Troublemaker kole tang

[WaReefer458]

I have a 40 gal tank with a good amount of rock and hiding spots. My issue is I added a small blenny, diamond goby, and cleaner shrimp in the last week and so far everything was going good. I have noticed the kole tang has been chasing my goby into his cave every time he comes out to sift the sand, my blenny hides in the rock all the time for the same reason I'm guessing, and now he is nipping at my cleaner shrimp. I've never had a tang be so much of a menace. It's a gorgeous fish that fits well in the tank but I'm afraid I need to get rid of him now as I don't want him harassing all my other fish. It's weird to me as he leaves my clownfish and single chromis alone but picks on the other fish. It's only the algae eaters he harasses and they were added after he was in the tank a couple weeks. Would isolating him in another tank a few days and reinserting him help or is that a common issue with this breed of tang? I'd like some feedback as I am real close to returning him to my lfs and buying a tomini tang.

 

[stingeragent]

What size tang? Unless it's very small your tank is too small, hence the aggression. Either way, if it is small, it's gonna need a larger tank soon. Unless you have plans in the future, and by plans, I mean actual plans to get a larger tank, I wouldn't bother with tangs. I had a 1.5 in hippo in my 40 for about 7 months and he did fine but I did have a solid plan in place to upgrade to a 6ft tank which I did do. If that is not in your future, I would look for a different fish.

 

[ndrwater]

I have an A-hole Kole Tang too. Same scenario with yours regarding my blennie etc... My solution, after trying to catch him for a week with no luck was adding 5 yellows all at once. He didn't know who to chase first..
Now, in a 40 gallon like yours, I think I'd just catch him and go with the Tomini.I also have a Tommini and he has always Ben a model citizen.
Fish at like people though, they all have a personality. Seems your Kole and mine are twins..

 

[WaReefer458]

The kole is about 2" long. Looking at the growth size of all the tangs I decided a Kole or tomini were my only options as they max at 6-7" long. The game plan is to eventually get a 180 but that will not be an option until we purchase a home as I do not want to have to break it down and move it. I had a 75 for years and after moving it 4-5 times I said screw it and decided to do a 40 as it will be easy to move when we buy a house. Then it can be my daughters tank.

 

[Robert M]

My Kole is an a-hole as well. Started out trying to bully my yellow coris wrasse and my flame angel. They pay no attention to him and just swim away. Then he focused on his reflection... He hates that guy! Lots of puffing, shaking and posturing. He's calmed down the past few days. We shall see.

 

[stingeragent]

Not trying to be the police or anything, but you can't rule out tank size as it relates to fish aggression. Damsels, which IMHO are the devils of the saltwater world have been housed peacefully in 100G + tanks ( Sk8r ). Just something to consider.

 

[WaReefer458]

I know my limitations. I was just always a fan of tangs in my 75. I'd like to have another vlamingy someday but I know in a 40 that isn't even an option. I was just leaning toward a smaller tang as a "cruiser" in the tank. All my current fish just kinda pick a spot and chill. Was thinking maybe a small potters wrasse but once again they get quite large. So if no tang at all what are my recommendations from fellow reefers for a good show fish that won't decimate my sps?

 

[thegrun]

Kole Tangs are generally mild mannered, except when it comes to Gobies since many are primarily algae eaters and they compete for the same foods. Even when the golby is not an algae eater, their body shape seems to put Kole tangs in a fighting mode. Your small tank with lack of escape room does not help the situation.

 

[Robert M]

Funny thing is my Tang has never even looked at my watchman goby sideways.

 

[WaReefer458]

so..... after all the harassment on my diamond goby. he finally jumped thru my top and dried up on the floor. So after going into my LFS and talking with the guy about it he didnt really know what to say so I thought maybe id be ok if I just got a bigger goby. Walked out with a HUGE tiger shrimp goby and tossed him in. within seconds my tang started mad dogging him and harassing him. he was fine all night but started acting all crazy and swimming back and forth at the top of the tank. After inspection the tang bit most of his tail off... so after all said and done I ripped the whole tank apart and the tang is gone... never again... not really sure what to use for a centerpiece fish but it will not be a tang.

 

[e048]

if you dont have sps or clams go for a coral beauty or a flame angel

my kole is little a-hole he chases everything and everyone, when i put in a new cleaner shrimp he even chased that sucker around...

I love him to death but he is a little brat

 

[saf1]

Surprised it is living well in a 40. A young Kole Tang is on the smaller side with slow growth they are very active swimmers. I'm actually surprised it is even doing well outside the aggression.

Aggression is probably due to tank size, space, and food source. Kole tangs are constant grazers on everything. Glass, rocks, corals, plumbing, what have you. Any fish or invert that behaves similar, well, the kole tang is going to teach it a lesson.

40 breeders have a good foot print, I have one, but I would never add a tang to a tank that size. Any tang. Unless the tank is a dedicated QT and that is the only purpose it serves.

 

[WaReefer458]

He had killer color to him and looked good in the tank but after removing him you could tell the balance has been restored. Never used to see my bicolor blenny and now he is out all the time. Talking with my lfs guy he recommended some sort of wrasses for some cruiser fish but I'm on the hesitant side as I've heard they will go after shrimp. Not really sure what to do at this point. I'm a total tang guy but it's apparent that isn't going to happen. As I have mainly sps in the tank he told me to put in a flame angel saying its a 50/50 shot if it will screw with my corals or not but after this fiasco I'm kinda gunshy about ANY new additions. The tank only has a bicolor blenny, 1 chromis, 2 small Darwin clowns, and a cleaner shrimp. No fish that really cruise around and can be easily seen. I'd like to put another diamond goby in there as I shouldn't have problems now but I don't think my other half wants the stress of adding another possible jumper.

 

[Saltydrip]

I had issues with a Kole tang in my 75. He killed off all my other algae eaters. Once there was no other food competition he totally chilled out and became a modle citizen. I added a yellow tang and the got along swimmingly but any other algae munched was the enemy.

 

[toothybugs]

Diamond gobies are known leapers, fwiw. A bigger goby might not make a lick of difference in leaping due to bullying - they jump just because they can.

 

[WaReefer458]

Yeah we came to the mutual agreement that we are done with gobies. Gonna probably add a couple wrasses in a couple weeks and call it good. I like running a higher fish load but I've come to realize you get more conflicts between fish in a smaller tank. I like the idea of a flame angel but the 50-50 shot of it eating my sps really turns me off about it.