Finicky Kole Tang

[FishFinder]

Hi all,

I was wondering if you all could help me with my Yellow-eye Kole tang. I've had him about a month or so. He is a pretty cool fish. He lives in my 125G Reef Tank with a Regal, Yellow Tang, Mimic Tang, Clown and some other smaller fish.

I've been having a very difficult time trying to find some food that he will eat. All my other Tangs eat Julian Springs Sea Veggies - Green Seaweed (Porphyra yezoensis), but for reason my Kole won't eat it. He will sometimes swim up to it and look like he will eat it, but never does. I have also tried to give him Krill soaked in Garlic and Red Seaweed. The other tangs will eat the Krill, but not him. He does like to pick at the rocks and stuff, but I honestly don’t think there is enough food on the rocks for him to eat. He also likes to eat off the glass that has a very limited amount of algae on it.

So my question is what do you all feed your tangs and what else do you recommend I try to feed mine?

Thanks in advance for your knowledge and guidance.

[rayme07]

Hi Dave1NC I normaly feed my tang nori (sheets of sea weed), flake food, pellets, and once in a wile frozen brine shrimp. I hope this helps if not some one who specalizes in tangs will chime in soon. :)

[lReef lKeeper]

try the green seaweed selects from a LFS. my tangs use to tear that stuff up. i have yet to find a tang that will eat the red/purple stuff.

also try adding a few drops of garlic extract to the seaweed selects. i use to dice up a clove of garlic and throw it in the package that the seaweed selects comes in. the seaweed soaks up the garlic juices and my tangs LOVED it. the seaweed never lasted more than a few minutes.

[FishFinder]

I believe the seaweed selects and the sea veggies are the same thing... green seaweed. I like your idea about adding garlic though. I forgot to mention that I attach it to a seaweed clip. I realize Tangs are caught out in the open sea and don't eat off clips, but typically once one starts eating it, the others usually follow.

I'll try to the garlic method to see if that entices him. Thanks Bobby.

[Jace]

Best of luck to you with your tangs. Id really like to try to get a Brown powder tang in my 75 :) thatd be cool

[rayme07]

brown powder tangs are butiful fish. I like the powder blues to. I dont remeber the tank limit on those though I would have to check anyways good luck with the adding the garlic Dave1NC.

[FishFinder]

I don't know if this is related, but this Kole is a very restless fish. It is 11:00 PM and he just swims up and down. I never see any other fish doing this.

[Jace]

My clown does that too. And Ray I bealeive the minimium for a brown is 70gals if im correct :)

[rayme07]

just checked it out it said 75 gallons your size tank so I think you could do it if you wanted to. :agree:

[Jace]

ahh cool ;)

[FishFinder]

I soaked it in garlic and they are all eating now. The Yellow Tang isn't happy about the Kole eating from the same clip so I may need to setup 2 smaller clips so they all can eat.

Thanks for all your help!

[Jace]

Congrats. Glad to here your tank is doing good maybe you could be kind to us and post some pics :)?

[rayme07]

what jace said :thumbs:

[lReef lKeeper]

ha ha haaaa !! tricks of the trade.

:party:

[Jace]

lol hahaha

[temperhead]

did you use the extract or real garlic?
i am having the same problems w/ my kole

[rayme07]

You can use ether. I normally use real garlic for my fish. Which ever suits you.

[saltaddict]

try the green seaweed selects from a LFS. my tangs use to tear that stuff up. i have yet to find a tang that will eat the red/purple stuff..

My tangs only eat the red, brown and purple dried seaweed - they won't touch the Green!!

Mine also love brine and mysis shrimp soaked in Zoe.