Keeping Achilles tang ick free in reef tank

[Humblefish]

Where did you find that info?

Taken from here: FA164/FA164: Cryptocaryon irritans Infections (Marine White Spot Disease) in Fish

The time required for theront development varies. In one study (Colorni and Burgess 1997), theronts emerged from a group of tomonts sometime between 3 and 72 days, with most released from 4 to 8 days after tomont formation. In another study (Diggles and Lester 1996c ), tomite development and theront release occurred, on average, between 5 and 12.1 days after tomont formation, depending upon strain and temperature. There was no correlation between tomont size and theront release. Yoshinaga and Dickerson (1994) observed, in laboratory studies, that theronts were released only between the hours of 2:00 am and 9:00 am, even in total darkness; some suggest this strategy increases the chance for theronts to find a host, as many fish may be resting or closer to substrate during this time period.

You can search Google Scholar to read the entire Colorni and Burgess study, but that particular bit of information was the most profound. It is important to note that "72 day theronts" have yet to be encountered again in any study. Therefore, it is logical to conclude a hobbyist is unlikely to encounter that particular strain they studied. But going fallow for 72 days would be playing it safe.

 

[Armon_p]

Best picture I could get with him swimming everywhere. He is in QT for 3 weeks now

 

[Humblefish]

He looks good. :thumb:

 

[4FordFamily]

Great looking Achilles! Mine is SO nasty evil! I love him anyway. Most I've had were very docile

 

[Armon_p]

Thanks for help! He is actually not shy at all when I go to scrape algae he holds its ground its really amusing. Also, he is eating Hikari algae pellets, but doesn't go after new life spectrum pellets, any advice?

 

[Keepswiming]

Thanks for help! He is actually not shy at all when I go to scrape algae he holds its ground its really amusing. Also, he is eating Hikari algae pellets, but doesn't go after new life spectrum pellets, any advice?

I didn't feed mine all day and then threw in a couple nls pellets towards the end of the day and he went for them. He was hungry and had no choice

 

[4FordFamily]

I agree a hungry tang is most likely to eat whatever. Mine snarf down nori.

 

[revhtree]

My favorite fish!

 

[Armon_p]

So far he eats mega marine agar by hikarii, but still doesn't eat or even go after nls pellets.

I have tried not feeding him for a day and still doesn't. I need him to eat pellets so I can give him deworming pellets

 

[Humblefish]

I usually "spoil" my fish in QT by feeding lots of frozen - mysis, LRS foods, etc. If your Achilles is eating nori in QT, that is a very good thing. Once he goes into the DT, he will adapt & learn to eat pellets and whatever else you normally feed in there. Nothing motivates a fish to eat not-so-desirable foods like competition does.

 

[Armon_p]

Right now I feed him nori, sparking brine shrimp, hikarii mega marine algae, and I have had him for 3 weeks in cupramine

 

[4FordFamily]

Right now I feed him nori, sparking brine shrimp, hikarii mega marine algae, and I have had him for 3 weeks in cupramine

Another week or two and you're good (assuming ich has never made it in to your display tank -- or if it has, it went fallow 63-72 days)

 

[luamada]

I just want to share my experience. lost about five fishes after I added a powder blue tang to my tank.. but the PB did not die. my achiles, and several other did. I moved the PB which has no signs of ich (and it was supposely quarentined by fish store to a 55G tank that I had. Treated the 350G with ich medication for a long time. my 4 yellows tang and 3 blue regal all had ich but survived and so did tge nasal and salfin tang too. after 3 month with no ich I got a NEW achilles and moved the powder into quarantine with 7 anthias for 6 weeks with copper and also used formalin They ALL had a bad ich attach... I though they were going to die but on the 2 week i did formalin too. they got better from ich and i stop the treatment and started just to watch them. moved them to 350G. its been about 3 month now and thank God they are all doing great. 40 fishes and happy

 

[luamada]

here it is

 

[luamada]

 

[Armon_p]

Beautiful fish in beautiful tank. I have managed to keep tang sick free through high nutrition foods, the Achilles won't go to dt unless he is eating every food I feed the others

 

[Armon_p]

And how did you manage to put the pb tang with an Achilles, I have always heard that a pb will eventually end up overpowering the Achilles tang

 

[4FordFamily]

You can feed whatever you want, Achilles will eventually be taken by crypt (ich) if it is in the system. I have two now doing well but no crypt.

I have kept Achilles for the past three years. My bullheadedness with regards to "ich management" vs "preventative maintenance" and treatment have killed more achilles tangs than I am willing to admit. Powder blue tangs, it is literally horrendous...

Don't be an idiot like I was...

 

[Armon_p]

When I did my fallow, I caught the easy to catch fish first. Some literally swam into the net lol. Try feeding them and quickly scoop them out while they are at the surface. I had to take my rocks out to, as most hid in them. But hey, at least I got to reaquascape. When you catch them all, put them in QT for at least 8 weeks, 10 if you can just to be sure.

How is the fallow doing for you? Does that mean your tank will be steril and a copper quarantined fish won't get it in there no matter what?

 

[haleyf1024]

How is the fallow doing for you? Does that mean your tank will be steril and a copper quarantined fish won't get it in there no matter what?

My fallow went great! Fish were reintroduced after treating for ich by means of hyposalinity for 10 weeks. I can't guarantee that 100% of the time hypo will work, but it does probably 99.9% of the time. I will not use copper as it is a mild poison to fish, and hypo is much easier on them IMO. Since they have been reintroduced, nobody has had ich, not a single spot on even the purple tang. I believe my system is 100% ich free now.