Post by angel on Jul 18, 2011 8:14:17 GMT -6
Since only a very few of us are doing saltwater tanks, but we're all about learning new things in water, I've decided to try this. It's a saltwater feature, but something you can do with freshwater, and with plants, and with inverts as well. It could build quite a catalog. So here we go:
The Achilles Tang(Acanthurus achilles). I do not own this fish. All info is from the web, as is the photo.
This fish is native to Hawaii, and is from the Acanthuridae family. These are surgeon fish, so named for the sharp spine they have on their tails. These spines lie flat until the fish is in danger, then they pop out. They're sharp like a surgeon's scalpel, thus the name.
The achilles tang is dark brown to purple. It has bright highlights of white and orange around the dorsal, caudal, and anal fins. A white marking is also present on the gill covers and a striking orange teardrop is found near the caudal fin. This fish reaches a maximum size of 8 1/2", and needs a 180 gallon minimum tank. It's strongly advised not to keep more than one, as they're semi-aggressive, and with saltwater fish, if another fish comes in and is the same shape or the same color as the first one in the tank they'll fight to the death. For fish that are not in this category, the tang is an excellent tankmate.
Tangs are herbivores, and need dried seaweed available in their diets, and algae. Although they will eat meaty foods when offered, it won't hurt them like it would a tropheus, but algae and seaweed strengthen their immune systems and reduce aggression. Tangs are also highly susceptible to marine ich, so when adding a new fish, quarantine, quarantine, quarantine!
In the wild, tangs are found in surge zones, and need water with a lot of flow. Their parameters are ideal at temp 72-78° F, alkalinity 8-12, pH 8.1-8.4, salinity 1.020-1.025. They will not pick at corals, so are considered reef safe.
This particular fish is pricey, being that a small one runs around $200, a somewhat large one at $300, and there are WYSIWYG(what you see is what you get) advertised on liveaquaria.com--they currently have a beautiful one for $399.99. It's the fish pictured below. These fish are recommended for expert keepers only.
If anyone has one, and would like to post a photo, or can offer further info on this beautiful fish, please add to this thread.
The Achilles Tang(Acanthurus achilles). I do not own this fish. All info is from the web, as is the photo.
This fish is native to Hawaii, and is from the Acanthuridae family. These are surgeon fish, so named for the sharp spine they have on their tails. These spines lie flat until the fish is in danger, then they pop out. They're sharp like a surgeon's scalpel, thus the name.
The achilles tang is dark brown to purple. It has bright highlights of white and orange around the dorsal, caudal, and anal fins. A white marking is also present on the gill covers and a striking orange teardrop is found near the caudal fin. This fish reaches a maximum size of 8 1/2", and needs a 180 gallon minimum tank. It's strongly advised not to keep more than one, as they're semi-aggressive, and with saltwater fish, if another fish comes in and is the same shape or the same color as the first one in the tank they'll fight to the death. For fish that are not in this category, the tang is an excellent tankmate.
Tangs are herbivores, and need dried seaweed available in their diets, and algae. Although they will eat meaty foods when offered, it won't hurt them like it would a tropheus, but algae and seaweed strengthen their immune systems and reduce aggression. Tangs are also highly susceptible to marine ich, so when adding a new fish, quarantine, quarantine, quarantine!
In the wild, tangs are found in surge zones, and need water with a lot of flow. Their parameters are ideal at temp 72-78° F, alkalinity 8-12, pH 8.1-8.4, salinity 1.020-1.025. They will not pick at corals, so are considered reef safe.
This particular fish is pricey, being that a small one runs around $200, a somewhat large one at $300, and there are WYSIWYG(what you see is what you get) advertised on liveaquaria.com--they currently have a beautiful one for $399.99. It's the fish pictured below. These fish are recommended for expert keepers only.
If anyone has one, and would like to post a photo, or can offer further info on this beautiful fish, please add to this thread.
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