Maybe the Best Hardworking Fish Ever... Love em!
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Crabs McJones
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This has to be my favorite fish. Such beautiful color, and personality. I hope to one day have a tank big enough to own oneMy Yellow Eye Kole is the best and my tank has never been cleaner!
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Birddog
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To be honest I don't know. I believe very much that the clown and the Kole will be fine. I added the Kole last and I have a Clarkii Clown pair that have ruled the tank for two years. They can be very aggressive and the Kole has actually seemed to mello them out. He has a great personality and is not aggressive with anyone else (I also have a single Bartlett Anthius, a Green Chromis and a Red Mandarin). Initially when the Kole was introduced to the tank about two months ago the clowns thought they would have a go at dominating the Kole, but he didn't put up with any of that... a few swipes of his tail armor and they immediately fell into line. Great personality... he runs to the glass when I enter the room and is always picking at the rock. Awesome fish!
Michael Llabona
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I'd say a 75 is the minimum for a single kole Tang.
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Birddog
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So Purples are that aggressive (mean)?
Skynyrd Fish
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Purples are aggressive at first then go about there business. Generally there the last tang or fish I add.
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Birddog
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OK.... thanks for a good laugh, that's one aggressive fish!
mckinney0171
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Had one til a week ago when my bristletooth finally did him in. Great fish
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Birddog
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Thanks so much for sharing as the thought has crossed my mind once, or maybe 20 times that a Purple Tang would be a nice addition. Now I think not, maybe a Yellow someday...
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My purple payed no attention to my CBB but he killed my Gold Rim tang in a few days. He got re-homed as a Gold Rim is my favorite tang.
Kole tangs are a much underappreciated tang!
Kole tangs are a much underappreciated tang!
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Any fish, including a Kole tang, develops its personality as it grows. Some fish are more territorial than others. I think a Kole can develop to be a sweetheart, but I think it's more common for it to develop a little personality over time, and it may even act like a jerk from time to time. My Kole is definitely more bossy than my yellow tang. Shape does not seem to matter. It will occasionally chase the flame hawkfish, Midas blenny, or vagabond butterfly just to show the tank inhabitants who's boss. No injuries, just a show of strength. I've only had this fish about 2-3 months, so it's small yet, between 3-4." If aggression gets worse as it gets older, I'll probably have to rehome it. For now, I have to agree. This is a great fish for a larger system. I love this fish! Great cleaner of algae. It's constantly eating any algae in the tank from rocks to sides of tank. So far, my Kole has not touched any red or green nori, and even the yellow coris and green wrasse eat the red nori algae! The Kole will eagerly take any frozen preparations of algae/sponge or meaty offerings. It started picking as soon as it was put in the tank!
Jeepguy242
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My Kole hides all day because of my brisletooth. He comes out at night and works
My lfs told me they would be ok together in a 125 but nope.
I should have done more research.
Still trying to catch the bristletooth
My lfs told me they would be ok together in a 125 but nope.
I should have done more research.
Still trying to catch the bristletooth
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Birddog
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Thanks for the post, very interesting that your Kole hasn't touched any red or green nori, and neither has mine. Like yours, my Kole devours any and all frozen preparations and started working the rock from the first moment it was placed in the tank. I had the beginnings of hair algae on approximately 30% of my LR and my Kole demolished all of it in short order. At this time my Kole is a sweetheart and was able to accomplish more than an army of a CUC could manage!
elisa h
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My kole tang (Kirby) is my favorite fish! The only fish he was aggressive to was my flame angel who was added a month after him. But he left her alone after a day or two. Mine also won't eat nori.
jlanger
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Kole Tangs are a must for me. I've kept at least one of them in every reef tank that I've had set up; tank size appropriate.
I agree that they're very underrated!
If you're looking for similar tank mates, I kept my Kole Tang with a Lemonpeel Mimic Tang, a One Spot Foxface and a Scribbled Rabbitfish. Those four fish would cruise the tank together looking for any sign of algae to eat. My tank was dang near spotless!!!
I agree that they're very underrated!
If you're looking for similar tank mates, I kept my Kole Tang with a Lemonpeel Mimic Tang, a One Spot Foxface and a Scribbled Rabbitfish. Those four fish would cruise the tank together looking for any sign of algae to eat. My tank was dang near spotless!!!
