The Moorish Idol Thread
- Thread starter zfunk007
- Start date
I have the opportunity to pick up two small ones at the end of this month. My tank is a 5x2x2 150 gallon euro-braced with a barracuda closed loop(OM 4-way).
My question is this;
1. Is this tank big enough to house two?
My dream list of inhabits
1 small Achilles tang
1 small PB Tang
1 pair clowns
5 small blue green chromis
maybe a couple of wrasses
and I'm sure a couple of small fishes
I OVER skim, so feeding won't be a problem. I have strong flow. I do 20% ever two weeks(50 gallons)
I just want to make the right choice.
Thanks
My question is this;
1. Is this tank big enough to house two?
My dream list of inhabits
1 small Achilles tang
1 small PB Tang
1 pair clowns
5 small blue green chromis
maybe a couple of wrasses
and I'm sure a couple of small fishes
I OVER skim, so feeding won't be a problem. I have strong flow. I do 20% ever two weeks(50 gallons)
I just want to make the right choice.
Thanks
I think most people on here will say 2 is too much for a 150 but one might be ok.
To be honest with you I've never tried a MI but would love too. I've read this entire thread multiple times and those who have succeeded (on average) to keep them for at least 2+ years had very large tanks. Except Paul who seems to have managed with a 100g.
The comon thing I've seen with those who are successfull are:
1. Large tanks of 300+ gallons
2. Excellent water parameters
3. MI is the dominant fish in the tank so tangs are typically not present. Some have stated that the PBT might be too agressive for the MI.
Again, I'm no expert. I'm just a guy who has always loved MIs and would like to maybe try one some day. Maybe when I get my 180 going although I really want a PBT so maybe not.
Oh, another point: if the 2 you are planning on picking up are male/female then you might be able to succeed for a while in your 150.
To be honest with you I've never tried a MI but would love too. I've read this entire thread multiple times and those who have succeeded (on average) to keep them for at least 2+ years had very large tanks. Except Paul who seems to have managed with a 100g.
The comon thing I've seen with those who are successfull are:
1. Large tanks of 300+ gallons
2. Excellent water parameters
3. MI is the dominant fish in the tank so tangs are typically not present. Some have stated that the PBT might be too agressive for the MI.
Again, I'm no expert. I'm just a guy who has always loved MIs and would like to maybe try one some day. Maybe when I get my 180 going although I really want a PBT so maybe not.
Oh, another point: if the 2 you are planning on picking up are male/female then you might be able to succeed for a while in your 150.
Western_reefer
Reef keeper
50 gallons on a 150 gallon tank is 33.3% BTW.
Western_reefer
Reef keeper
Np.
Thanks!
Western_reefer
Reef keeper
Moorish Idols and sponges are a big no no right? Like, will a Moorish Idol eat a Red Tree Sponge or Red Ball Sponge? My guess is that it will?
Western_reefer
Reef keeper
Yeah... I'm kind of collecting sponges, so, looks like I won't be getting a Moorish Idol.
As far as Idols and tangs, they live together in the wild.
In the tank, they can live as well. In my 400G tank, I had a pair of Naso's over 12" long, Blue hippo tang, three yellow tangs, and purple tang along with my 8" idol. No problems what so ever.
There were also alot of other fish in there as well, three angles, some wrases and gobys and a few others.
As for sponges, like paul said, the are pickey as to which ones they eat. I have a bunch of hitch hicker sponges growing in my tank. There are only two that I ever saw the idol eat and once he became accustom to eating the pellets and nori I put in the tank, he left those alone as well. As far as feeding, I use a variety of sinking pellet food. I buy a little of everything and mix it all up in a big tub. I also feed a sheet of nori per day.
AS you guys know, I lost my fish due to suffication when my pumps went out. But up until that time, my fish were doing great. Idol was going on almost 4 years in my tank. I had gotten him from a RC member.
In the tank, they can live as well. In my 400G tank, I had a pair of Naso's over 12" long, Blue hippo tang, three yellow tangs, and purple tang along with my 8" idol. No problems what so ever.
There were also alot of other fish in there as well, three angles, some wrases and gobys and a few others.
As for sponges, like paul said, the are pickey as to which ones they eat. I have a bunch of hitch hicker sponges growing in my tank. There are only two that I ever saw the idol eat and once he became accustom to eating the pellets and nori I put in the tank, he left those alone as well. As far as feeding, I use a variety of sinking pellet food. I buy a little of everything and mix it all up in a big tub. I also feed a sheet of nori per day.
AS you guys know, I lost my fish due to suffication when my pumps went out. But up until that time, my fish were doing great. Idol was going on almost 4 years in my tank. I had gotten him from a RC member.
I have decided to try a small school of these fish in my 600 gallon reef tank...and am looking for all advice on the amount of MI I should purchase, and how my current fish list would interfere with their success in my system.
My current fish list....
1. 1- Pajama Cardinal
2. 3 -Green Chromis
3. Chocolate Mimic Tang 4"
4. Scopas Tang 3"
5. Orange Shoulder Tang 6"
6. Sailfin Tang 5"
7. Maculiceps Tang 4"
8. Male Green Mandarin
9. 2- Scooter Blennies
10. 2 -B&W ORA Clownfish
11. Regal Tang 4"
12. Bursa Trigger 3"
12. Harlequin Tusk 4"
13. 1- Orange Chromis
14. 2- Golden Dwarf Moray
15. Two Spot Bristletooth Tang 3"
16. Male Naso with Streamers 14" (Maybe swapped out for a smaller one)
Future purchases...
1. Chevron Tang
2. Female Naso Tang 6"+
3. Female Green Mandarin
4. Unicorn Tang 6"+
5. Group of Anthias (more then likely Lyretails)
Tank Thread...so you can see what my system is like.
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1552876
Thanks,
James
My current fish list....
1. 1- Pajama Cardinal
2. 3 -Green Chromis
3. Chocolate Mimic Tang 4"
4. Scopas Tang 3"
5. Orange Shoulder Tang 6"
6. Sailfin Tang 5"
7. Maculiceps Tang 4"
8. Male Green Mandarin
9. 2- Scooter Blennies
10. 2 -B&W ORA Clownfish
11. Regal Tang 4"
12. Bursa Trigger 3"
12. Harlequin Tusk 4"
13. 1- Orange Chromis
14. 2- Golden Dwarf Moray
15. Two Spot Bristletooth Tang 3"
16. Male Naso with Streamers 14" (Maybe swapped out for a smaller one)
Future purchases...
1. Chevron Tang
2. Female Naso Tang 6"+
3. Female Green Mandarin
4. Unicorn Tang 6"+
5. Group of Anthias (more then likely Lyretails)
Tank Thread...so you can see what my system is like.
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1552876
Thanks,
James
RealReef7
New member
No way man. Zoo's cant even keep a school of moorish idols alive. Its hard enough to just care for one. The survival rate of Moorish Idols are still very, very slim. Multiple feedings a day and with that many fish its gonna be tough because moorish idols at first are shy and they need the time to sample the food you offer. If you want a school of MI their is always the poorman's. Good luck.
Outerbank
New member
46bfinGa, that is a big tank. There was an excellent article in "Coral" Magazine (Vol 4, number 4, August/September 2007) http://www.coralmagazineus.com/product_p/cus22.htm about pairing MIs. I would highly recommend acquiring that issue and reading through this thread. Paul B has a lot of good info in this thread and I feel I have given my views. You can search our names to weed through the thread somewhat. Good luck and keep us posted.
I have limitted knowledge on pairing. I would consider seperate QTs for each and then add all to the display at the same time unless you read different. This is just an thoughtful guess and I am not sure if it will work. I have no idea if they should be small, large, or a mix of sizes to pair successfully.
IMO, I would definitely have them eating well in their individual QT before adding to the DT.
I have limitted knowledge on pairing. I would consider seperate QTs for each and then add all to the display at the same time unless you read different. This is just an thoughtful guess and I am not sure if it will work. I have no idea if they should be small, large, or a mix of sizes to pair successfully.
IMO, I would definitely have them eating well in their individual QT before adding to the DT.
Paul B
Premium Member
James although I have spent time with them in the sea I have no Idea how many you could put in a 600 gallon tank. I will say that from what I have learned from following them is that seem to live in mated pairs and the male seems to find the food, which was in all cases a lime green sticky sponge. The male would stop to eat and the female would follow a little later, then he would leave and she would eat. I noticed this behavior many times. Then they would swim far circules around the reef, maybe 50 yards and find more sponge. They were more common in shallow water, less then 15 feet deep than they were in deep water. I would try to get an even number of males to females although I am not sure if the males would fight as I never saw more than 3 together, usually just two. And those two kind of had their own section of reef to inhabit.
Good luck
Paul
Good luck
Paul
Thanks so much for your time.... I was under the impression, like many other schooling fish, that 3 or more would be easier to accomplish since they would form a hierarchy and I guess work things out amongst themselves.. I was unaware that a single pair could co-exist in a captive tank or in the wild
So if I'm following you correctly, your saying that I should get either a male/female pair or two male/two female, and not one male/two females like I was originally thinking?
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