16 Month Old Achilles - How to fatten this tang up?

[sanzz18]

So I have had my Achilles Tang for close to a year and a half now. Though it eats exceptionally well, he is always on the skinny spectrum and have a had time fattening him up. The rest of my tangs are nice and thick (purple, bristletooth, hippo, naso). I feed frozen mysis shrimp, just started feeding TDO pellets to help add more nutrition, and nori a couple times a week. Any suggestions/recommendations would be appreciated.

 

[punchy7080]

More nori soaked with selcon. I feed a half sheet every day in my 300g with six tangs.

 

[i cant think]

So I have had my Achilles Tang for close to a year and a half now. Though it eats exceptionally well, he is always on the skinny spectrum and have a had time fattening him up. The rest of my tangs are nice and thick (purple, bristletooth, hippo, naso). I feed frozen mysis shrimp, just started feeding TDO pellets to help add more nutrition, and nori a couple times a week. Any suggestions/recommendations would be appreciated.

Give him more nori however a photo of him will be better to help us. To me I would say an Internal Parasite (Fish with internal parasites may eat but they don’t always get fat).

 

[sanzz18]

More nori soaked with selcon. I feed a half sheet every day in my 300g with six tangs.

Give him more nori however a photo of him will be better to help us. To me I would say an Internal Parasite (Fish with internal parasites may eat but they don’t always get fat).

I will start with more nori soaked in selcon. Whats the easiest process to soaking it in selcon

Regarding the internal parasites, is there a way for the achilles tang to overcome this inside the display tank?

 

[i cant think]

I will start with more nori soaked in selcon. Whats the easiest process to soaking it in selcon

Regarding the internal parasites, is there a way for the achilles tang to overcome this inside the display tank?

Honestly, it depends if you have a Reef or FOWLR and plan for no inverts at all.

 

[sanzz18]

Honestly, it depends if you have a Reef or FOWLR and plan for no inverts at all.

Yeah it is a reef tank and have inverts.

 

[i cant think]

Yeah it is a reef tank and have inverts.

I wouldn’t cure him in the DT then. Does he show any other signs of parasites?

 

[sanzz18]

I wouldn’t cure him in the DT then. Does he show any other signs of parasites?

No other signs at the moment. he did overcome popeye a few months ago. That is about it. Is there any way for him to overcome this without taking him out?

 

[i cant think]

No other signs at the moment. he did overcome popeye a few months ago. That is about it. Is there any way for him to overcome this without taking him out?

He may not have an internal parasite however I would keep an eye out for it - If possible, a photo will help us to see how bad this specimen is and if it’s on the brink of no return or not.

 

[sanzz18]

There are no specs on him that is just the water column. No sign of ich or velvet at all. His fin is healing. Usually there is no aggression that I can see but every so often I will see tears in fin.

 

[eqbal9947]

So I have had my Achilles Tang for close to a year and a half now. Though it eats exceptionally well, he is always on the skinny spectrum and have a had time fattening him up. The rest of my tangs are nice and thick (purple, bristletooth, hippo, naso). I feed frozen mysis shrimp, just started feeding TDO pellets to help add more nutrition, and nori a couple times a week. Any suggestions/recommendations would be appreciated.

Has he been QT'd or treated for potential parasites?

 

[sanzz18]

Has he been QT'd or treated for potential parasites?

At this point he has been in the tank for 15 months, not looking forward to taking him out of the tank for him to get super stressed and die in a small tank. I know achilles don’t do well with stress as it is. I am not 100% against doing it, I just know it is just as likely to kill him treating him outside of the tank as it is to leave him in. At least after initial quarantining.

 

[eqbal9947]

At this point he has been in the tank for 15 months, not looking forward to taking him out of the tank for him to get super stressed and die in a small tank. I know achilles don’t do well with stress as it is. I am not 100% against doing it, I just know it is just as likely to kill him treating him outside of the tank as it is to leave him in. At least after initial quarantining.

IM not smart or experienced enough to give great advice. Maybe the fish medic guys give you the advice youre seeking.
I would try whatever it took to make him healthy instead and live as long as possible rather than seeing it waste away.

 

[sanzz18]

IM not smart or experienced enough to give great advice. Maybe the fish medic guys give you the advice youre seeking.
I would try whatever it took to make him healthy instead and live as long as possible rather than seeing it waste away.

I appreciate your advice and it is probably correct. I am not 100% against figuring out a way to treat him outside of the tank, just gets me nervous because I have read and heard countless times that Achilles have a hard time quarantining. I do not want to see him waste away either of course.

 

[eqbal9947]

I appreciate your advice and it is probably correct. I am not 100% against figuring out a way to treat him outside of the tank, just gets me nervous because I have read and heard countless times that Achilles have a hard time quarantining. I do not want to see him waste away either of course.

Yeah, its def hard.
The first time i gave my Hippo a fresh water dip, I thought he was going to die. I was very stressed.
Then when I finally put it from QT to DT, he freaked out again, lost all color, literally turned white and I thought he was going to die again. I was supposed to give him another fresh water dip and I never did because of the stress of the first time, and now i regret it because hes now scratching in the DT and im going to have to try and catch him and then QT again.

 

[Tamberav]

I would not take him out just yet. I would just feed better foods than frozen mysis.

Pick up some LRS fish frenzy and some nori.

Mysis is a lot of shell, with other fish, maybe he just isn’t getting enough. Feed him something better.

 

[sanzz18]

Yeah, its def hard.
The first time i gave my Hippo a fresh water dip, I thought he was going to die. I was very stressed.
Then when I finally put it from QT to DT, he freaked out again, lost all color, literally turned white and I thought he was going to die again. I was supposed to give him another fresh water dip and I never did because of the stress of the first time, and now i regret it because hes now scratching in the DT and im going to have to try and catch him and then QT again.

Sorry to hear that. Hope it all works out for the hippo. Reefing is by far the most stressful hobby I ever been in, but most rewarding .

I would not take him out just yet. I would just feed better foods than frozen mysis.

Pick up some LRS fish frenzy and some nori.

Mysis is a lot of shell, with other fish, maybe he just isn’t getting enough. Feed him something better.

Okay sounds good. Would you say Rod’s is equivalent to LRS? I have that but haven’t utilized it much for some reason.

 

[Tamberav]

Sorry to hear that. Hope it all works out for the hippo. Reefing is by far the most stressful hobby I ever been in, but most rewarding .



Okay sounds good. Would you say Rod’s is equivalent to LRS? I have that but haven’t utilized it much for some reason.

Yes, it is close. I think LRS is heavier on the scallop and also has probiotics and black worms in it.

 

[sanzz18]

Yes, it is close. I think LRS is heavier on the scallop and also has probiotics and black worms in it.

i will have to pick some up soon. Thanks.

 

[i cant think]

There are no specs on him that is just the water column. No sign of ich or velvet at all. His fin is healing. Usually there is no aggression that I can see but every so often I will see tears in fin.View attachment 2874817

I agree with feeding a much more varied diet than just mysis. He doesn’t look overly skinny (Usually an internal parasite will have the fish showing pinching behind their head). This is what I feed my fish;

In the pot is essentially as many vitamins as I can possibly get to them in pellets and flakes.
All I do is one block of each and then 2-3 pinches of the pellets. I repeat this every day and feed it over 2 tanks.