Kole Tang QUARANTINE

[fishyman12]

So my kole tang arrived from liveaquaria last week and has been in QT for 6 days i tried feeding it algae sheets but to no avail. I was wondering if it would be better to put him into the DT now in order to Give him a natural food source? He shows no signs of ich.

[qfrisco]

It's always a gamble, but a minimum of 2 weeks would be even better. You're halfway there! Just my guess, but if it won't eat algae sheets in your QT, it probably won't eat that well in the DT either.

Have you tried soaking the algae sheets in garlic extract? It might make it more appetizing.

Does it look otherwise healthy in your QT? No ammonia? Is it actively swimming?

[jcw]

that's the hardest part about quarantining.

(And why I go to the considerable trouble of maintaining a fully cycled tank with live rock, powerheads, and filters for my "quarantine." But saying that doesn't help you any at this point.)


it is my belief that my dt is more important to me than a new addition. even if it is a $250 Genicanthus angel that I recently bought.

breaking protocol to me is just not worth it anymore.



but obviously everyone has to make their own decision.

I suppose you could sacrifice a piece of live rock in the QT. But that might not work either.


Just to throw something out there...

I recently tried a frozen whole clam that SkullV gave me. The thing smelled VERY strong (not rotten, just strong), but the feeding response was better than any other food I've used. Better than cyclops, brine, blackworms, rods, and a variety of other frozen foods.

[Lynnmw1208]

try feeding NLS pellets. my kole tang went gaga for them. Although I didn't QT mine as I heard that they have a really difficult time in QT. I got mine from a store though who has great husbandry. It might take awhile for your tang to recognize that what you are sticking in there is actually algae. Mine didn't notice until my cleaner shrimp was picking at it and pieces were floating by.

[aleonn]

Are your algae sheets mounted on a veggie clip? My tangs were always scared of those clips at first. Maybe try rubberbanding the sheets on a rock. Soaking the sheets in garlic may also stimulate its appetite. I also like the NLS pellets, as my Kole went for that (as well as PE mysis) before the algae sheets.

[Curious George]

I am right there with you brother. I just got a Tomini and he has been in QT for the past 4 days and won't eat. I am treating with Cupramine and Prazi. I had the same thought about tossing him into the DT, but I CAN'T. The risk of upsetting the balance of the DT and wiping out my 3 other fish with disease from a new addition is just not worth it. If he dies, he dies.

I would say keep the water clean and as stable an enviroment as possible with low light. Keep trying some different things; mysis, live brine shrimp, spiruline flake. Fingers crossed for you and do the same for me.

[sslak]

Other possibility -

You toss him into the display and he hides in the rocks never to be seen alive again.

If you can't get him to eat in QT, there's no promise the DT will make a difference. He may hide in a place that you can't even show him the food.

[aleonn]

My understanding is that cupramine may reduce the tang's natural gut flora and lead to loss of appetite. That may be the reason for him not eating in this case. I've also had appetite suppression with some tangs in QT when dosing Prazi-Pro. I'm not suggesting that you shouldn't medicate in QT, but it's just something to consider, based on my limited experience.

Originally Posted by Curious George

I am right there with you brother. I just got a Tomini and he has been in QT for the past 4 days and won't eat. I am treating with Cupramine and Prazi. I had the same thought about tossing him into the DT, but I CAN'T. The risk of upsetting the balance of the DT and wiping out my 3 other fish with disease from a new addition is just not worth it. If he dies, he dies.

I would say keep the water clean and as stable an enviroment as possible with low light. Keep trying some different things; mysis, live brine shrimp, spiruline flake. Fingers crossed for you and do the same for me.

[dg3147]

If it were me, I might gamble and put him in the DT. These guys like to swim a bit and may not fair well in a small QT.

[Amoore311]

If you can't get him to eat in QT, there's no promise the DT will make a difference. He may hide in a place that you can't even show him the food.

There is a huge promise of the fish turning around in the DT as opposed to the QT..... but it really depends on the situation.

I've pulled fish from QT early on 2 separate occasions, once for a Powder Blue tang that came in way too large for my QT. He wouldn't eat in the QT so I moved him to the display after 10 days. He had no signs of illness or anything to lead me to keep him in the QT longer. The next morning he was out and about eating off the rocks.

The second situation was a small group of lyretail anthias that I needed to move quickly do to some of my QT equipment failing on me.

I wouldn't do it all the time, but it's not the end of the world if you cut your QT process short and the fish looks ok.


For the OP Specifically, have you dosed anything in this tank prior? If you haven't used copper or anything, I would move a piece of live rock from the display to QT and see if he will pick at that. If he does, rubber band a piece of nori to the rock and see if that will get him eating. The 2 Kole tangs I've had myself would not eat off of anything but the rocks until they saw other fish hitting the nori clip in the display.

If that doesn't work, then you'll have to make the decision on what to do. Let the fish starve in the QT praying it will eat, or move him to the display and pray it isn't sick.


What kind of tank mates do you have in the display currenty, and what size display and QT are we talking about?

[Curious George]

My understanding is that cupramine may reduce the tang's natural gut flora and lead to loss of appetite. That may be the reason for him not eating in this case. I've also had appetite suppression with some tangs in QT when dosing Prazi-Pro. I'm not suggesting that you shouldn't medicate in QT, but it's just something to consider, based on my limited experience.

That would explain alot and I didn't know. Thanks for bringing that to my attention. Ironically, this morning I did a large water change and started to strip the water of copper. Hopefully he can maintain and gain an appetite with a little bit of time. RATS!!

[fishyman12]

I have a 55 DT and a 10 QT. I know... Small. But also now my fish has a white fleshy looking thing on his lip. Any idea what it could be?

[aleonn]

Do you have any photos by any chance? Also, during the QT process did you fresh water dip him to check for flukes?

You may want to check out the Fish disease and treatment forum. There are a few resident disease/treatment experts who may better diagnose your fish for you.

[fishyman12]

Hard to see, but look at his mouth. He hasnt been eating and I'm starting to think putting him in display tank would be best....

[fishyman12]

I have a clown and algae blenny so it is a very peaceful tank

[jcw]

Originally Posted by fishyman12

Hard to see, but look at his mouth. He hasnt been eating and I'm starting to think putting him in display tank would be best....

I would treat that fish asap.

He won't eat with mouth sores like that wherever he is.

[jbonez]

Kole tangs should not be treated with any copper meds it hurts them in the insides

[jcw]

Originally Posted by jbonez

Kole tangs should not be treated with any copper meds it hurts them in the insides

Do you have a reference to this?

[jbonez]

Kole Tang
Ctenochaetus strigosus


Copyright www.jjphoto.dk
The tang species Ctenochaetus strigosus is known under many different English names, such as Kole tang, Yellow eye kole tang, Yellow-eye tang, Goldeneye tang, Spotted surgeonfish, Bristletoothed surgeonfish, Goldring surgeonfish, Spotted surgeonfish, Slender-toothed surgeonfish, Yellow-eyed surgeonfish, Yelloweye surgeonfish, Goldring bristletooth, and Spotted bristletooth.

The word Kole comes from Hawaii and is pronounced “coal-e”.

Between 1955 and 2001, the Kole tang (Ctenochaetus strigosus), the Bluelip Bristletooth (Ctenochaetus cyanocheilus), the Indian Gold Ring (Ctenochaetus truncatus), and the Red-spotted tang (Ctenochaetus flavicauda) were grouped together and identified by Randall as the Strigosus Complex. These four species are very similar in appearance and can be easily confused with each other. They do however originate from different parts of the ocean and their colour patterns vary slightly.

Ctenochaetus strigosus has not been evaluated for the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

In addition to being a popular aquarium species, the Kole tang is sometimes used as food. Reports of ciguatera poisoning exist.

Geographical range, habitat and habits
The Kole tang is found in the Central Pacific. In the Eastern Central Pacific, it is found around Hawaii and the Johnston Island. In the Western Central Pacific, it inhabits the waters of Australia.

This is a reef-associated species with a depth range of 1-113 meters / 3-370 feet. It is primarily found down to 12 meters / 40 feet. You can encounter Kole tangs in shallow to deep lagoons and outer reefs where they live over coral, rock and rubble. They prefer environments where strong tides keep the water highly oxygenated. Adults live alone while juveniles may form loose groups. This is primarily a day-active species.

Size and appearance
The largest scientifically measured Kole tang was 14.6 cm / 5.7 in.

The Kole tang is deep brown with numerous horizontal yellow stripes running along its body. The head is adorned with small blue spots. The eye is big and encircled by a pale yellowish ring.

Juveniles may have spots instead of striping and are yellow at the top of the dorsal fin. A blue ring edges the eye and the bottom the anal fin is also lined in blue.

Just like the other surgeons, the Kole tang has a “scalpel” (a sharp spine) at the base of its tailfin which is used for protection and to establish dominance. When the spine is not in use, the Kole tang will keep it folded down inside a groove.

Unlike most other tangs of the family Acanthuridae, the Kole tang has 8 dorsal spines instead of 9.

Kole tang care
This is a fairly hardy species famous for its algae eating capacity. It is considered a medium maintenance fish. It is not advisable to house a Kole tang in an aquarium smaller than 90 gallons / 340 litres. It is one of the shyest species of tang and it is very important to provide it with good hiding spots in the aquarium, including crevices in which it can seek shelter during the night. Ideally include lots of rockwork in the set up. Ample amounts of live rock and live sand will increase the food supply and allow the fish to carry out its natural feeding behaviour. There must also be plenty of space for swimming.

Adult specimens live alone in the wild, but it can be possible to house them in groups in the aquarium. They may become aggressive towards each other, so keep an eye on them. The Kole tang may also fight other species its own genus. It is safer to house it with tangs that look different when it comes to body shape and colour pattern. The Kole tang is a relatively peaceful tang and housing it with aggressive species is never recommended. Also avoid species with the same particular feeding requirements unless your aquarium is very big and prolific.

The Kole tang is considered coral safe and invertebrate safe.

The recommended water temperature when keeping Kole tangs is 72 - 78° F / 22-25.5° C. Keep the specific gravity in the 1.020-1.025 range and the pH-value at 8.1-8.4. Well aerated water is of imperative importance. Provide strong water movement in at least one part of the aquarium.

The Kole tang has a relatively small “scalpel”, but you still need to be careful when handling this fish. If you are injured by the spine, it can cause discoloration and swelling. The pain may last for several hours and there is a high risk of infection.

The Kole tang is sensitive to prolonged copper treatment because copper can harm the important microfauna present in its digestive system. Since members of the family Acanthuridae do not produce a lot of mucus, they are more inclined to fall prey to external parasites like marine ich. In the wild, the Kole tang is known to seek out cleaner wrasses of the genus Labroides to keep skin parasites in check. In the aquarium, it can be a good idea to provide your Kole tang with at least some type of cleaner, e.g. cleaner shrimp or Neon Gobies (Gobiosoma spp.).

Feeding Kole tang
The Kole tang belongs to a group of fishes known as 'bristle tooth' or 'comb tooth' tangs. These fishes are equipped with several rows of small flexible comb like teeth (up to 30 teeth) which they use to feed detritus rich in minute algae. They will spend most of their time lifting and sifting through detritus and algal material in search of food. The mouth is protrusive and works like a vacuum cleaner. It is often possible to actually see lip marks on the aquarium glass when a Tang kole has cleaned the area form algae. The Kole tang is famous for its fondness of hair algae.

Natural algae growth and detritus accumulation should be encouraged in the aquarium since this makes is possible for the Kole tang to carry outs it natural feeding behaviour. Unless you have a huge and really prolific aquarium, you need to supplement the naturally occurring food to prevent nutritional deficiencies. Ideally feed your tang many small rations throughout the day instead of just one or two major meals. An insufficient diet will increase the risk of disease, e.g. lateral line disease (LLD).

In addition to naturally occurring food, you can for instance give your Kole tang marine algae, boiled zucchini, and blanched romaine lettuce. It is also a good idea to add a high-quality flake food rich in vitamin C to the diet, preferably one that contains spirulina. The Kole tang loves all sorts of dried seaweed, e.g. nori. This species is commonly viewed as an herbivore, but it actually needs occasionally servings of meaty food to stay happy and healthy in the long run. You can for instance feed it mysid shrimp and brine shrimp.

[jcw]

Originally Posted by jbonez

Kole Tang
Ctenochaetus strigosus


Copyright www.jjphoto.dk


The Kole tang is sensitive to prolonged copper treatment because copper can harm the important microfauna present in its digestive system. Since members of the family Acanthuridae do not produce a lot of mucus, they are more inclined to fall prey to external parasites like marine ich. In the wild, the Kole tang is known to seek out cleaner wrasses of the genus Labroides to keep skin parasites in check. In the aquarium, it can be a good idea to provide your Kole tang with at least some type of cleaner, e.g. cleaner shrimp or Neon Gobies (Gobiosoma spp.)

Thanks.

[fishyman12]

So what should i use?

[jcw]

Originally Posted by fishyman12

So what should i use?

Well, I might have rushed to that conclusion.

Other than the white, is there any redness or puffy tissue seen around the mouth? That might suggest an infection, whereas just the white might be nutrition related or injury related possibly from scraping on the tank glass.

Here are some links from Bob Fenner...

http://wetwebmedia.com/kolefdg.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/koledis.htm

[Amoore311]

After seeing the photos I would make another post in the Disease/Treatment Forum. That fish should absolutely not go to the display tank in it's current state.

[Milky3]

I still don't see what is wrong with the mouth?

[fishyman12]

It does look red/pink around the mouth and maybe a little swollen or tender. You think infection? WHat medication should I use?