We investigate a Quantum Dot (QD) in a Carbon Nanotube (CNT) in the regime where the QD is nearly isolated from the leads. An aluminum single electron transistor (SET) serves as a charge detector for the QD. We precisely measure and tune the tunnel rates into the QD in the range between 1 kHz and 1 Hz, using both pulse spectroscopy and real -time charge detection and measure the excitation spectrum of the isolated QD.A quantum dot (QD) defined in a carbon nanotube (CNT) is a very interesting and unique physical system for studying individual electron spins 1,2,3,4,5,6 . In particular, the spin relaxation and coherence times are expected to be as long as seconds 1, 2 , which makes this system attractive for quantum information processing. However, both precise control over the tunnel rate into a QD and real -time read out of the charge state of the QD have not been demonstrated yet for CNTs.QDs can be defined in CNTs by using top gates (TGs) as shown in Figure 1. Suitable voltages applied to these TGs create local tunnel barriers in semiconducting CNTs. In this way, single and doubleQDs have been realized 7,8,9 . In this letter we use TGs to precisely tune the tunnel rates into a CNT-QD