The Moorish Idol Thread

[Paul B]

I doubt that anyone even knows how a moorish Idol breeds but I would imagine they just scatter eggs like butterfly fish. If they do, then you will not be seeing them raised in a tank. They would lay thousands of eggs which would float with the plankton for a while where most of them would be eaten. The few that may survive will grow but that planktonic stage can not be reproduced in a tank. Not yet anyway.
Ben, I keep opening fresh mussels for my Idol but I can't resist so I eat them.
Paul

 

[VolitanLioness]

For the Idol that stopped eating I would try fresh mussel's plus buy a sponge from the LFS to see if it will nip at that just incase it wont take the meaty food.

Kaye

 

[benf]

 

[Shawnts106]

I doubt that anyone even knows how a moorish Idol breeds but I would imagine they just scatter eggs like butterfly fish. If they do, then you will not be seeing them raised in a tank. They would lay thousands of eggs which would float with the plankton for a while where most of them would be eaten. The few that may survive will grow but that planktonic stage can not be reproduced in a tank. Not yet anyway.

Agreed completly... Planktonic stage = death for any sw fish!... My YT damsels do it ... LOL, anyway, have babies all the time.. they develop hatch out and then die... I have tried raising them... but without proper foods they die of course... which I didnt have any rotifers so... .they died!


My MI, has NOT lost interests in food, he picks and investigates constantly!!! which is still a GREAT sign... and his streamer just keeps growing!!! now its about 4 inchs or 5 inches long!!!... beeeee u ttttteeeee ful!... anyway.. so today I took a clam shell and stuffed some snow crab in it... he picked at it .. but nothing more then just a OH... well look at that kinda deal..

My angel forumla come in tomorow with sponges!... , HOPEFULLY this will get him to eatting like a MAD BOY!.... I also REALLY do need to get some garlic XTreme!!!... I really want to get some.. but cant find it !! Im sure I can order some from somewhere!


anyway!.... I did have alot of BLUE sponge, which he LOVED! loved so much he ATE IT ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!... so needless to say... NO MORE LEFT!*

He is sampleing all kinds of Fish Food (frozen) and Pelets that I put in the tank.. but I duno if hes ACCTUALLY EATTEN anything, or not... he still has a full tummy... which is good, but its bother me... He poops SAND... everytime Ive seen him.. just clumps of sand!... I hope hes not filling up on sand!!!... because it CERTANLY appears he is doing so!.... DOES ANYONE ELSES DO THAT???

well ... I think he is going to make it... after all he is TRYING NEW THINGS!.. I just think its a matter of time before he really ingests it!!!

thanks you guys.. Ill keep yaz posted!

 

[CrazyLionfish]

Well it appears that he hasn't eaten for a while.... so that may not be a good sign. Especially if hes only eating sand like you said. Hopefully he goes for the angel formula. I have not had luck with that stuff. My queen angel picks at it, and then once its on the ground she loses completely intrest.. but she eats EVERYTHING else

 

[Shawnts106]

Yeah... I think who ever caught them didnt take the time to FEED them.. they just probably ate sand with diatoms .... nothing more!... Im really worried... GLAD THAT HE SHOWS INTEREST in FOOD!... but not glad he is eatting sand!


Pardon me for asking ... but .. Yes, I know what a regal angel is... but what is the big fuss over them lately???

 

[ReefGeekster]

LOL, you guys are crazy!..

anyway, No there is NO possibility of CB MI... we cant even keep them Alive for very long... much less captive breed them!


Well... he is still suddenly not eating anything, though paying attention to it.. just not nipping!

Instead mussels I use live steamer clams and take a knife and split them open rinsing them under fresh water and toss them in the tank and my idols can't get enough. You can buy one or two of them from the seafood to try it out.

 

[zfunk007]

ReefGeekster, you said "Idols" implying that you have more than one. How many do you have?

Pardon me for asking ... but .. Yes, I know what a regal angel is... but what is the big fuss over them lately???

They are hard to keep angels and it seems like people are starting to have more success lately. At least it SEEMS that way.

 

[Shawnts106]

Well.. TODAY IS THE START OF A NEW ... A NEW.... a .. new... um,... START!... okkkkkkkkkkkk

Well.. I got some Angelfish Forumla with Sponges and some Angel and Butterfly forumla!... well.. forget the angel and butterfly formula... BUT the AF w/ SPONGES!!!.. wooo hoo, he is definatly interested!... picking at it QUITE A BIT!... so this may be the stuff... that gets him to eatting!!!... it acctually looked as if he ingested some!... whichis WONDERFULL!...

Im really starting to see the light shine through!

wish him luck!!

 

[ReefGeekster]

ReefGeekster, you said "Idols" implying that you have more than one. How many do you have?
They are hard to keep angels and it seems like people are starting to have more success lately. At least it SEEMS that way.

I have three, though one is up for sale or trade (locally) it started to boss the other two, wouldn't let the other two get at the steamer clams and kept them cornered. Since I put it in a QT tank and the other two are more relaxed and eating and swimming around the tank now.

 

[zfunk007]

I have three, though one is up for sale or trade (locally) it started to boss the other two, wouldn't let the other two get at the steamer clams and kept them cornered. Since I put it in a QT tank and the other two are more relaxed and eating and swimming around the tank now.

Think you could share your experience with us ReefGeekster? How long have you had them? How big is the tank they are in? What do you feed them? Could you possibly post some pictures? Give us the details!

 

[Shawnts106]

YES!!! DETAILS DETAILS DETAILS!!!!...


ALSO, update on my MI, he is now readily accepting the Angel Forumla with Sponges!

and is getting his little "gut" back!

 

[Paul B]

There is a local LFS here that has this moorish Idol for a few monthes now and the poor thing has a bad case of pop eye.
I think I am going to have to take it and cure it because I hate to see it like that. It can be cured in 5 seconds with a hypodermic needle. I just don't have the room for it. I would also like to give away a nice foxface if I could catch it.
Paul

 

[Shawnts106]

ehhhh.. NEEDLE!!! .. GROSS!

 

[Paul B]

Shawn, don't worry about it, I have done it dozens of times. The fish don't feel it and they are cured in seconds. Would you rather get a needle or walk around with your eyeball hanging out?
Paul

 

[keefsama2003]

paul whats the lfs with the fish? is it in nassau or suffolk?

 

[Shawnts106]

Shawn, don't worry about it, I have done it dozens of times. The fish don't feel it and they are cured in seconds. Would you rather get a needle or walk around with your eyeball hanging out?

Im sure the fish feel something!... lol, I would just rather get the needle.... but make sure im ASLEEP!!! lol!!!

eyeballs hanging out?... isnt there some ladie who can stick her eyes out of her head??? .. maybe she needs a needle treatment? HAHA!!


UPDATE: My MI is still hanging in there... and now egerly is eatting the Angelfish Formula with sponges!

Its funny, I think he likes it cold... lol, cus after its been in there for a few mins... and starts to melt... he really doesnt mind it!

lol!

anyway...

 

[WILDTHING]

well if he can feel the needle then he certainly can feel the pain of his eyeball popping out. Not to mention the risk of infection and stress this must be putting on an already delicate fish. A moment of pain/discomfort to alleviate all the rest is more than worth it.

Go to it Paul.

colleen

 

[keefsama2003]

get it on video paul and post it so we all know what you did

 

[benf]

latest pic of my MI