How many clams should I feed my Idol?? Experts chime in please!!!!

[ghstrider]

I picked up a huge show size moorish idol and hes eating nori and littleneck clams. Are these the best clams to feed him and how many per day is good? Right now hes getting 2 clams a day plus nori but I think hes capable of 3 or more per day. Theres only a neon goby and possum wrasse in the 150g with him so hes pretty much solo.

Plan is to get him eating everything the add some livestock from qt (mag foxface and pair of multicolors). Ive tried some frozen and live foods but nothing yet beside the clams.... He destroys them.

Oh, hes got a bit of ich and a slightly cloudy left eye but it doesnt seem to phase him.

 

[mfish1]

You just going to let the ich run its course?
May pop back up in the future

 

[ghstrider]

yes if try to treat id have to take him out... too much stress. gonna try to strengthen him up.

 

[small alien]

Why wouldn't you just feed it as much as it will eat basically?

 

[Terra Ferma]

If he he sick feed him as much as he will eat, and try to soak it in vitamins or something.

I must ask - why would you add fish from QT to a tank where a show sized fish has/just got over ich?

 

[pinnatus]

Feed as much as it will eat, then leave a few more clams in there for later. MI's, especially when new, eat all day long and don't seem to have a large capacity for extra food in their stomachs. Feed as often as you can, and keep it eating.

My MI had mild ich twice, he kicked it very fast both times. One time the ich took out most of my other fish, but the Idol survived.

 

[ghstrider]

I dont want to get into the whole ich debate. I let the tank run fallow for several weeks until i spoke with a very respected aquarist and after our conversation I decided that ich in my tank is something I will have to deal with. I will do all i can to keep the fish feeding and supplement with vitamins like selcon. its worked before in the past. that will be my approach... now my question was if i should feed more than a clam or two.

Lets stay on topic... feeding not why i put fish in my tank.

 

[ghstrider]

pinnatus, thanks man Im gonna feed him one every 3 hours or so. I also prepped several mussels and clams by openning them up, making some cuts in the meat, adding selcon, then adding some bloodworms or mysis on top of the meat, then i covered all the clams/mussels and froze. I have like 8 in the freezer right now ready to roll.

 

[Monkeyfish]

Keep adding sheets of nori as well.