Adding a kole tang - should I do it??

Claus84

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 10, 2017
Messages
476
Reaction score
306
Location
Redditch, United Kingdom
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Hi all,

My LFS has a nice plump little (2.5”) kole tang in at the mo and I am considering adding it to my 90 reef. I have read they can turn into jerks and don’t want to risk the health of my other livestock so wanted to get some opinions on compatibility first.

Tanks is 90g plus sump (48x18x24) with around 120lbs of rock, it’s been running for about 18months and there is plenty of algae to graze on. Tankmates are:
· Flame angel (2”)
· Mandarin
· Male banggai cardinal
· 2 x common clowns

I was not planning on adding much else except maybe an orchid dottyback in future. All my other fish are captive bred so I am on the fence about whether to buy this, the thing that’s making me consider it is that there is a distinct lack of movement in my tank at times. The flame can be seen weaving its way through the rocks as they do, the banggai hangs in one spot mostly, the clowns are always out of sight either behind a big finger leather or in a corner near the overflow and the mandarin is a mandarin, stunning but fairly cryptic so it would seem like a nice active, open swimmer like the tang would fill a niche.

Thoughts appreciated

Cheers

Nick
 

Labridaedicted

Wrassetastic
View Badges
Joined
Jul 22, 2016
Messages
1,798
Reaction score
2,608
Location
North Jersey
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
There is the possibility of it becoming aggressive, but that possibility exists with all tangs. I would suspect it should be fine with your current stock. That being said, every fish has its own personality, so YMMV. I just had to pull a different kind of ctenochaetus out of my reef since it was bullying wrasses and gobies (what the heck?).

I think you'll be fine especially since he's one of the last fish going in.
 

eatbreakfast

Fish Nerd
View Badges
Joined
Oct 21, 2013
Messages
14,837
Reaction score
16,233
Location
CT
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
There is the possibility of it becoming aggressive, but that possibility exists with all tangs. I would suspect it should be fine with your current stock. That being said, every fish has its own personality, so YMMV. I just had to pull a different kind of ctenochaetus out of my reef since it was bullying wrasses and gobies (what the heck?).

I think you'll be fine especially since he's one of the last fish going in.
I completely agree with this.
 

KJoFan

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 27, 2011
Messages
1,860
Reaction score
1,254
Location
MN
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I added a Kole tang to my tank that had a Potter's Angel already. The Potter's took him to school the first couple days but now the tables have turned and the Kole chases away anything he thinks shouldn't be there. The Potter's, clowns, wrasses, etc.

I wouldn't call it overt aggression at this point, but I am watching it. I don't need a bully in the tank, but also hate to remove him.
 

Deinonych

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 10, 2013
Messages
585
Reaction score
552
Location
Austin, TX
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Mine was a jerk when I first added him to the tank nearly three years ago. He's pretty mellow now, and hangs out with my foxface most of the time. Only fish he chases now and then is my Tailspot Blenny. The blenny couldn't care less, and in fact seems to bait the Kole every now and then. Mine hasn't grown much at all since introduction. He's about 4" right now.
 
OP
OP
C

Claus84

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 10, 2017
Messages
476
Reaction score
306
Location
Redditch, United Kingdom
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Thanks all. I know every fish is different behaviourally but I'm wondering generally when you see aggression from the tang is it extreme (e.g. slicing with scalpels) or pecking and general bullying. In other words if I tried it and the tang turned out to be a bully am I likely to have time to react and trap it before it does any fatal damage?
 

SPR1968

No, it wasn’t expensive dear....
View Badges
Joined
Feb 21, 2017
Messages
20,028
Reaction score
124,588
Location
Nottinghamshire England
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I’ve got a yellow tang, Regal Tang, Blue/purple tang, Flame Angel, Blue Throat Triggers and numerous other similar fish.

I added a beautiful Kole yellow eyed tang about 2 inches around 6 weeks ago and apart from a bit of initial bullying from mainly my coral beauty, he has settled in very well and doesn’t show any aggression whatsoever to any of the other inhabitants. Well at the moment he doesn’t!

I know things can change but he doesn’t seem to bother any of the other fish and seems to be very friendly just minding his own business.
 

Labridaedicted

Wrassetastic
View Badges
Joined
Jul 22, 2016
Messages
1,798
Reaction score
2,608
Location
North Jersey
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Thanks all. I know every fish is different behaviourally but I'm wondering generally when you see aggression from the tang is it extreme (e.g. slicing with scalpels) or pecking and general bullying. In other words if I tried it and the tang turned out to be a bully am I likely to have time to react and trap it before it does any fatal damage?
You'll almost surely have time to trap. Mine never tried to scalpel that I saw, but he bullied my wrasses into hiding at the top of the tank and divebombed my shrimp goby every time he poked his head out of the burrow. Bullied the wrasses so bad that they wouldn't eat.

Again, mine was a white tail, not a kole, but same genus. It's one of those situations where you'll have to try and see how it goes. Some Ctenochaetus are model citizens, others.... not so much.
 

KJoFan

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 27, 2011
Messages
1,860
Reaction score
1,254
Location
MN
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Thanks all. I know every fish is different behaviourally but I'm wondering generally when you see aggression from the tang is it extreme (e.g. slicing with scalpels) or pecking and general bullying. In other words if I tried it and the tang turned out to be a bully am I likely to have time to react and trap it before it does any fatal damage?
Pretty certain you'd have time to react. I'm sure it can happen, but I wouldn't foresee the Kole just suddenly losing it's mind one day and going on a killing spree. Seems like most people that have chimed in here, including myself see some basically harmless games of chase going on. Mine is kind of just a hoarder of whatever space he thinks is his (or hers?) and chases anyone off that comes into his "space". And will zip after some other unsuspecting fish trying to mind it's own business, but that's all it is, chasing.

The only time I saw him trying to use his scalpel was when he was initially introduced and trying to fend off the Potter's Angel. They both survived without mishap so I don't think either one is too dangerous. Hopefully not famous last words. :)
 

Labridaedicted

Wrassetastic
View Badges
Joined
Jul 22, 2016
Messages
1,798
Reaction score
2,608
Location
North Jersey
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I've decided to go for it, reserved the Kole and asked my LFS to get me a tank bred orchid dotty. Going to QT them both together and add them as my last 2 fish.

Thanks for the advice
Great! They're awesome fish! Let us know how yours behaves
 

Deinonych

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 10, 2013
Messages
585
Reaction score
552
Location
Austin, TX
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Koles can get aggressive when there is too much competition within their ecological niche. Aside from blenny, the only other herbivore in my tank is the foxface. The Kole and the foxface have very different feeding habits. The Kole is constantly picking at the rocks and walls of the tank, whereas the foxface tends to go for more filamentous types of algae. The blenny has similar feeding habits to the Kole, hence the aggression from time to time. The rest of my fish are carnivores: three wrasses, a chromis, a firefish, a royal gramma and a mated clownfish pair. The female clownfish keeps EVERYONE in check, so I suppose that helps too. :)
 
Back
Top