I Want To Add A Kole Tang

MamaLovesHerReefTank · Oct 29, 2016

In my 125 g tank, I have a Yellow Tang, Hippo Tang and Sail Fin Tang. My LFS has a beautiful Kole Tang he got in on Tuesday. Would this be ok to add? Other livestock are 3 Chromis, 1 Pygmy Angel, 1 Cleaner Wrasse, 2 Clownfish, 1 Anthias, 2 Diamond Spot Gobies, 1 Cleaner Shrimp and 1 Peppermint Shrimp. There is no aggression in tank.

dbl · Oct 29, 2016

Funny timing, as I just inquired about adding a Kole with a Yellow tang, but I don't have the other tangs you have. Let's get TJ @eatbreakfast to give you his thoughts.

MamaLovesHerReefTank · Oct 29, 2016

dbl said:
Funny timing, as I just inquired about adding a Kole with a Yellow tang, but I don't have the other tangs you have. Let's get TJ @eatbreakfast to give you his thoughts.

Thank you. I just found the thread with your inquiry. Reading it now.

eatbreakfast · Oct 29, 2016

Lori LeBlanc said:
In my 125 g tank, I have a Yellow Tang, Hippo Tang and Sail Fin Tang. My LFS has a beautiful Kole Tang he got in on Tuesday. Would this be ok to add? Other livestock are 3 Chromis, 1 Pygmy Angel, 1 Cleaner Wrasse, 2 Clownfish, 1 Anthias, 2 Diamond Spot Gobies, 1 Cleaner Shrimp and 1 Peppermint Shrimp. There is no aggression in tank.

It should be ok, being that it is in a different genus. But I would strongly encourage using a social acclimation box for a couple of days. Some specimens of tangs can be more intolerant than others.

ca1ore · Oct 29, 2016

A 125 is ok for a yellow and Kole, but pretty tight quarters for a hippo and definitely for a sailfin. Can make them more aggressive. I added a chevron (Kole analog) to resident yellow, hippo and Sailfin in my 265 (using a socialization box) and it got beaten up pretty badly. It survived, though I qt't it first. 50:50 IMO.

4FordFamily · Oct 29, 2016

eatbreakfast said:
It should be ok, being that it is in a different genus. But I would strongly encourage using a social acclimation box for a couple of days. Some specimens of tangs can be more intolerant than others.

X2

4FordFamily · Oct 29, 2016

ca1ore said:
A 125 is ok for a yellow and Kole, but pretty tight quarters for a hippo and definitely for a sailfin. Can make them more aggressive. I added a chevron (Kole analog) to resident yellow, hippo and Sailfin in my 265 (using a socialization box) and it got beaten up pretty badly. It survived, though I qt't it first. 50:50 IMO.

Sailfin especially, yes I largely agree although I overstock heavily. 6 feet is enough back and forth swimming but not too deep.

MamaLovesHerReefTank · Oct 29, 2016

eatbreakfast said:
It should be ok, being that it is in a different genus. But I would strongly encourage using a social acclimation box for a couple of days. Some specimens of tangs can be more intolerant than others.

Thank you. We weren't planning on adding any new livestock until seeing this one. It's gorgeous. Still going to give it more thought but if we do, the quarantine tank is ready to go.

MamaLovesHerReefTank · Nov 2, 2016

eatbreakfast said:
It should be ok, being that it is in a different genus. But I would strongly encourage using a social acclimation box for a couple of days. Some specimens of tangs can be more intolerant than others.

We still haven't decided yet. I've been reading up on the Kole and have come across some different posts saying their Kole tang went after their gobies or blennies. I have 2 diamond sand sifting gobies that have been in my tank for almost a year. I love these guys, they are always side by side and sleep in the same burrow under some of my rocks. I would be heart broken if anything were to happen to them. Our LFS says it is a 50/50 chance. II don't want to take that 50/50 chance. My husband still wants to get the Kole. Any opinions on this?

eatbreakfast · Nov 2, 2016

Lori LeBlanc said:
We still haven't decided yet. I've been reading up on the Kole and have come across some different posts saying their Kole tang went after their gobies or blennies. I have 2 diamond sand sifting gobies that have been in my tank for almost a year. I love these guys, they are always side by side and sleep in the same burrow under some of my rocks. I would be heart broken if anything were to happen to them. Our LFS says it is a 50/50 chance. II don't want to take that 50/50 chance. My husband still wants to get the Kole. Any opinions on this?

Having other, dominant tangs in the tank will prevent that sort of the behavior from the kole. It will draw attention to him and make it seem like he is trying to usurp his place in the hierarchy, so one of your other tangs(whichever is the most dominant) will quickly come to put the kole back in his place.

Besides, koles taking issue with fish not shaped like them is an outlier rather than the norm.

DeniseAndy · Nov 2, 2016

My Kole likes to dominate my tank, but not overly aggressively. It goes after the lawnmower blenny (similar feeding habits), but never hurts it. It never bothered my diamond goby. My biggest meany in the tank is my yellow tang. It is finally mature and not nice to others. Kole was one of the first fish added when upgraded to a 210g. So it has been around a while.

Biggest issue I see is the sailfin and the hippo tang becoming too large for that system. JMO

happyhourhero · Nov 2, 2016

I have 4 blennies and a goby in with my Kole and it never bothers them at all.

technojunky101 · Nov 2, 2016

Turn lights off make sure you a keep kole different tank for week to get healthy if he makes the first 12 hours he will be OK they will fight but usually subsides quickly I have sailfin hippo yellow and naso and kole and they are fine. I have 300 but had same fish in 125 along with chevron and they were OK feed a lot they fight less when there is ample food.

MamaLovesHerReefTank · Nov 3, 2016

DeniseAndy said:
My Kole likes to dominate my tank, but not overly aggressively. It goes after the lawnmower blenny (similar feeding habits), but never hurts it. It never bothered my diamond goby. My biggest meany in the tank is my yellow tang. It is finally mature and not nice to others. Kole was one of the first fish added when upgraded to a 210g. So it has been around a while.

Biggest issue I see is the sailfin and the hippo tang becoming too large for that system. JMO

I am hoping by then that I will have a much larger tank.

MamaLovesHerReefTank · Nov 3, 2016

technojunky101 said:
Turn lights off make sure you a keep kole different tank for week to get healthy if he makes the first 12 hours he will be OK they will fight but usually subsides quickly I have sailfin hippo yellow and naso and kole and they are fine. I have 300 but had same fish in 125 along with chevron and they were OK feed a lot they fight less when there is ample food.

The Kole will be going into quarantine for about 4 weeks to make sure it's eating and has no issues.

MamaLovesHerReefTank · Nov 3, 2016

happyhourhero said:
I have 4 blennies and a goby in with my Kole and it never bothers them at all.

This gives me hope that I can eventually get the starry blennie I want.

MamaLovesHerReefTank · Nov 3, 2016

eatbreakfast said:
Having other, dominant tangs in the tank will prevent that sort of the behavior from the kole. It will draw attention to him and make it seem like he is trying to usurp his place in the hierarchy, so one of your other tangs(whichever is the most dominant) will quickly come to put the kole back in his place.

Besides, koles taking issue with fish not shaped like them is an outlier rather than the norm.

Thank you for helping to calm my worries. Although the Kole is beautiful, I love my gobies and I don't want to risk losing them. They have been in the tank for almost a year and I never get tired of watching them. They make one heck of a mess with the sand at times (last 2 days they are taking a lot of sand from under all my rocks and making a bunch of hills that sometimes cover my zoas), they are very entertaining.