The Moorish Idol Thread

[Dr Colliebreath]

Nice tankful of butterflies, Peter. My MI eats mysis (mostly PE), spirulina fortified brine, and my homemade seafood mix (salmon, scallops and shrimp), plus pellets. I have had it since December 1 and just moved it to my DT yesterday. It has started eating flakes. Mine took some time to move beyond mysis (I mixed mysis with other foods to get it started on the other foods).

ROBONE20, healthy MIs tend to be pretty bold and strong fish, so hopefully yours will stand up to the purple. When I put my MI into my DT yesterday, my powder blue went after it right away and kept it up. The pbt was nipping at the MI's body and not its fins, which I think is mostly to assert dominance. The MI dodged away and just kept swimming around. I turned off the lights in the tank and the room for the rest of the evening. Today, there was virtually no chasing. My pbt is pretty small but about the same size as the MI and has only been in the tank 2 months. Good luck, I hope yours turns out the well.

 

[blface]

My MI is in with 10 angels & it's by far the boss of the tank including a fat & very large blueline.

 

[SDguy]

The very knowledgeable owner of the LFS where I bought my MI told me eventually they become very dominant in a tank, like an achilles or powder blue. Since I don't plan to have any tangs in my FOWLR, the MI will probably be quite dominant as it grows.

 

[pinnatus]

I'm worried about my MI when it's ready to get out of QT. The angels I have in there seem to be ok with other additions. But I think my Purple Tang will go after him. They will be about the same size, with the Purple Tang being more fatter. I plan on acclimating the MI and separating him in the DT with egg crate for a few weeks before I let him completely out. That picture that Pinnatus has up there with his Purple Tang is very promising though...

MI and Purple Tang are best buds. The Tang follows the Idol around everywhere in the tank. Although, my Purple Tang is pretty mellow for a tang. I used to have an Asfur Angel that gave the MI a hard time. Even after being together a long time, the Asfur would always take a run at the Idol. The Idol didn't much care, he just dodged out of the way and went about his business. The only problem was the Idol's streamer was kept pretty short by the Asfur. Now the Asfur is gone and the tank is much more peaceful and the streamer grows very long.

 

[ROBONE20]

That's good to hear that MI's are pretty bold. I'm hoping that he is when I transfer him to my DT. This is my first one ever and he was pretty bold when I first got him from Hawaii. He wanted out of the bag fast and seemed to be agressive even after the long shipping. I guess the personality they portrayed "Gil" on Finding Nemo was pretty accurate, LOL.

 

[ROBONE20]

MI and Purple Tang are best buds. The Tang follows the Idol around everywhere in the tank. Although, my Purple Tang is pretty mellow for a tang. I used to have an Asfur Angel that gave the MI a hard time. Even after being together a long time, the Asfur would always take a run at the Idol. The Idol didn't much care, he just dodged out of the way and went about his business. The only problem was the Idol's streamer was kept pretty short by the Asfur. Now the Asfur is gone and the tank is much more peaceful and the streamer grows very long.

Good to hear. Does the MI and the French Angel you have in the photo do well together?

 

[pinnatus]

Good to hear. Does the MI and the French Angel you have in the photo do well together?

Yes. The French is new, only a few weeks in my tank, but he is also in the "in" crowd - MI, Purple Tang and French Angel all hang out together.

 

[djkms]

My Moorish Idol just hit one year in my care so I thought I would do a little video of him this weekend. Hope you enjoy!

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[pinnatus]

Good to hear. Does the MI and the French Angel you have in the photo do well together?

The French Angel has lately been harrassing the Moorish Idol a little. Hope it doesn't get worse.

 

[ROBONE20]

The French Angel has lately been harrassing the Moorish Idol a little. Hope it doesn't get worse.

Ah man. My French Angel is a little aggressive towards some of my other Angels, but I have not yet seen what it would do to my MI. He's crated off to the side of my main tank and should be going in soon. Keep me posted.

 

[Moorish_Idol]

Hey everyone! I finally decided to join Reef Central!!!

Ever since I got into the hobby I've wanted a moorish idol and told myself some day I will get one. I've started planning out a 90 or 125 gallon tank and in a year or so I'm going to get one!

I've been following this forum for a long time and I have to say I've learned a lot! I PM'd Paul b from The Reef Tank forum a couple days ago and I thought I'd join in!

By the way...what happened to zFunk???

 

[lucky_snapper]

My Moorish idol is doing really well. I got him about 3 weeks ago from a marine wholesaler and when he came in he was really beat up. He had totally lost his streamer and even part of his dorsal fin was missing. I thought he would die for sure.. He did not eat for a solid week and then he started deteriorating. Then slowly he started eating flake food and then clams. Now he goes bananas for fresh clams and mysis and nori flakes. His streamer has already started to grow back and he looks really good. I have had good luck with hard to keep species and found that if you keep offering a variety of foods eventually they will eat something. I also have a potters Angel that would only pick at the rocks and refused eating any prepared foods and today he started eating pellets. SO things look good !!

 

[Paul B]

Now he goes bananas for fresh clams and mysis and nori flakes.

Speaking of bananas, I also used to feed mine bananas. I would freeze them and then crush them up and mix them with Plaster of Paris. Yes, you read that correctly

 

[Moorish_Idol]

Plaster of Paris??? What does that do...

 

[tntman]

I got a pair from an Australian exporter a month ago.. They where feeding on pellets for a few Weeks before I picked them up! !

Ever since I introduced them into my display tank, they have been model citizens.. Not afraid of my Sohal tang at all. The,pair have been swimming around with each other, eating any thing I thruout re at them.. Including pellets, flakes, mysis, brine, and a home made seafood recipe..

I feed twice a day, yet I notice that they don't get far like my other fish do. Should I be worried about this?

Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk

 

[Paul B]

Plaster of Paris??? What does that do...

It gives them calcium, besides, they like it.

 

[slate55]

I wonder if you would have better luck with them getting two of them?
has anyone else experience with purchasing two?

 

[Paul B]

They live in mated pairs as most of them that I followed in the sea seemed to be paired but they don't hang around together. The male finds the sponges and after a while the female follows him there, but I have no idea how she finds him being she is 50 yards behind.

 

[Moorish_Idol]

Do you think 2 idols would do fine in a 125 gallon tank? or is that to small

 

[erich1980]

How often should I feed an Idols?