs attain 9 inches in the wild, which means a maximum length of 7 inches or so in captivity. They require tanks at least as big as 100 gallons. Larger tanks are recommended as they require ample swimming room. Getting the achilles tang to accept prepared foods is difficult. Nevertheless, we should try our best. Great news for those with corals, they are completely reef safe. As they are grazers in the wild, a large part of their diet should be algae based foods. Despite the fact that they're primarily herbivores in the wild, they are open to just about anything offered once acclimated. Krill, mysis shrimp, brine shrimp, pellets, they take them all. Since they feed on copious amounts of algae in the wild, we should see to it that a large percentage of the food we feed them is algae based. A good form of algae to feed tangs would be nori sheets.Depending on the brand, prices vary greatly. Julian Sprungs Sea Veggies may be a little too pricey for some. Good quality stuff though. They come in flake form too, making feedings very convenient. Thankfully there are many other brands that produce nori primarily for human consumption. High quality sheets can cost quite a bit while the regular stuff is very affordable. You'll need to secure the nori to a clip. You can buy a commercial type of fashion one up yourself. Some people fold the sheets before clipping while others just clip it as is. Use the suction cup to attach it to your aquarium and you're done, you can enjoy the show. Formula Two is a good quality algae based mix for herbivores. They've added an extra amount of algae to the food along with vitamins, minerals and a blend of seafood. It is available as a flake food, pellet or frozen cube. The best flake food for the yellow tang would be Sea Veggie mixed flakes followed by formula two flakes. A great all-rounder with a good balance of ingredients, New Life Spectrum comes highly recommended as well. Do not feed your tangs lettuce of any kind (romaine or iceberg). Pet stores that are trying to save a few bucks normally feed their tangs lettuce. Lettuce doesn't have a place in this hobby as nutritionally its rubbish. About the Author: Roman Veaila is a hobbyist that has kept numerous reef aquariums. In his spare time he writes guides on marine fishes. Visit his hubpage for detailed guides on the Acanthurus Achilles as well as the immensely popular Regal Tang.
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