Adding an Achilles

[nova65ss]

So I have a 120 with a leopard wrasse a juvenile hippo maybe 2 inches and two clowns. I have a 5" Achilles in Qt ready to come out. I know they are aggressive and wondering about aggressiveness towards other species. I do plan to add some borbonious and some other anthias maybe some other smaller species fish. My question is if I add him now will he still bully these other species if added later or is it mainly aggression towards other tangs? Do I need to worry about the hippo since it is so small or do I wait to add the Achilles after all of the other fish are added?

I know it is hit or miss just trying to get an idea thanks

 

[ncaldwell]

My Achilles was about 3 inches and immediately took over my tank when I added him. He barely tolerates a purple tang of the same size that was already established. He's very aggressive towards any additions to the tank including a trio of anthias I added. He calmed down after a couple days. I put a mirror up so he went for his own reflection instead of the new stuff

 

[Zack K]

Lets get @4FordFamily and @eatbreakfast in here

 

[nova65ss]

Lets get @4FordFamily and @eatbreakfast in here

Thanks!

 

[4FordFamily]

Honestly, a 5” Achilles is probably too large for anything less than a 180. Even a 3”, due to the need to swim a lot.

If you’re bent on trying, the answer to the question is that in a 5 foot tank with few other tangs (you don’t have room for many), he’s likely to be quite aggressive. 1/3 of them (completely arbitrary) don’t seem that aggressive — but much of that I believe to be environmental. I.E. too many other tangs to be a jerk, etc.

 

[iLLwiLL]

Might as well toss in a clown tang and a Queen Angel while your at it. ;Bookworm

That's awesome that you went through the quarantine process with a new fish, but in that time have you come across any long term success stories of an achilies in that small of a tank? Chances are he's gone be pacing like crazy and super aggressive to anything else in the tank. You might get lucky and I hope you do but the odds are not in your favor.