Adding a kole tang?

[Nick_Northern]

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

 

[Cliving1]

I think you would be fine to add the kole tang

 

[jayball]

My Kole tang has harassed my mandarin to death but the mandarin was added after the Kole was established. Every time it saw the mandrin out it would scrape the back of it with the comb teeth it has, I guess it tasted good. (he also bullied an algae blennie till he died)

I would recommend against personally but you may get lucky.

 

[nereefpat]

I think it would be a good addition. It should be the last med/large fish you add.

I've seen kole tangs literally chase algae eating blennies and sand-sifting gobies out of tanks, but I hadn't heard of them bothering mandarins. That's interesting.

If you decide against the tang, there are plenty of wrasses to choose from.

 

[Nick_Northern]

My Kole tang has harassed my mandarin to death but the mandarin was added after the Kole was established. Every time it saw the mandrin out it would scrape the back of it with the comb teeth it has, I guess it tasted good. (he also bullied an algae blennie till he died)

I would recommend against personally but you may get lucky.

Thanks all for the feedback. I have to be honest this has put me off slightly, I wonder how much of this was due to the fact that the mandarin went in afterwards?

I can handle a bit of aggression between the other fish so long as I have time to remove the tang if it gets bad but i'm quite protective of the mandarin!