The Moorish Idol Thread
- Thread starter zfunk007
- Start date
MI like clams
MI like clams
Back in 1989, when the clams were first came into the hobby, I put one in my tank, it always stayed open. Soon after I added a Moorish Idol and the clam would not open up too much or often.
It took a while but I finally caught the MI nipping at it. Since thats what the MI's do in the wild, swim, nip a something, swim, nip, I would have to say that they are not always clam safe.
MI like clams
Back in 1989, when the clams were first came into the hobby, I put one in my tank, it always stayed open. Soon after I added a Moorish Idol and the clam would not open up too much or often.
It took a while but I finally caught the MI nipping at it. Since thats what the MI's do in the wild, swim, nip a something, swim, nip, I would have to say that they are not always clam safe.
MI's and clams
MI's and clams
My MI's never killed or ate the clam(s), they would just nip at it every once in a while. which would keep them from fully opening some of the time.
By the way, I can only keep MI's for about 3 yrs, something bad has always happened to the tank and caused there death, along with most the other fish. Last time it was a major ick outbreak. Now I assume all new fish have ick and treat them. Just doing quarintine with out treatment is doesn't do much.
MI's and clams
My MI's never killed or ate the clam(s), they would just nip at it every once in a while. which would keep them from fully opening some of the time.
By the way, I can only keep MI's for about 3 yrs, something bad has always happened to the tank and caused there death, along with most the other fish. Last time it was a major ick outbreak. Now I assume all new fish have ick and treat them. Just doing quarintine with out treatment is doesn't do much.
cthetoy
Active member
Here is my Idol I bought from a collector when I was in Hawaii last summer. I got the front view of the Idol in case people are wondering if their Idol is getting skinny. I feed mine 4x a day (75% pellets, 10% flakes, 5% Frozen Ocean Nutririon Angel formula, and 5% Mysis, 5% Nori and a clam on the half shell as a treat once a week)
The streamer grows to about 3"-4" long and then in a few days it falls off.
Thanks Paul B. and everyone's tips on Idol care.
Some of its tank mates
The streamer grows to about 3"-4" long and then in a few days it falls off.
Thanks Paul B. and everyone's tips on Idol care.
Some of its tank mates
Last edited:
Kennyboy1984
Member
Do moorish idols take hypo salinity very well?
Covey
New member
Well after about a week of being the new kid on the playground
my idol has stepped up to go after the nori with the rest of them.
The tang even stopped being a jerk... generally
Its still eating my sponges and is eating nori but generally still isn't down for picking anything out of the water.
I people experiments to feed sponge has anyone ID the sponges they like it is a rather large group of animals I was wondering if someone has narrowed it down.
my idol has stepped up to go after the nori with the rest of them.
The tang even stopped being a jerk... generally
Its still eating my sponges and is eating nori but generally still isn't down for picking anything out of the water.
I people experiments to feed sponge has anyone ID the sponges they like it is a rather large group of animals I was wondering if someone has narrowed it down.
Paul B
Premium Member
The sponge I feed is very common in NY but there is also a sponge that I collect that he will not eat which grows among the sponge that he does eat. I can't identify either one but of course neither is the sponge they eat in the sea. In the South Pacific where they come from I only seen them eat a sponge that is lime green and kind of sticky. That sponge, or lack of it may be a reason keeping this fish is so hard.
Paul
Paul
Mike de Leon
New member
Is it true that some sponges can actually be purchased from the Oriental store?
Kennyboy1984
Member
I just got a blue rimmed monti cap last night and one of my moorish idols starting picking at it before I even had it in place and was still in my hands! Before I went to bed last night I could see little bite sized chunks missing from the rim of the monti. I'm thinking about relocating this idol if it keeps on biting the monti. I'm not sure if its actually eating the coral or its rather picking at it for the sake of picking at it. At this rate the coral will be gone in a matter of days.
LivingDeadFish
New member
well its been ages, sence i have done much to my tank, After loosing everything last christmas, my 34 month old idol was the last to perish over a 5 day period. looking back i should of set up another tank real quick.
the tank was empty till summer, and now has 3 small fish in it, i just spent the last few days cleaning things up, an am about to embark on my 3rd idol "the first lasted over 2 years also, an was lost to a power outage"
Things have changed alot sence my first, well atleast in this thread.
some info ill give you on the feeding of mine, which leads Me to think some aspects of there diet are not as important as one might think.
the idol i had for almost 3 years:
After the first 6 months which i had made up a special blend, an i no longer remember what was in it. mostly frozen food that was left over an some fresh garlic. Tetra brand colorbits consisted of about 95% of his diet that i put in the tank. he liked flake food also, my autofeeder was set up for twice a day, other than the 3 months i was away from my tank, once a day.
I used the colorbits pellets cause all my fish love that food, and it is easy to dispence, i would also feed a cube of frozen brine once a week when i had it. I could never get my idol to eat any nori, or greens, that i saw anyway, and he hated the angle formula frozen food with sponge.
not that i would recommend anyone to follow my feeding habits, but for nearly 15 years fresh and saltwater, colorbits has been my staple diet for my fish. Perhaps its like candy, but it dose get them to eat.
my first idol was a whole differnt story, i bought everything under the sun to make sure he had every vitiman and mineral , as i thought for sure he would not live another day, every day for over a year. some people had me convinced the idol was going to die for no apperant reason at any time
that idol i feed about 3-4 times a day. colorbits and flake from the feeder, and frozen special mix 2 times on most days
Both idols picked at the everything all day long, i had some large rocks with zoos on them that slowly died, it was over a year before i noticed my idol picking at them. The other corals did fine. I did have some sponge growing in the tank, but i never added any, i would not think it was enough to live on or even a snack.
my tank is a 110, with 1400 gal hr flow, an 760 wt lighting 110 lbs liverock 4" very fine sand, i also have one chaber of bioballs, and a skimmer for a tank upto 75 gal.
anyway, i just thought i would throw something up here, as ill be getting another soon.
PS props to paul for many years of research an advice
the tank was empty till summer, and now has 3 small fish in it, i just spent the last few days cleaning things up, an am about to embark on my 3rd idol "the first lasted over 2 years also, an was lost to a power outage"
Things have changed alot sence my first, well atleast in this thread.
some info ill give you on the feeding of mine, which leads Me to think some aspects of there diet are not as important as one might think.
the idol i had for almost 3 years:
After the first 6 months which i had made up a special blend, an i no longer remember what was in it. mostly frozen food that was left over an some fresh garlic. Tetra brand colorbits consisted of about 95% of his diet that i put in the tank. he liked flake food also, my autofeeder was set up for twice a day, other than the 3 months i was away from my tank, once a day.
I used the colorbits pellets cause all my fish love that food, and it is easy to dispence, i would also feed a cube of frozen brine once a week when i had it. I could never get my idol to eat any nori, or greens, that i saw anyway, and he hated the angle formula frozen food with sponge.
not that i would recommend anyone to follow my feeding habits, but for nearly 15 years fresh and saltwater, colorbits has been my staple diet for my fish. Perhaps its like candy, but it dose get them to eat.
my first idol was a whole differnt story, i bought everything under the sun to make sure he had every vitiman and mineral , as i thought for sure he would not live another day, every day for over a year. some people had me convinced the idol was going to die for no apperant reason at any time
that idol i feed about 3-4 times a day. colorbits and flake from the feeder, and frozen special mix 2 times on most days
Both idols picked at the everything all day long, i had some large rocks with zoos on them that slowly died, it was over a year before i noticed my idol picking at them. The other corals did fine. I did have some sponge growing in the tank, but i never added any, i would not think it was enough to live on or even a snack.
my tank is a 110, with 1400 gal hr flow, an 760 wt lighting 110 lbs liverock 4" very fine sand, i also have one chaber of bioballs, and a skimmer for a tank upto 75 gal.
anyway, i just thought i would throw something up here, as ill be getting another soon.
PS props to paul for many years of research an advice
Paul B
Premium Member
Livingdeadfish, thats interesting, I have never seen Tetra Color Bits. I guess I don't ever look at Tetra products as they bring back memories of my fresh water days, not that thats bad, I just don't look there.
I also believe that it is not just food that makes moorish Idols so hard to keep.
Have a great day.
Paul
I also believe that it is not just food that makes moorish Idols so hard to keep.
Have a great day.
Paul
Covey
New member
It might be old hat to the old school Idol owners but I fiqured out how to target feed my Idol.
During the day when I feed the fish the Idol gets his fare share picking food from the water with all the Chromis and the Tangs. He only getting what he can farely get with all the other fish.
Like I said early I noticed the Idol was a night owl. The Idol seem to be able to see in low light alot better than most of my fish. When the main thank lights go out most of the fish hide for the night. The room lights add dim light into the tank.
So I melted a cube of frozen food and dumped it near the Idol he managed to down quite a bit of the food. It started to spread out and my tang and blennie smelled the food and tried to go out and eat it. Unlike during the daylight neither of them were good at catching the food.
The Idol makes off with like 80% of the cube.
Like I said might be old hat but I thought I would share.
BTW the Idol now mauls any food I add to the tank. So good times here.
During the day when I feed the fish the Idol gets his fare share picking food from the water with all the Chromis and the Tangs. He only getting what he can farely get with all the other fish.
Like I said early I noticed the Idol was a night owl. The Idol seem to be able to see in low light alot better than most of my fish. When the main thank lights go out most of the fish hide for the night. The room lights add dim light into the tank.
So I melted a cube of frozen food and dumped it near the Idol he managed to down quite a bit of the food. It started to spread out and my tang and blennie smelled the food and tried to go out and eat it. Unlike during the daylight neither of them were good at catching the food.
The Idol makes off with like 80% of the cube.
Like I said might be old hat but I thought I would share.
BTW the Idol now mauls any food I add to the tank. So good times here.
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