Clumsy Kole Tang

[sundance]

Anyone out there have a Kole Tang? Is it a clumsy as mine. It keeps banging it’s head when it goes for the algae on the rocks.

 

[tyr-sog]

nah, mine swims like a champ!

 

[flamingkingofhe]

how big is your tank he is probably doing that purposefuly because he is to big for your tank and vary unhappy
when a tang gets to big for a tank they usualy start to beat themselves up

 

[spsfreak100]

Originally posted by flamingkingofhe
how big is your tank
In his profile, it says 80 gallons.
Are there any other fish in the tank that would possibly harass the fish? That doesn't sound normal, unless the tang was blind (which I doubt).
Graham

 

[bonermeister]

Ditto on that Graham. Any hooligans in there giving him a hard time?

 

[sundance]

He is about 3" long and there is nothing other than him that is over 1.5". It's a 80 g and I see a slight run around now and then but it's usually him after one of the others. I don’t see anything unusual other than the scrapes now and then.

 

[nerdy]

Mine is wicked fast and can steer imself quite nicely

 

[jonthefb]

he looks terrible from the pic!!!! are you sure he doesnt have ick??? it looks like he has some spots in the picture you posted!
does anyone else think that the tang in the pic looks like it is sick?
good luck
jon

 

[fishtanker]

i'm not sure if i looks like ich....it looks more like damage to his head from "banging" it against the glass.
maybe he has "brain damage"...where's the "short bus"

 

[overanalyzer]

It could be that the tang is trying to get algea that is cropped too closely to the rock. Try putting some nori in the tank and see if the head banging stops. Tangs will graze and once hte rock is totally clean they will continue to try and graze and rip up their snouts .... which would account for the head banging

 

[jonthefb]

i still think it looks like ick, personally.....look at the spots on the pectoral fins! id get this fish some help quick!
good luck
jon

 

[sundance]

It's not ick. The white spots come and go and are never in the same spot, they only are in one spot for a few hours, seldom see them in the same spot the next day. I think it's small flakes of crushed coral from the bottom as he often take mouth fulls of sand to get the algae. I have a new tank (going on 3 mo.) and I used tap water before I got my RO so I have plenty of algae.
I may have solved the head scrapes but not necessarily solved the problem. Today when I went over to the tank and watched him he would swim screaming fast to the back of the tank and do his this is my territory thing with his tail at his reflection in the glass. I have a dark background so he sees him self there. So maybe he is banging his head on the pipes or something at the back of the tank as he defends his territory against his self.
Thanks