Shy Kole Tang

The bicolor angels are typically very difficult, kole tangs are not at all. It is odd that you are having trouble with it eating anything else. They usually take to prepared foods pretty easily. It isn't odd, however, that it is targeting the glass, since these tangs are actually specialized at eating diatoms, which tend to concentrate on the glass. If there are recurring problems, I would either suspect water quality or thesource of the tangs.

Tack, what size tank and what else was kept with the fish?

Tackful, that seems like a lot of fish for a 75 gal. I can spot at least 2 probable aggressive fish and a couple that most would not recommend in a 75 gallon at all. It would not surprise me that a Kole tang (one of the shyest of the tang family) is stressed out by the rest of the tank's population.

That said, try spirulina flakes to get it to eat. I got my own Kole, as well as 2 others, to eat using spirulina flakes. Now they'll accept anything!

strangerdejavu said:

Tackful, that seems like a lot of fish for a 75 gal. I can spot at least 2 probable aggressive fish and a couple that most would not recommend in a 75 gallon at all. It would not surprise me that a Kole tang (one of the shyest of the tang family) is stressed out by the rest of the tank's population.

That said, try spirulina flakes to get it to eat. I got my own Kole, as well as 2 others, to eat using spirulina flakes. Now they'll accept anything!

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Wow. You said it. I'd be concerned about long term space/territoriality problems as well as water quality problems, especially in the long term.

The dottyback/basslet, the clowns, the mixed angels and the damsel are pretty aggressive. Combine the angels and the tang, and you have added aggression toward other herbivores. With those packed in there, it wouldn't surprise me if the tang wouldn't attempt to eat. You also need to keep a very close eye on water quality.

Not to be mean to your dad, but you just need to be blunt and straightforward about it--as in "If you don't stop putting fish in, they are going to die and/or kill eachother. Please don't do it anymore unless you ask me first." Honestly, I would try to thin out that population a bit. It would spare you some headaches.

I was afraid it might be territory related, everyone else has already said what I would have. Hope your dad listens.