Opinions on Kole tangs

[Toledofishguy]

Looking to get a yellow-eyed Kole tang next month. Can any offer me their experiences & opinions on this species?

[petoonia]

I have one, it was a great addition to the tank. It's very active, always grazing on the live rock, and it eats like a pig. I would definitely recomend a Kole Tang.

Im assuming its for your 120G, I have mine in a 75G. I would eventullay like to upgrade I think it would enjoy more swimming space.

[thor32766]

This is probably one of the most underrated fish in the hobby. Great fish, hardy, active and great colors ecspecially in person. get one!

[A sea K]

All good here with one exception, My Kole absolutely hates my LMB!!! I know they are food competitors but they are so dissimilar I never thought there would be a problem, I thought wrong.

[snommisbor]

They are so much better looking in person. Mine is buddies with everyone. Swims with Foxface, Bluejaw Trigger, probably my favorite fish.

[Gem Tang Rider]

Have you looked into a blue eyed kole tang?

[Dakota Reef]

Mine chases my Blenny too. And even thats very briefly. I think the bristle tooth tangs do a great job. My Purple Tang and Naso are pretty to look at but the only algae I see them graze anymore is from the nori clip. The Kole is always working over the rocks, substrate and glass.

[yiliyang]

When I bought my saltwater setup last year, the yellow eyed kole died 3 days after the move when all the other fishes made it. I am not sure how hardy they are. I wish mine had lived. Good luck with yours.

[Toledofishguy]

Thanks. I have had several people tell me they are more attractive in person. I cant wait to get it ordered and into QT.

[handapanda]

prugs - do you have the scientific name of the blue eye kole tang? I'd like to know more about them.

[Tate]

They truly are wonderful and look awesome in person. Pics on the net you'll find don't do them justice. They are also constantly grazing - like an aquarium mountain goat or something.

[Blazer88]

The blue-eyed Kole, or Ctenochaetus binotatus, is also called the Two-Spot Tang. Great fish though, I think them better than a Kole since they are much less common. Here's a pic of mine:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v67/rparchen/Fish%20Tank/Fish/_MG_3642.jpg

[1swtlx]

Highly recommend a Kole. Great activity, constant grazer and overall non-aggressive. or at least my kole is not aggressive anyway....

[Doug]

I have had two Kole tangs over the years and they were both great fish. Very peaceful fish.

[jnb]

love my kole - he briefly darts towards the black blenny many times a day - I think the blenny considers it a game - chomps algae all day - sort of comical

[fermaster]

Mine nips my T. derasa and montipora digitata despite heavy feeding. I couldn't believe it until I saw it.

[jmccown]

Agreed, they are very colorful and active. Look much better in person. Pics just do not do this fish justice. I just added one last week.

[Gary Majchrzak]

All Bristletooth Tangs are underrated, IMO.
Most of them don't like Lawnmower Blennies because they're competitors for the same foods.
Make sure to check out the Tomini "Flame Fin" Bristletooth Tang.

[RightWinger210]

Kole Tangs are peaceful, small, and fairly hardy, along with a big appetite, IMO, they have fantastic colors and patterns, too. Also one of the smaller tangs requiring minimum 75 gals, which is basically the smallest tank if you want tangs. Def. a great buy if you want it

[Toledofishguy]

Well, I pulled the trigger this weekend and grabbed a 3 inch Kole tang. It is an awesome fish. Zooming around my QT tank.

[JokerGirl]

I absolutely love my Kole Tang. Mine was saved from petco, but that's another story.

Anyways... mine is constantly grazing, has pretty well rid me of my hair algae, is rather pretty. My only negative comment is that it's as dumb as a doornail, but most tangs are or so I've heard.

http://img122.imageshack.us/img122/7154/img3491jh8.jpg

[Kahuna Tuna]

Here's my binotatus, the blue eye kole. I love the bristletooths, they are very good algae and detritus feeders plus they stay small and are pretty mellow for a tang.

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/1583two_spot_tang.jpg

[sj miller guy]

What's everyone feeding their Kole?

I've had mine for a week now and he wont eat anything I've tried. I've offered prime reef flakes, Omega one veggie flakes, emerald entree, brine shrimp, and the Oceanic sea weed sheets on a clip. All on their own and also soaked in garlic guard (especially since he had some ick). He won't touch a thing, he just grazes.

I was talking to a guy in a LFS in Savannah about it and they have one in their coral tank and they never feed him and he's doing great.

I'm just not sure what to think.

[JokerGirl]

Mine WOULD NOT eat any prepared foods for about a month after I got him. It's just going to take some time. If you have plenty of algae in your tank, it should be fine until it starts taking prepared foods.

[sj miller guy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9925674#post9925674 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by JokerGirl
Mine WOULD NOT eat any prepared foods for about a month after I got him. It's just going to take some time. If you have plenty of algae in your tank, it should be fine until it starts taking prepared foods.

I hope I have enough for him. He also pics off the glass too so I'm guessing he should have enough. I guess I will just keep trying.

Thanks for the info.

[fishyz]

I don't have a kole, but I do have a striped bristletooth tang. It is my favorite fish which I have ever owned. I feed her mysis, nori, and new life spectrum marine fish formula. You can't go wrong with any of the bristletooth tangs, you won't be disappointed!

[Toledofishguy]

Mine has been in QT for a week. Eating Nori like a champ and picking at veggie flakes and omega one. I havent tried mysis yet.

[reefer_for_life]

if your still having trouble getting your kole to eat you might try taking a small piece of rock, drilling a hole thru it, tie some small diameter fishing line to it and rubber banding your nori sheet to it. i think its a little more natural for them to graze that way, than from a clip, and with the fishing line make sure you make it long enough to come out of the tank, that way you can just raise and lower it at feeding time and never even get your hands. i fed a powder blue for years that way. hope this helps.

[Toledofishguy]

2 weeks into QT my Kole passed this morning. I noticed 2 days ago he wasnt eating. I tried nori, veggie flakes, regular flakes & pellets, mysis, cyclopeeze. Nothing. I wouldnt say he was a voracious eater at all in the 2 weeks. I only saw him eat the nori. He was breathing heavy yesterday so I did a 20% water change. When I woke up this morning he was dead on the bottom of the tank. I'll try another one, maybe I just got a bad fish. My water parameters were all great.