The Moorish Idol Thread

[Kolognekoral]

Paul,

as you seem to have observed this closely in the reef, have you been able to identify the sponges that interest Zanclus? Visually, in any case, as species, etc. is well beyond most of us under water! (or out, for that matter).

I ask, as my newest Idol is taking flakes and frozen, plus grazing on small something or others, plus... and here's the cool part, he is nibbling a particular black sponge that grows in the aquarium. He has ignored the yellow, white and mottled sponges, as well as the red-browns. It doesn't appear to be a major part of his diet, as of yet, but perhaps this is what keeps idols going in well balanced and populated reef tanks.

Also, not to jump on you about Zanclus diets, but one must consider that all animals make due with what they have, including humans. After all, adult humans should not be consuming dairy products, as we would be missing the enzymes as an adult required for their digestion, but we are capable of adapting to continuous dairy in most, but not all, cases. One shouldn't underestimate the ability of an organism to survive and remain in good health through adapting.

 

[Paul B]

THP a powder blue should have no problem living with an Idol.
There is nothing else to look for in an Idol or any other fish. Moorish Idols do not hide much so they don't need caves but they need open swimming room. Of course the fish should be eating when you buy it as for any fish.
I don't think you should try to pair it in a tank. They pick their own mates and may not like the one you pick unless you can see them swimming and getting along in a tank. I don't mean ignoring each other but obviousely staying together.
You should also feed them a few times a day.
In the beginning of this thread I posted a feeding dish I installed with an automatic feeder supplying it. The Idol woulkd swim up to the dish every 30 seconds to look for food.
Kolognekoral, that is true with people and many fish but since moorish Idols have such a dismal record of a life span in captivity I would feed it what it eats in the sea. A moorish Idol has the same opportunity to eat what any other fish eats but it prefers sponge and that is all that I have seen them eat in the wild.
The sponge that I saw them eating was a lime green sticky looking thing that I could not identify. The sponges that grow wild locally in New York is what I fed mine. They are very common in New York marinas and in 15 minutes I could collect and freeze enough to feed an Idol for a year. My Idol prefered it to all other foods and would almost jump out of the water for it.
I also fed it bananas, avacados, worms, and mysis along with flakes soaked in Vitamin "A". The feeding dish supplied pellets for two of the feedings and I would feed the above foods for the last meal. My Idol was too large for my 100 gallon 6' long tank and it was hard keeping the water clean enough for the corals. They are big eaters which means they don't utilize the food very well.

 

[Kolognekoral]

They are big eaters which means they don't utilize the food very well. [/B]

Well, one could imagine poor digestion, if you're trying to live from a sponge!:lol:

Thanks for the input.

 

[THP]

Paul,

Thanks for the information. I have been working through the 40 ++ pages in this thread and did see your feeding dish (fantastic idea by the way). I also noticed within this thread that the idol should be kept with fish that would not bully in any way so that was my main concern with the powder blue as they are known to be dominating fish. I suspect the person who wrote that suggested keeping them with peacefull fish as a way to minimize stress seeing as their survival rate is quite low and I fully agree with that thinking. I suppose the best approach would be to try and introduce both together or at least the idol first.

Another question, since I live in Ontario Canada, there are no sponges that I can collect. Don't take this the wrong way but I noticed in many of your threads that you indirectly mention that you are an avid seafood lover. Would you know if any sponges would be available at asian seafood markets or anywhere for that matter?

 

[Paul B]

Another question, since I live in Ontario Canada, there are no sponges that I can collect. Don't take this the wrong way but I noticed in many of your threads that you indirectly mention that you are an avid seafood lover. Would you know if any sponges would be available at asian seafood markets or anywhere for that matter?

As a matter of fact I will be eating seafood in a few minutes.
No sponge though. I have never heard of sponge of any type for human consumption. The stuff I collect looks like slime when it's in a bucket. Nasty looking stuff and it has a smell.
The stuff needs to be frozen quickly because it rots fast. I don't even know the type of sponge it is but I guess I could try to look it up. It is so common here that no one takes notice of it.

 

[Paul B]

This sponge also grows in New York but fish do NOT eat it much. This is NOT the sponge to collect but it grows along with, and sometimes on top of the correct sponge which I do not have a picture of. The correct sponge is a little browner than this and does not have a shape of a tree. It looks more like an ear or those muchrooms you see on a dead tree. But the texture of the two sponges looks the same.

 

[Crusty Old Shellback]

Hey paul and the rest of the gang.
Just checking in here. My Idol is still doing great going on 6 months with me.

As to the sponge question, I too have several different varaites of sponges groing in my tank. The only one I've seen the Idol really go after was a light purple sponge that was groing on some of my rock. He completely devoured it in a few days but has not touched any of the other sponges.

Mine too as a likeing for Zoa's and that was the reason a fellow RC member sold him to me, he was eating all of his prize zoa's. I only had a few in my tank so it was no big deal to let him eat them.

My Idol will also eat just about anything i put in the tank. The main diet is pellets with a daily sheet of nori from the Asain market. As for the pellets, I sever a large mix of all the various brands. It's just my way of trying to make sure my fish get what they need in the way of nutrition. I only feed once a day. But I have a 400g tank that has a lot of natural food groing in it.

As for otehr fish, my Idol is kept with a pair of naso tangs that are twice his size, a pair of yellow tangs, a Blue hippo tang, a large pink tail trigger, various wrasses both large and small, majestic angel, gold flake angel, and a copper banded butterfly. The only fish that ever took notice of him was my CBB which I had for over a year before I introduced the Idol. I think it was due more to the shape of the Idol being very similar to the CBB as he has never given any notice to any other fish I've put in the tank.

You can find some pic's of my fish in my build thread by clicking on my little red house. Good luck to everyone with their Idols. And Paul, you need to get another one.

 

[THP]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12352258#post12352258 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Paul B
As a matter of fact I will be eating seafood in a few minutes.
No sponge though. I have never heard of sponge of any type for human consumption. The stuff I collect looks like slime when it's in a bucket. Nasty looking stuff and it has a smell.
The stuff needs to be frozen quickly because it rots fast. I don't even know the type of sponge it is but I guess I could try to look it up. It is so common here that no one takes notice of it.

Paul,

I didn't think anyone ate sponge either hence the "no offence" when I asked.

Everyone,

I have seen some blue typed sponge in the LFS a long time ago...not sure what type if was though but apparently someone here was feeding a blue typed sponge successfully. Also, are sponges such as these maintainable in a reef tank? I was thinking that perhaps I can buy some of these and grow them in my refugium to keep a stock at all times. I have not searched yet on how to keep a sponge going nor have I checked to see what type of success rate have been had in keeping them. I would suspect phytoplankton as a definite food source for them so DTs might do the trick there. Also, I seem to recall that if they do die they foul things up quickly like dead anomones do so maybe its not a good idea. Any thoughts guys/gals?

 

[Crusty Old Shellback]

I have sponges growing wild both in my tanks and in my sumps. I do not directly feed them nor do I feed the tanks with a type of filter feeder food. I alos do not feed any of my corals or clams. But mine have been surviving for over 7 years now. They feed in my tank same as they do in the ocean, by whatever happens to be in the water. But I do use Natural Sea Water in my tanks.

 

[yoboyjdizz]

Thats good to here crusty, I have my idol with five tangs and a emperor angel. Only the angel will flash at him once or twice a day the rest leave the idol alone.

 

[Crusty Old Shellback]

Hey everyone, here's an update on my Idol. He's still doing good and growing. He's now about 5-6 inches long nose to tail and is fat. His dorsal fin has started to grow the long streamer once again. However, he still has the long hard dorsal fin that grew in place of the streamer late last year. Here's a pic I took of him tonight. I'm also going to post a couple of new pics of my recently aquired fish in my build thread.

 

[Paul B]

Looks great Crusty.
I will be in California tomorrow, I will try to give you a call.
Take care.
Paul

 

[THP]

Crusty,

Nice to see he is stil thriving. He/she looks great!

 

[Crusty Old Shellback]

Hey Paul,
Got your message this morning but you didn't leave me a number. Your about 150 miles south of me. Hope to catch your call next time. I was out on the road and didn't hear it ring.

 

[Paul B]

Crusty, thanks, I diden't have time to call you again. I am back in NY now.
The water in San Clementi looks pretty clean to me. I guess where you are it is dirtier.
Paul

 

[Crusty Old Shellback]

Naw, the water up here is actually a little better because we don't get the run off from TJ like they do farther down south. It actually works it's way up the coast but is usually gone before it hits us. I get my water a little farther north though up in Santa barbara.

Hope you had a fun time and enjoyed the weather. Too bad we were having one of our hot spells while you were here. Did you get to visit anywhere? Maybe the Long Beach Aquarium to see their 6+ year old Idols.

 

[Paul B]

We got to the aquarium near San Diego. I guess it was the San Diego aquarium. It was between there and San Clementi.
It is a little small but in a beautiful location on a cliff.
I am not used to cities like San Diego (or is it Diago?) (They both look wrong) Anyway it reminded me of a sci fi movie where the giant crabs ate all the people. There is no one there, no cars, no people. It is a pleasure driving through there.
Tomorrow I have to go back to Manhattan to look at a job and I dred going back.
You live too far for me to get to your home to see your Idol although I would have liked to. We headed south.
Maybe I will call you anyway from here.
Have a great day.
Paul

 

[john37]

I think you went to Scripps Aquarium.
I graduated from UCSD so it was right there. i used to go all the time. Small, but they have some cool stuff.

 

[Crusty Old Shellback]

Yep, Scripps Aquarium is probably where you went. It's nice now compared to their old system that was there years ago. I used to hang out there a lot on the weekends admiring their tanks. Then they tore it all down and built the new system which still isn't bad.

I thought you were retired and living the good life nowdays? floating around as the Ships captain on some big old yaht.

Diego is right. Spanish name. If there were no cars or people, then it definatly wasn't San Diego as that city is huge. Scrips is north of Diego in La Jolla which is a nice little up scale sleepy district. Lot's of money in that area.

Maybe one day you'll get the chance to stop by.
Feel free to call me anytime when you have time to talk. Just don't forget about the time difference between us.

Take care.

 

[Paul B]

Yes it was Scrips aquarium in La Jolla.
I am retired but to live the good life I still have to work almost every day. The good part is that I pick my jobs and I take off when I want to. Half of my pension doesen't kick in for another 3 years.
Yes I am also a big deal boat Captain, (big deal). I am still sailing in my 23' boat, not quite a yacht.
The City was San Diego. Don't forget I worked in Manhattan for 40 years and when you stop for a light in Manhattan about 300 people cross in front of you. I liked the fact that in San Diego when I stop for a light, there is no one in front of me for two lights ahead. I can't even do that here at 3 AM.
I did like it though, it is nice and clean and quiet. The people are also very nice.
My California friends are supposed to come to NY to visit. We will take them for a moonlight boat ride around Manhattan. I will just have to mortgage my home for the gas.