No Longer An Achilles Heel
If you've been keeping marine aquariums for any length of time, it has happened to you; you've walked into your Local Fish Store, and were headed past their show display, when a large black and orange tang with neon blue highlights flashed out dramatically from the rocks, and, you were smitten. Acanthurus achilles has grabbed your heart. You looked hopefully at the price tag, and winced. Then you asked the person behind the counter about it. Then you went home and researched everywhere you could and found out everything you could. Sadly, most of what you learned told you to stop thinking about this tang immediately; 20 years ago, we would have told you the same thing. But times have changed, and while the Achilles Tang still isn't a fish we recommend for hobbyists just starting out, it is certainly a fish that can be kept happy and healthy in the home aquarium without undue hardship.
Sourcing Achilles tangs is likely the single most important factor in whether or not you succeed in keeping them. This is true for most if not all of the fish in the Acanthurus genus. Tangs from this taxonomic grouping that are sourced from SSC (Short Supply Chains) are some of our best performing fish in house. Our decades of careful record keeping have showed us that the less time these fish spend in transit, the better they maintain their wild feeding response and their natural immunity. When sourcing Achilles tangs, we lean on our vendors with the best track records and shortest holding / transport times. This results in a fish that usually eats very well for us almost immediately on arrival, and does better long term in your aquarium.
On the topic of feeding, aquarium foods have come a long way in the last 15 years. There is now a huge variety of flash frozen marine based meaty foods available as well as many excellent, high protein pellets. To answer the next question you are about to ask, YES, you should be feeding your tangs more than just seaweed. In the wild, a huge portion of your fish's diet would be small invertebrates eaten both as hitchhikers on the algae that they graze on all day and small meaty stuff that is intentionally sought out. The algae portion of your Achilles tang's diet remains very important, as their digestive system needs the bulk and the nutrition that marine based algae products provide. Provide your tangs with a high quality pellet and rehydrated or fresh algae products on a daily basis. This balanced diet keeps their gut health and immune system tip top.
The next most important factor in keeping your Achilles tang happy and healthy is limiting its stress. Acanthurus genus tangs need big tanks and lots of flow. Well fed tangs grow fairly quickly, and the 3 inch fish you have today will be hand sized in a year. While a small Achilles Tang is okin a tank as small as 90 gallons, it will need more than 200 gallons in a few years. Plan your display around this fish as it will be the flagship species in there. The Achilles should be an only tang, and the tank should have lots of rock work for it to pick over. Any display for tangs should always be very stable in regards to temperature, pH and nutrient levels (which should be almost unreadably low.) Plan on excess filtration for the expected bioload, with tons of internal flow both to prevent the buildup of detritus and for the tang to play in, which it will!
If you have a well establish, larger aquarium, and are looking for that reef-safe centerpiece, a sustainably sourced Achilles tang from Quality Marine is a good choice. They are very engaging, starkly beautiful fish that bring great activity to the home aquarium. We have gotten to a point where we no longer need to be scared of keeping Achilles. By sourcing your fish responsibly and taking a few simple steps to keep them healthy, you can enjoy them for years to come. Ask your LFS about a Quality Marine Achilles tang today!