The Moorish Idol Thread

[jt_milstead]

After about a yeah and a half with a small tank, I upgraded to a custom 125. Ive missed my old MI so I had to get another one. This one was just put in my DT last night. The lights were out when i took this but you still can see him very well.Sorry about the IP camera in the pic....lol

 

[jt_milstead]

Here is another one with the lights on.

 

[Sardaukar]

I feed a lot of nori and a variety of food throughout the day. I notice the fish just seems to be much healthier if it is always eating.

Today I took a video of my tank and MI. Notice the swimming room. Click on the picture and it will take you to the video. The fish can swim in front and behind the rock structure. I bought the MI August 7, 2008.

Love the tank! Some of my favorite fish (idol, regal, potters, etc) and you have a great mix of coral types.

 

[Outerbank]

Thanks sardauker! I love the potters, but all my clams are now in my refugium because after several months he eventually determined he would like to nip them.

 

[fish_doctor]

hi glad to report the moorish is still feeding well and getting very plump, even through a few tank changes it is still a pig, we got in 2 more and put them in the same tank as the one we already had and they too are eating like pigs now, thinking this is due to the original one eating and the 2 new ones seeing this and obviously thinking "that must be edible". as mentioned before in this thread i believe the collection methods have alot to do with the welfare of these fish and the quicker they get into your tank from the sea the better. i have a question though and not sure if it can be answred, one of the 2 new ones has spines on its cheek almost like an angel, is this possibly still going through metamorphosis or is it possible that this could be a hybrid, now im not silly and i know moorish idols are the only fish in their complex but i have never seen or heard of one with spines on its cheek and it is larger than our original moorish which leads me to believe it has well past metamorphosis, opinions would be appreciated. i will get some pics up soon and a small video showing them eating. i am bringing the original moorish home soon to add to my reef tank but still paying off instalments for the black tang i am bringing home so once i had paid that off and got him settled in i will be bringing mr idol home. we also have another black tang for sale if anybody is interested, id like to know it is going to a good home and i am holding off till i find such a place for it as i am not willing to sell it to any tom, dick or harry so to speak. we also have two orange spot file fish in store (pair) and id love to add them to my tank but i am more than aware of the havock they would wreak on my reef lol, and these are also feeding like pigs, aswell as two leopard wrasses we have. i spend hours each day feeding the fish giving them as much of a variety as i possibly can and it seems to be working. i know this is only short term success so far but im confident that these fish will still be with us in many years to come.
we have a 3.7m long by .8m high by .75 m wide diplay currently being installed in our store and i am setting it up as a fish only system for the fish listed above hat are hard to feed just to show people that it is possible (so far) to keep them alive. oh and also all 3 moorish idols seem to like the angel formula which can only be a good thing as this contains a percentage of their natural diet.......
as i have said opinions on the moorish with cheek spines would be appreciated, i will try get a close up pic to show you all what im talking about.

 

[fish_doctor]

hi glad to report the moorish is still feeding well and getting very plump, even through a few tank changes it is still a pig, we got in 2 more and put them in the same tank as the one we already had and they too are eating like pigs now, thinking this is due to the original one eating and the 2 new ones seeing this and obviously thinking "that must be edible". as mentioned before in this thread i believe the collection methods have alot to do with the welfare of these fish and the quicker they get into your tank from the sea the better. i have a question though and not sure if it can be answred, one of the 2 new ones has spines on its cheek almost like an angel, is this possibly still going through metamorphosis or is it possible that this could be a hybrid, now im not silly and i know moorish idols are the only fish in their complex but i have never seen or heard of one with spines on its cheek and it is larger than our original moorish which leads me to believe it has well past metamorphosis, opinions would be appreciated. i will get some pics up soon and a small video showing them eating. i am bringing the original moorish home soon to add to my reef tank but still paying off instalments for the black tang i am bringing home so once i had paid that off and got him settled in i will be bringing mr idol home. we also have another black tang for sale if anybody is interested, id like to know it is going to a good home and i am holding off till i find such a place for it as i am not willing to sell it to any tom, dick or harry so to speak. we also have two orange spot file fish in store (pair) and id love to add them to my tank but i am more than aware of the havock they would wreak on my reef lol, and these are also feeding like pigs, aswell as two leopard wrasses we have. i spend hours each day feeding the fish giving them as much of a variety as i possibly can and it seems to be working. i know this is only short term success so far but im confident that these fish will still be with us in many years to come.
we have a 3.7m long by .8m high by .75 m wide diplay currently being installed in our store and i am setting it up as a fish only system for the fish listed above hat are hard to feed just to show people that it is possible (so far) to keep them alive. oh and also all 3 moorish idols seem to like the angel formula which can only be a good thing as this contains a percentage of their natural diet.......
as i have said opinions on the moorish with cheek spines would be appreciated, i will try get a close up pic to show you all what im talking about.

 

[fish_doctor]

out of curiosity why is everybody being ignorant and ignoring my posts as if i havent posted anything, i thought this forum was here for people to help eachother out?? take it that people dont really care about the info that i am sharing? if so looks like ill have to find another forum where people actually care

 

[rgonzalez]

Rather than whine about it, maybe post something constructive? We all have lives outside of these forums and cannot check them as often as you would like. So relax and learn/teach about MI's or just don't post anything.

out of curiosity why is everybody being ignorant and ignoring my posts as if i havent posted anything, i thought this forum was here for people to help eachother out?? take it that people dont really care about the info that i am sharing? if so looks like ill have to find another forum where people actually care

 

[djkms]

Its possible that you asked a question that no one has a answer to. I asked a question earlier in this thread about behavior and haven't received a response either guess its time to :uzi:RC

 

[Paul B]

Fish Doctor, if it makes you feel better I read your entire post.
There was nothing I could add and you didn't ask a question. Nice post. I had no problem with it so I can't disagree with anything.
I post things all the time that I don't get responses to, I don't care because I just figure someone reads it, and if they don't, it is what it is.

 

[tcmfish]

Here is another one with the lights on.

What a streamer on that badboy! Looks awesome!

Also Outerbank... What a nice tank! That was a nice video!

out of curiosity why is everybody being ignorant and ignoring my posts as if i havent posted anything, i thought this forum was here for people to help eachother out?? take it that people dont really care about the info that i am sharing? if so looks like ill have to find another forum where people actually care

It would really help if you capitalized letters at the beginning of your sentences and divided your post into paragraphs. Basic English goes a long way online.

 

[pinnatus]

i have a question though and not sure if it can be answred, one of the 2 new ones has spines on its cheek almost like an angel, is this possibly still going through metamorphosis or is it possible that this could be a hybrid, now im not silly and i know moorish idols are the only fish in their complex but i have never seen or heard of one with spines on its cheek and it is larger than our original moorish which leads me to believe it has well past metamorphosis, opinions would be appreciated. as i have said opinions on the moorish with cheek spines would be appreciated, i will try get a close up pic to show you all what im talking about.

I have not seen any Idols with cheek spines. Please show pics! (Mine does not have cheek spines)

 

[fish_doctor]

OK im glad to hear my post were not invisible, so i am sorry for jumping to conclusions.
ill be honest and say english wasnt my best subject, maths was lol and i am from scotland so our language is even more differant to english suppose its as i am to used to using facebook ect with all the slang words and not putting paragraphs since i dont really know when one is applicable.

maybe now ha, glad there is no disagreements as it is a information post based on peoples experiences.

to rgonzalez you may need to read my posts as i thought it was helpful which is what this forum is about if your expecting me to say i have had a moorish for 20 years then that's not the case so i don't know what you consider constuctive ill come back to you when i have had a moorish for over 10 years maybe you'll consider my posts constructive then.

i will post a pic of the cheek spines tomorrow. but i have never seen this myself either it is very strange. will get up a video aswell of them in their tank at present. they almost fight for the food now and get to it quicker than the tangs in there.

 

[Paul B]

Fish Doctor, I also read that one

 

[fish_doctor]

photos of the cheek spines, couldn't get a good picture in the tak so had to take him out.
dont worry he is completly fine was out the water for 10 seconds.

hopefully you can see them sticking out.

tried uploading video but computer needs some software to read mobile phone bideos and we have restrictions on work computers so will try post it up later.

jamie

 

[THP]

wow, never seen one with spines like that. I've heard that the males have more pointed protrusions over the eyes but nothing like this. Maybe someone will chime in.

 

[jt_milstead]

Im checking out my MI, and dont see any either. I know many fish use those a defensive weapons.

 

[fish_doctor]

yeh i have heard that as well that the males have more pointed "eye lashes" i like to call them. and have seen this on some larger moorish idol pairs.

i have never seen the spines on any other moorish though, i thought that angels were the only marine fish with cheek spines like that? it is very strange. maybe some sort of hybrid but as far as i was aware idols cant hybridise with anything as they are the only fish in their complex. i know Paul has done some diving with these fish and he has never mentioned this, maybe a one of a kind then? searched internet to see if this is a larval thing but no info anywhere on the subject.

 

[fish_doctor]

lol and maroon clowns have the spines as well forgot to mention that. i shouldn't remembered this considering i do have a pair.

 

[Outerbank]

Also Outerbank... What a nice tank! That was a nice video!

Thanks Tim.

Those spines are interesting Fish-doctor.