Achilles Tang, Acanthurus achilles, in most marine fish keepers opinion, is the most beautiful tang or surgeon fish of them all. The striking clash of bluish black and red makes this fish stand out like no other. Achilles tangs are found throughout the Hawaiian islands, Polynesia and Micronesia. The Acanthurus Achilles gathers in surge zones close to rocky shores and near exposed coral reefs where water moves rapidly through surge channels.
Keeping an Achilles Tang
The fish has a reputation of being difficult to keep and there is some truth in this. There has been some really poor specimens in the trade for years. Many are far to gone to get back. We have had Achilles Tangs held back from sale for 6 months plus in some instances. The reason being, some fish arrive so skinny it takes this long to get them back to fighting fit. Sadly though, a lot of shops will let them go in this state which fuels the hard to keep reputation. However if you source a good specimen that is fat healthy and feeding properly, the expectations change dramatically. (Feeding well is not just picking at brine shrimp),
We do however recommend Achilles Tangs only for large tanks and we think that UV sterilization is a must. High oxygen and strong flow from pumps powerheads and wavemakers should be provided.
Feeding Acanthurus Achilles
Here we will deal with aquarium life and not natural diet for that’s there new home. We recommend Pellet food and flake food over and above frozen and our fish do not leave until they eat this with gusto. Frozen food should always have vitamins added and algae should be available daily. The key to success with the Achilles Tang is diet and trust us with this and you will keep this fish happy and healthy.
- Specific gravity: 1.023-1.025 SG
- Range ph: 8.1-8.4
- Temperature: 72.0 to 78.0° F (22.2 to 25.6° C)
- Water Movement: Strong
- Reef Safe: Yes
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