Moorish Idol pair

[Satori]

Yeah, I know.

I went to the store to get a fluval so I can run carbon after treating for flatworms today. I was amazed to see that they had a pair of moorish idols. (They usually only have clownfish.) And they were only $50, so I bought them.

I have a pretty good idea what to expect as far as all the feedings they need. I've followed PaulB's threads about them. They don't have their streamers, but look to be in good overall health. One does have a long thread for a streamer.

I haven't tried feeding them yet, I'll do that here in a little bit.

Here they are after getting acclimated to the QT tank:

 

[Roll221]

Well if nothing else Mike, you are probably the only person in Sierra Vista that could have bought these fish and have the knowledge to give them any chance to survive!! Great buy...keep us all posted!

Ed

 

[weaver5]

very nice looking fish.I hope they work out for you I know they are very tough to keep.Keep me updated Scott

 

[Satori]

Thanks, at least in the QT tank I'll be able to dump all sorts of different stuff in there until I find something they like. They didn't go for mysis so I'll try some bloodworms and plankton later. I'll go to the oriental store tomorrow and get some mussels, clams, and squid. PaulB feeds finely chopped frozen bananas, so I'll try that too.

 

[SWSaltwater]

The last one I got in he shop loved acans and any other LPS it could find lol. John Monahan took it home and thats were we learned of it's preferred diet lol. Came back a few weeks later and is now in a fowlr tank.

 

[Satori]

Well Rob, I don't have any LPS so hopefully he likes something else! :lol:

 

[McCrary]

Try soft and moist pellets in a small dish in the bottom of the aquarium, Paul B uses these a lot to feed his (he gave me the idea) and I used it to feed mine before I sold it SW Saltwater.

 

[Satori]

Good news, they're going after (and keeping down) frozen raw oysters from the Korean store. That's a good step. Once they're used to eating them, I'll start mixing other stuff in like mysis and other foods.

I've seen PaulB's plate and tube. The QT tank they're in is completely bare (I took out the plastic castle :lol: ) and there's no competition from other fish.

 

[Roll221]

MIKE MIKE!! Check your tank I think your fish got away.... I think I seen them while I was dive today!!!! OK OK, they weren’t yours but I did see an unusual number of Moorish Idols today on a very unusual calm, diveable winter day on the North Shore. Did I say "winter" hahahah...lol...haha...lol...haha. Seriously, great to hear they are eating something. As I was diving today I was paying special attention to the Moorish Idols and they all seem to just be picking at what looks to be brown algae on the rocks. Maybe I should scrape some off, bag it, or even dry it out and send some to you and see if they like a little taste of home?

Ed

 

[Satori]

Well thanks for the food offer Ed, but they were both dead when I got home from work. I came home at lunch and fed them some oysters and they were fine.
The parameters on the QT tank are all good, so I guess that's just how it goes.

 

[fishaholic911]

That sucks Mike! I thought they would last longer then 3 days.

 

[Roll221]

Yea hard telling how far gone they were when you got them. They were more then likely too far got at that point to save them.

Ed

 

[zoanthid2009]

those are sweet

 

[McCrary]

The problem with determining the health of Moorish Idols is that they don't really get skinny even with they are literally starving to death, so sometimes the day or two that it takes to get food in them kills them. Don't feel bad, they had a much better chance in your tank than at the LFS or with someone else.