LA/DD Kole Tang

[firemountain]

Looking to buy a Kole Tang from LA. Has anyone purchased this fish from them, and if so, how was the health of the fish?

I am asking because I recently read in another section on RC, that they acquired velvet from them. I was also unaware that they run low level copper, and I know that Tangs are notorious for acquiring Ich. Hence I will be running the fish through the TTM. But... I am more concerned about the Velvet.

I currently have a Gold Assessor in QT that I bought from LA, and the fish is doing great!! One more round of Prazipro and he will get moved into my DT.

Any input would be greatly appreciated.

 

[gone fishin]

I got a Kole from LA a year or year half ago. Came in fine went through QT fine. He has since grown and roams the tank.

 

[Nina51]

same here, i've had mine for several months and he's a rock star. no, really, a rock star! he keeps my rocks picked clean.

mine developed lympho while he was in qt and after ttm. i started soaking his food in vitamins and it cleared up quickly. he's very tame, eats out of my hand.

i think kole tangs are a bit hardier as far as their resistance to disease compared to other tangs. i'd say go for it.

i looked at the one at LA. mine is a much deeper purple which makes the yellow ring around his eyes really stand out!

 

[firemountain]

ideally I would like to have one that is more purple like yours Nina. Been reading on the Kole Tang here for the past day. I was hoping that you would respond because I know what you went through with your Kole. While they do darken up as they get older, I would much rather see it in the Divers Den section where it's an exact photo.

I am going to call them to get more info. on the Kole....maybe they can tell me more than what described if they put a request into the housing facility. They did that for me when I bought my Gold Assessor from them.

The only ther thing that stinks for me, is that I normally seed a sponge filter in my DT's sump for a minimum of 6 weeks for when I do the TTM. Right now I am only at 1 week. Even though I add Prime, I feel better know that my seeded sponge is used and has some good bio in it.
I have been looking for a Kole locally now for a while, and they just don't show up.

Hmmm.... Decisions decisions.

 

[Nina51]

this is him in qt, just a couple of days after he arrived. he wasn't bashful for very long. you can see his coloring was much more subdued. i figured it was due to stress from being shipped, etc.
<a href="http://s6.photobucket.com/user/Ninapearl/media/TANK/koletang_zps0e17f76c.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y203/Ninapearl/TANK/koletang_zps0e17f76c.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo koletang_zps0e17f76c.jpg"/></a>

this is him now. i remember that after i started feeding food soaked in selcon and/or vita-chem, his color changed dramatically to the deep purple. he was trying to figure out how to get to the mysis that was under the dome. duh!
<a href="http://s6.photobucket.com/user/Ninapearl/media/TANK/brain_zps59d4e400.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y203/Ninapearl/TANK/brain_zps59d4e400.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo brain_zps59d4e400.jpg"/></a>

i think you'd be fine with the specimen LA is offering. i doubt their fish get fed the variety that we feed our tanks and they probably don't get any supplements. i suspect both of those things go a long way in helping our fish adjust.

 

[jjk_reef00]

LA has great (even if not from DD), most of my fish have come from there.
I wouldn't hesitate to order from them.
With that being said you should QT all new fish becasue there is always a chance a new fish will come in with disease.
I've had fish come in from various retailers and have delt with a variety of diseases (including velvet) but my display is disease free because I properly QT all my fish.
Go for it, Kole tangs are fairly hardy from what I read.

 

[firemountain]

this is him in qt, just a couple of days after he arrived. he wasn't bashful for very long. you can see his coloring was much more subdued. i figured it was due to stress from being shipped, etc.


this is him now. i remember that after i started feeding food soaked in selcon and/or vita-chem, his color changed dramatically to the deep purple. he was trying to figure out how to get to the mysis that was under the dome. duh!


i think you'd be fine with the specimen LA is offering. i doubt their fish get fed the variety that we feed our tanks and they probably don't get any supplements. i suspect both of those things go a long way in helping our fish adjust.

Nina...Big difference in color from when you 1st got him to after he adjusted. I spoke with LA and they said the Kole Tang is a fish they get in often. They are wild caught, and if they see one that stands out from the rest, then it goes into the DD. he also indicated that it's tough for them to determine if the fish is a slow growing adult or a quick growing juvenile.

 

[jlanger]

I recommend purchasing your Kole Tang from the Diver's Den section.
The fish are given a more thorough acclimation process and are observed with more scrutiny. I think that this extra attention is very valuable in the health and success of any fish.
Live Aquaria, as a whole, is still one of the better places to order livestock.

Here's my Kole Tang that I picked up from the Diver's Den section about three years ago.
This photo is very recent and the colors are pretty incredible on these fish.

<a href="http://s32.photobucket.com/user/jason_langer/media/120gal%20Reef/KoleTang2-OCT2014.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d4/jason_langer/120gal%20Reef/KoleTang2-OCT2014.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo KoleTang2-OCT2014.jpg"/></a>

 

[anbosu]

I have one from regular LA - great fish, great condition.

 

[Nina51]

gorgeous fish, jason!

got mine from LA (not DD). while i agree that DD fish are probably *slightly* more desirable, i wouldn't hesitate to buy from LA if it was something i really wanted.

The only ther thing that stinks for me, is that I normally seed a sponge filter in my DT's sump for a minimum of 6 weeks for when I do the TTM. Right now I am only at 1 week. Even though I add Prime, I feel better know that my seeded sponge is used and has some good bio in it.
I have been looking for a Kole locally now for a while, and they just don't show up.

i don't have a permanent qt, mine is set up on an "as needed" basis. i have 2 ten gallon tanks i use for ttm and then i do a 4 week observation period. the sponges are nice but not necessarily needed as long as you monitor ammonia and do a small water change every couple of days. you won't have enough build up of ammonia during ttm as long as you don't have him in a goldfish bowl.

i used prime and did a couple of gallons w/c every other day or so during the observation period. easy peasy!

 

[firemountain]

gorgeous fish, jason!

got mine from LA (not DD). while i agree that DD fish are probably *slightly* more desirable, i wouldn't hesitate to buy from LA if it was something i really wanted.



i don't have a permanent qt, mine is set up on an "as needed" basis. i have 2 ten gallon tanks i use for ttm and then i do a 4 week observation period. the sponges are nice but not necessarily needed as long as you monitor ammonia and do a small water change every couple of days. you won't have enough build up of ammonia during ttm as long as you don't have him in a goldfish bowl.

i used prime and did a couple of gallons w/c every other day or so during the observation period. easy peasy!

I have a pair of 10g tanks I use for the TTM as well. From what I understand, Prime binds up the toxic ammonia, but doesn't take of free ammonium. Anyway....I guess it's just my OCD about wanting a good seeded sponge for peace of mind. But I know it's not really nessary.

Jlanger did confirm what the DD said.....they go through an entire regiment that the LA doesn't. While not a HUGE deal in the grand scheme of things, I also like that the DD section has the "pick of the litter".

I am quite tempted to pull the trigger on the white tail bristle tooth in the DD section, but 300 beans is a lot in comparison to a Kole, and while its a prittier fish, not sure it's worth an extra $250

 

[firemountain]

I recommend purchasing your Kole Tang from the Diver's Den section.
The fish are given a more thorough acclimation process and are observed with more scrutiny. I think that this extra attention is very valuable in the health and success of any fish.
Live Aquaria, as a whole, is still one of the better places to order livestock.

Here's my Kole Tang that I picked up from the Diver's Den section about three years ago.
This photo is very recent and the colors are pretty incredible on these fish.

<a href="http://s32.photobucket.com/user/jason_langer/media/120gal%20Reef/KoleTang2-OCT2014.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d4/jason_langer/120gal%20Reef/KoleTang2-OCT2014.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo KoleTang2-OCT2014.jpg"/></a>

Wow!! That is a BEAUTIFUL Kole!! Yes... You are right....the DD fish are worth the wait. With my tank being on the small side, I can't house as many fish, thus would like to be more selective on my fish purchase.

 

[Nina51]

you have more patience than i do! but hey, if you wanna wait for a kole to come up in DD, that's what you should do.

I have a pair of 10g tanks I use for the TTM as well. From what I understand, Prime binds up the toxic ammonia, but doesn't take of free ammonium. Anyway....I guess it's just my OCD about wanting a good seeded sponge for peace of mind. But I know it's not really nessary.

exactly and that's why i do the water changes. i always have saltwater mixed up and stored in a 30g brute can so changing out a couple of gallons takes me all of 2 minutes.

 

[firemountain]

you have more patience than i do! but hey, if you wanna wait for a kole to come up in DD, that's what you should do.



exactly and that's why i do the water changes. i always have saltwater mixed up and stored in a 30g brute can so changing out a couple of gallons takes me all of 2 minutes.

I always have 25g of saltwater premixed and stored on hand as well. I like the idea of just draining a few gallons here and there....added security to combat any ammonia. I think I am gonna start employing that method going forward. Thanks!!

 

[Nina51]

it has worked well for me. also, i feed my fish (both qt and dt) from a syringe. they quickly learn to suck food out of the end so very little, if any, settles on the bottom. when i do water changes in my qt, i just use a gallon pitcher to dip the old out and pour the new in. it couldn't be any easier. i have never seen my ammonia alert badge indicate any ammonia at all.

mind you, i have only qt'ed one fish at a time. if you do more than 1 or 2, ammonia might be a concern if your qt isn't cycled.

 

[firemountain]

I have read a bunch of others feeding from a syringe as well. Sounds easy and a good way to control feeding. My tank gets a lot of flow...even with the returns off, so I don't get too much food that settles to the bottom.

I am with you on quarantining....one fish at a time. And the Ammonia Badge is also a good safety measure....worth the 10 bucks for an indicator alert.