Resolved Kole Tang Freaking Out **Video posted**

Last night I fed the tank more than normal and fed my LPS some mysis soaked in Selcon, which I don't normally do. The fish in the tank got some of this mix as well after getting some Hikari brine with spirulina (fed them first so they wouldn't go after the LPS food)

Ever since that feeding, my Kole Tang has been extremely flighty and "aggressive". It is darting around the tank in random movements rapidly changing direction for no reason. Now tonight, he has one of his tail hooks exposed. I'm afraid he's going to gaffe another fish the way he's darting around violently.

I've tried getting him to take Nori with no real success. I feed ON Formula 2 flake as well, but he hasn't taken it much. He has grazed the rock in my tank clean.

Did the mysis set him off? Did the double feeding? Not getting enough algae?

There's no way for me to catch him without ripping the tank apart, but I don't want him ripping up his tank mates either.

 

Yesterday my kole tang did the same thing. His coloration became very intense and he was violently scraping his underside against the rocks and bothering the other fish. Turns out he was just constipated.

 

Wish that was all it was. I've seen him go, so that's not it.

Mine is changing color sometimes as well. Goes from dark to light.

I'm uploading a short video. SHould be posted in 10-20 minutes. It would normally swim around the tank and graze on the rock/glass. Now, it is racing back and forth along the front of the tank.

It's like that mysis/selcon mix put it on an acid trip.

 

Here's a short video.

Normally, it casually moves about the tank grazing on the rock. It never really bothers anyone with the exception of the Starry Blenny if it's laying where the Kole wants to graze. Nothing really aggressive. He'll just give him a bump to move him. Now you can see he has one "hook" exposed.

It has been acting like this since I fed Mysis last night.

Any insight would be greatly appreciated. Just let him chill? Avoid meaty foods for a few days? More meaty foods to calm him down? I'm clueless, but it was a dramatic and immediate change that hasn't corrected itself in 24 hours. My biggest concern is injury/stress to the other fish if he keeps it up.

MVI_1777_zpse00acf45.mp4 video by turbulence_2010 | Photobucket

 

Looks like normal, wacky tang behavior to me. Maybe he wasn't acting normal before? Tangs are goofy. I wouldn't worry about it unless he harasses other fish. Which is always a possibility with tangs.

 

LoL! I hope that's all it is.

If he calms down, I'll do the mysis experiment again. If that re-triggers it, we'll label that crack for Kole's and throw that away.

 

Thats normal unormal normalness? for a bristletooth, zebrasoma or acanthurus tang. Mine do that randomly all the time

 

I have a yellow eye kole tang as well, but ya my tang does act weird every now and then. I use frozen brine Hikari brine soaked in Selcon as well as usual nori on a clip, but no sudden change like you are describing.
The kole tang could be a jerk to other fish sometimes, and changes coloration from dark to pale noticeably. Keep a close eye, make sure that the guy eats, and hope for the best.

 

Thanks for the replies.

Glad to hear this is somewhat "normal" and hope it isn't to long of an episode. I've had it for a month now, and this is the first time it's "gone off". Didn't know what was going on. Will have to see if I can find a trigger.

Thanks again for the help.

 

The trigger is definitely meat. My Clown Tang took off in growth when he started to eat a lot of meat, and became extremely aggressive. Now, as soon as I come close to the tank with food, his head turns dark blue, almost black, and darts around the tank like a nut.