Long time experience with moorish idol
- Thread starter Drewbaby
- Start date
agreeive?fish
New member
agreeive?fish
New member
I have had one for 1 1/2 years. It is a great fish, so far.
Here is what I have learned or can recommend:
1. Get a good specimen, make sure it is eating when you get it. Mine eats anything, including pellets, and it always has. It has had occasional hunger strikes when I first got it, but it began eating when I gave it rod's food, and quickly went back to all foods.
2. Tank it is in should be lightly stocked, with non-aggressive fish. The idol does not seem to have any way to defend itself like most fish do. Also, it doesn't eat very fast or very much, so it can easily be starved out by other voracious fish like tangs.
3. Feed a little bit often. They seem to have little capacity to store food in their stomach, so frequent feedings are best.
4. Algae is important to their diet. It seems the pennant will not grow unless they are eating algae of some sort. Nori or seaweed is good, also, i found that having byropsis in the tank meets the need, though I wouldn't wish that on anybody...
5. I have a 240 gallon tank, 8' X 2' X 2'. That size seems to work well for me.
6. Multiple Idols in close proximity will kill each other.
7. Mine eats zoas and palys, otherwise it does not bother any corals.
X2 on reading the primer above.
Here is what I have learned or can recommend:
1. Get a good specimen, make sure it is eating when you get it. Mine eats anything, including pellets, and it always has. It has had occasional hunger strikes when I first got it, but it began eating when I gave it rod's food, and quickly went back to all foods.
2. Tank it is in should be lightly stocked, with non-aggressive fish. The idol does not seem to have any way to defend itself like most fish do. Also, it doesn't eat very fast or very much, so it can easily be starved out by other voracious fish like tangs.
3. Feed a little bit often. They seem to have little capacity to store food in their stomach, so frequent feedings are best.
4. Algae is important to their diet. It seems the pennant will not grow unless they are eating algae of some sort. Nori or seaweed is good, also, i found that having byropsis in the tank meets the need, though I wouldn't wish that on anybody...
5. I have a 240 gallon tank, 8' X 2' X 2'. That size seems to work well for me.
6. Multiple Idols in close proximity will kill each other.
7. Mine eats zoas and palys, otherwise it does not bother any corals.
X2 on reading the primer above.
