The Moorish Idol Thread

After see a beautiful MI at a LFS I decided to do a little research and found this thread, you guys are great.
I have always be fascinated with these fish and am thinking about adding one to my tank. I know my tank is a little on the small side but is going on 3 1/2 years and I am very dilligent about its mantainence and livestock.
It is mostly sps, one lps, a few zoos, one large ritter and 3 clams.
Do you MI guru's think this is a wise choice? I know they are hard to keep but I figure my tank is better than th LFS.

Rich
 
I just returned from a trip to Sicily a few minutes ago and my Idol looks fine. I built a feeder for frozen food and I had someone put the food in it every day. The other two feedings of course are automatic. Of course I can hardly see through the glass so tomorrow I will have to clean that.
Paul
 
Rich, there are 2 problems you will encounter that will make it difficult. First, you should have a bigger tank. I had mine in a 75 gallon tank for 2 weeks because I just moved. I don't think it would of survived very long in the 75. Second, you are going to likely need to love the MI more than some things, and that likely includes clams. Mine likes to bother clams enough to kill them. I had a black and white clam with him for at least a year which he really left alone. If you want clams with a MI, I would try black and white one. Blue and green clams would likely be eaten. Good luck. Try feeding small pieces (size of brine shrimp) of scallops from your seafood store to the MIs to get them to eat and as a good source of food.

Scott

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8542797#post8542797 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Sparky0028
After see a beautiful MI at a LFS I decided to do a little research and found this thread, you guys are great.
I have always be fascinated with these fish and am thinking about adding one to my tank. I know my tank is a little on the small side but is going on 3 1/2 years and I am very dilligent about its mantainence and livestock.
It is mostly sps, one lps, a few zoos, one large ritter and 3 clams.
Do you MI guru's think this is a wise choice? I know they are hard to keep but I figure my tank is better than th LFS.

Rich
Click to expand...
 
I copied this from that site you posted above.

Sponges, tunicates and other benthic invertebrates constitute the bulk of the Moorish Idol's diet. Captive kept Idols typically are very picky eaters. They will either eat nothing (most of them) and perish or eat everything (very uncommon). Eatting a variety of items is healthy. Even small portions of avacados and banannas are sometimes fed in captivity.
Click to expand...

I have been telling this same thing to aquarists for many years. We try to keep them by feeding clams, plankton etc but sponges are their main diet. As was also said, they eat bananas and avacados although I thought I invented that. :lol:
Mine is almost four years old and I do feed sponge (that I collect) besides the bananas and the ocassional bananna. I am lucky as mine is of the type that will eat anything but as I said before this may be the fact that the male leads the female to food. Of course that is my theory just from following them on the reef.
I diden't know their dorsal fin shortened with age and I diden't notice this in the sea but I did notice that their dorsal fin is thicker in wild individuals. I know food is a problem with these fish but IMO it is not the only problem.
Have a great day.
Paul
 
Mine like guacamole :) Add yourself as the source for that. I've gotten mine to eat both avacado and banannas. Also eats any other food I put in there, flake, frozen, live, etc. Also likes iceberg lettice if pieces are small.

Jason
 
I had 12 moorish idols that i was holding, and all 12 ate frozen mysis (these were fresh caught idols from Hawaii) I have no idea on the long term success but the hawaiian ones do 10x better then the indo ones or philippines.
 
I finally decided to purchase my first MI. I ended up getting a really small one compared to what I've seen at the stores.

I asked the LFS to feed and he took up some pellets and frozen enriched brine shrimp.

I had read that the minimum size to keep these guys is at least 120 gallons and I only have a one year old stable 72 gallon RR bowfront.

I went home with my new fish and did the acclimation and dropped him in, immediately he started swimming around with the other fish.

I have a blue tang, kole tang, powder blue tang, black occeleris clown, and salfin algae blenny.

The powder blue started harrassing the hell out of the MI to the point that I called the LFS and said what gives. (he knows what I have)

Quickly was told that the PB is setting up dominance and within the hour he left him alone just a couple of chases but not like before.

I fed them immediately when the PB started the chase and everyone ate including the MI.

I have tons of LPS corals in with tons of purple coraline as my tank is fully stocked with live rock and corals.

The MI nipped away at the tentacles of my trumpet corals but nothing too serious just small nips.

He loves green flakes and the frozen enriched brine.

This is his first night in the tank as I write this email, all other fish hide in the crevices and this guy swims in the left hand corner front and center, doesn't hide at all during the night.

I'll keep everyone posted on his progress as I'm one of the few attempting to keep a MI in a tank smaller than what is recommended.

I hope to have a 140 gallon reef ready tank in one year from today....

MG
 
Will keeping an idol in an SPS tank work??
Click to expand...

It depends, and in my opinion and from my experience it is ALWAYS a risk putting a Moorish Idol in a reef tank. My Idol ate none of my corals for about 3 months, then all of a sudden he ate everything (SPS's, Zoo's, Trumpets, you name it, he ate it). They will probably do better in a reef tank than a fish only but it is always a gamble to add one in my opinion.

But I have seen people who have Idols that don't touch corals. If you have an SPS only tank then I'd say you have the best chance though (if you have any LPS's though watch out, those seem to be the first ones they go for). Good luck.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8575850#post8575850 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Mike de Leon
Thank you for the quick response. My LFS has one MI right now that eats NORI. I just might give it a shot.

Cheers!!
Click to expand...
Hey Mike, I see that you are in Toronto. Not sure if you have ever been to North American Fish Breeders, but they had some MI that were eating Omega One pellets quite readily.

Raymond:)
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8576463#post8576463 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by BlueNWhite
Hey Mike, I see that you are in Toronto. Not sure if you have ever been to North American Fish Breeders, but they had some MI that were eating Omega One pellets quite readily.

Raymond:)
Click to expand...

Raymond,

Where are these guys located? What else do they have?
 
The problem with moorish Idols in any reef tank is that they eat so much and often that it is hard to keep up with water parameters. These fish need to be fed a few times a day and they eat a lot..
Paul
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8577537#post8577537 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Mike de Leon
Raymond,

Where are these guys located? What else do they have?
Click to expand...
The owner's name is John, and NAFB is on Kingston Road just east of Kennedy Road. It's at the south end of Scarborough.

He usually orders shipments about once a month, and I highly recommend that you check him out because his shipments are HUGE and the prices are virtually unbeatable. He'll be doing a huge shipment in December. He just flew down to select his shipment last week.

I'll give you some more details later since I have to go out to eat now.

Raymond:)
 
Multiple Morrish Idols

Multiple Morrish Idols

Is it possible to keep more than one Idol in the same tank? I have one doing very well. He seems to spend alot of time with his reflection in the glass. Can I introduce another one?
 
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