Kole tang Questions

[Whystler]

I have recently added a Kole Tang to my tank. I got a 5 inch specimen from my LFS. The tang has been there 2 weeks and was doing really well. She is nice and plump and eats voraciously.

I added her 5 days ago and she has settled in nicely. I have peppermint shrimp and a neon blue goby. The tang will go to both of them and just sit there like it wants to be cleaned.

My blue goby is tank raised and spent most of his life in a nano by himself and doesn't seem to be interested in any type of cleaning. He eats like a piggy when i feed everyone and spends most of his time perched in various spots in the tank just relaxing.

The peppermint shrimp let me hand feed them and I have never seen them clean anything except the ends of the feeder tongs. They also don't seem to be interested in cleaning the tang although he goes into their cave and kind of nudges his side towards them.

The LFS had a skunk cleaner in the tank with the tang and said she was always getting cleaned by it.

Should I add a skunk cleaner for the sole purpose of cleaning the tang? Should i just relax a bit and see if the peppermints or blue goby decide to take up the job?

Next question:

The tang is cleaning my rocks hard core. I have tried to supplement with some nori. Doesn't seem interested in it. I tried the clip and then i tried rubber band to a rock. The other fish nibble on it but the tang ignores it. The tang does however eat the frozen mysis and brine shrimp when i add it to the tonk. She goes crazy for the mysis especially.

Any other tricks for nori? Just keep trying?

 

[Breadman03]

I had one that ignored the nori for a few months, then discovered it one day and began eating it like it was candy.

 

[spieszak]

I wouldn't concern myself at all with the "cleaners cleaning"
Try different colors of nori. Just be sure you don't over do it, it can be a lot for your tank to handle.

 

[Whystler]

I wouldn't concern myself at all with the "cleaners cleaning"
Try different colors of nori. Just be sure you don't over do it, it can be a lot for your tank to handle.

Yeah, Your right i was just worried it is my first tang and all the ich and health issues that seem to surround tangs has me on edge. I also noticed it freaks out about poop. It cant get enough fish poop either....

 

[Breadman03]

Yeah, Your right i was just worried it is my first tang and all the ich and health issues that seem to surround tangs has me on edge. I also noticed it freaks out about poop. It cant get enough fish poop either....

Yeah, there's a thread all about Kole's and poop somewhere. It seems that they almost prefer the taste the second time around.

 

[Whystler]

Lol

Lol

:wildone:

I even posted in it like a month ago.... I didn't realize it was about Kole Tangs I was thinking of my neon goby then.

 

[MrTuskfish]

Yeah, Your right i was just worried it is my first tang and all the ich and health issues that seem to surround tangs has me on edge. I also noticed it freaks out about poop. It cant get enough fish poop either....

It sounds like you didn't quarantine your tang. If you're worried about ich, that's the way to solve it. If you don't us a QT with every fish and are worried....you should be. Ich, caught early in a QT, is no big deal.

 

[Whystler]

QT Kole Tang

QT Kole Tang

Everything i have read about Kole tangs says they don't do well in small QT tanks. My QT tank is a 10G So after it spent 2 weeks in a tank at my LFS that i trust a lot. With the owner watching it and the obvious healthy appearance of the fish. I think i would only do it harm placing it in a 20x10x12 tank with no real rock-work to graze and no room to swim.

True i am very paranoid since it went straight into the DT. That is why i have been watching it like a hawk.

I guess, I just want it to be as comfortable as possible. I believe that making a fish comfortable, unstressed, and well fed will allow the fish to resist disease and parasites. I might be misguided in the saltwater world but i have cured and prevented ich in the freshwater world by this method more so then any meds or chemical treatments. I have read tons of horror stories on marine ich though...

After thinking about it the last couple days... I think i am just trying to justify buying a skunk cleaner shrimp. Although i really don't "need" it.

UPDATE: It appears the blue goby has decided to act like a cleaner fish and now spends time swimming with the tang on his sides and perching on the sides of the tang when it pulls up to him. No idea if he is actually cleaning anything it looks more like they are hanging out.

 

[MrTuskfish]

Cleaners can't do anything with ich, the parasite is buried too deeply. If you won't get and use a bigger QT, I'd avoid tangs.

 

[rssjsb]

I believe that making a fish comfortable, unstressed, and well fed will allow the fish to resist disease and parasites. I might be misguided in the saltwater world but i have cured and prevented ich in the freshwater world by this method more so then any meds or chemical treatments.

Different beasts. I keep both FW and SW and techniques that are often used in freshwater tanks (raise temps and feed) aren't effective against marine ich.

I QTd my Kole in a 20-gallon long. They're shy, but if you put in some big pvc pipes, they're fine in there for the QT period.

 

[Whystler]

Cleaners can't do anything with ich, the parasite is buried too deeply. If you won't get and use a bigger QT, I'd avoid tangs.

:thumbsup: Agreed.

My DT can barely support this tang so i don't plan to purchase anymore unless I am doing a new bigger tank. In that case I will be sure to also look into a bigger QT tank. Honestly I didn't plan accordingly. In my original stock list all the fish could be QTed in a 10G.... :debi: Just goes to show you in this hobby plan and purchase bigger then you think you need.

Its been a week so far... Keep your fingers crossed...

 

[MondoBongo]

Yeah, Your right i was just worried it is my first tang and all the ich and health issues that seem to surround tangs has me on edge. I also noticed it freaks out about poop. It cant get enough fish poop either....

oh my god, i am so glad to hear it's not just mine!

i have watched him chase my yellow tang around and eat his poop as it was coming out of him. i almost puked. lol. that which has been seen cannot be unseen!

my yellow eyed kole will eat just about anything, i have been fortunate and not had many problems there. have you tried maybe soaking the nori in a garlic dip before putting it in the tank? i've heard that can help coax some picky eaters to pick up on something new.

as far as the cleaner shrimp goes i have one. most of my fish don't seem all that interested in getting cleaned by him, once in a while i will catch somebody getting a clean though. aside from the utilitarian aspect of having him clean, i think he's just cool to watch. he is always somewhere visible, usually up high. goes nuts during feeding time, and will even clean my hand when i'm working on the tank. he has an all around cool personality and nice coloration, so i am glad i have him.

my peppermint shrimp on the other hand usually hide all day long unless i feed.

in regards to QT, i picked up a complete 20 long setup from craigslist for like $40. now my kole tang was smaller than yours when i got him, around 3" total from lips to tail tip, but he seemed happy enough in there for his QT time. i also leave a big ball of algae in my QT tank. that way herbivores like tang have something fresh to munch on before they move to the DT.