The Moorish Idol Thread
- Thread starter zfunk007
- Start date
Paul B
Premium Member
They will live in it as I had a few of them in my 100 gallon but it is still too small. Idols swim long distances around the reef to search for sponge.
Idols should be fed at least twice a day. I used to feed three or four times with an auto feeder helping me because their normal food, sponge is IMO not that nourishing so they eat a lot.
I also am not sure if you can just put 2 of these fish in a tank, they live in mated pairs and mate themselves. In any case, try to get a pair or a single male
MI breeders...
MI breeders...
I bought 4 idols to my 240 gallon tank 2 days ago. They were in quarantine for more than 2 weeks and i choose them very carefully. All of them start eating yesterday. Even frozen and dry food. My rock design allows them to swim around tank. I have a few questions: is it necessary to provide sponges in any way? Should I supplement any vitamins to food? How to distinguish male and females? Any remarks from such experienced MI breeders like you are will be very valuable for me. I would like to avoid any mistakes at the beginning.
MI breeders...
I bought 4 idols to my 240 gallon tank 2 days ago. They were in quarantine for more than 2 weeks and i choose them very carefully. All of them start eating yesterday. Even frozen and dry food. My rock design allows them to swim around tank. I have a few questions: is it necessary to provide sponges in any way? Should I supplement any vitamins to food? How to distinguish male and females? Any remarks from such experienced MI breeders like you are will be very valuable for me. I would like to avoid any mistakes at the beginning.
Paul B
Premium Member
Unfortunately all moorish Idols are doomed to an early death in an aquarium. I can say that because as far as I know, no one has sucessfully kept one for longer than about 5 or 6 years in a normal home aquarium. I think I heard of one living 9 years but I don't really believe it. A fish like this should live at least 15 years.
Having said that, I feel that sponge is necessary. I know of one guy who kept one for I think 4 years with no sponge but in all of the dives I did with these beautiful fish, sponge is the only thing I ever saw them eat and they eat a lot of it. I found a sponge growing here in New York on floating wooden docks that moorish Idols just love. I collect it in the summer and freeze it but I have only found it growing in one place on an Island between Queens and the Bronx. It does not grow in my marina which is the same water and only about 3 miles away. Besides 99% of everyone who has bought a moorish Idol does not feed sponge and 100% of those are now dead.
Anyway, I would feed them at least twice a day, 3 is better. Besides sponge I fed them live worms every day with clams and bananas. Yes, don't read that again.
I would mix a little Plaster of Paris and when it is about to set I would add some fish oil and frozen mashed bananna. (OK get up, you asked) The Plaster supplies calcium and the bananna supplies, well, bananna. When it is frozen it looks like a sponge so I said, what the heck, they love the stuff.
I built an automatic feeder that deposited fish oil soaked pellets in a dish a few times a day. The Idol would eat every one of them as they are huge eaters.
They are also long distance swimmers and only stop to eat sponge.
Sexing them is very hard as they are similar to butterflies. Most of the ones we see are juvineles. Adult males most likely do not get along especially in a tank.
I wish you luck and long life to your Idols.
Having said that, I feel that sponge is necessary. I know of one guy who kept one for I think 4 years with no sponge but in all of the dives I did with these beautiful fish, sponge is the only thing I ever saw them eat and they eat a lot of it. I found a sponge growing here in New York on floating wooden docks that moorish Idols just love. I collect it in the summer and freeze it but I have only found it growing in one place on an Island between Queens and the Bronx. It does not grow in my marina which is the same water and only about 3 miles away. Besides 99% of everyone who has bought a moorish Idol does not feed sponge and 100% of those are now dead.
Anyway, I would feed them at least twice a day, 3 is better. Besides sponge I fed them live worms every day with clams and bananas. Yes, don't read that again.
I would mix a little Plaster of Paris and when it is about to set I would add some fish oil and frozen mashed bananna. (OK get up, you asked) The Plaster supplies calcium and the bananna supplies, well, bananna. When it is frozen it looks like a sponge so I said, what the heck, they love the stuff.
I built an automatic feeder that deposited fish oil soaked pellets in a dish a few times a day. The Idol would eat every one of them as they are huge eaters.
They are also long distance swimmers and only stop to eat sponge.
Sexing them is very hard as they are similar to butterflies. Most of the ones we see are juvineles. Adult males most likely do not get along especially in a tank.
I wish you luck and long life to your Idols.
MI aggression
MI aggression
My MI's after acclimatization became aggressive toward themselves. Do you have any suggestions how to bring an order with them? Maybe the Idols pictures on the other side of the glass or mirror may be succesfull?
I will try to prepare "fake spongs" today.
MI aggression
My MI's after acclimatization became aggressive toward themselves. Do you have any suggestions how to bring an order with them? Maybe the Idols pictures on the other side of the glass or mirror may be succesfull?
I will try to prepare "fake spongs" today.
Paul B
Premium Member
I think any size tank is too small but I think a 240 gallon tank should keep them alive as long as they are going to be alive anyway. I had mine in 100 gallons for five years and in my tank there is very little swimming room. Mine died in an accident but I think I can now keep them if I had a large enough tank. I have learned a lot by diving with them and I have had about a dozen of them over many years.
It seems based on my limited personal experience and other anecdotal evidence that Idols tend to pick on each other until there is one left in a tank setting. I had 3 to start with, all were healthy and eating, and they killed each other off 'til one was left. I have had that one for 3 years now and counting. I have a 240 gallon tank, which is 8 feet long. Idols are quite the active swimmers, and they are a relatively large fish. I wouldn't think a smaller tank would be beneficial.
My Idol is not a picky eater; it will eat anything! I have never fed sponge. It mostly gets NLS pellets, occasionally other things. Greens are absolutely essential to their health, and if you have no algae in your tank, then I would feed nori. They don't need greens exclusively, but they do "snack" on it, and their health will suffer without it. I agree frequent feedings are very important, especially when new to tank living and when small. I currently feed twice a day, but when I first got the Idol I would feed very often. It seems they can't eat much at one feeding and so they need to eat frequently. Mine has either adapted or grown (or both), and is much better able to go longer between feedings.
My Idol is not a picky eater; it will eat anything! I have never fed sponge. It mostly gets NLS pellets, occasionally other things. Greens are absolutely essential to their health, and if you have no algae in your tank, then I would feed nori. They don't need greens exclusively, but they do "snack" on it, and their health will suffer without it. I agree frequent feedings are very important, especially when new to tank living and when small. I currently feed twice a day, but when I first got the Idol I would feed very often. It seems they can't eat much at one feeding and so they need to eat frequently. Mine has either adapted or grown (or both), and is much better able to go longer between feedings.
Moorish_Idol
New member
I'm starting to get real nervous about getting an idol....I have heard a lot of death stories on these fish. But like Paul b said I'm going to supply them with sponge. I really love these fish, and would do anything for one. Is there any other key tips to keeping them long term?
I think I'm just going to get one. I don't want to risk getting two males, I live in small town with few people in this hobby, and I don't think I'll have a back up tank if I get two males that fight.
I think I'm just going to get one. I don't want to risk getting two males, I live in small town with few people in this hobby, and I don't think I'll have a back up tank if I get two males that fight.
Moorish_Idol
New member
Well, I mean any key tips to keep one for 5 years. Right now 5 years is probably long term in a home aquarium. but in the scheme of things and comparing to the wild it isn't
Allmost
New member
get a Specimen that eats, makes ure life much easier.
to keep it alive, feed it well.
they eat everything and anything.
ignoring food, once it has accepted it once before, would mean decline in health.
Paul, most of the moorish Idol Stories u read on the net, end with a tank crash, and death of Idol. I dont think that shows the Idol declining in health !
it just means there was an accident, power, or ... and that brought around death of ones tank, which also stocked an Idol ... who is to say the Idol wouldnt have made it for another 5 years after, if the tank didnt crash ...
when ppl on the net say yellow tang can live a long and happy life in captivity, how long did they keep it for ? before making that statement ?
to keep it alive, feed it well.
they eat everything and anything.
ignoring food, once it has accepted it once before, would mean decline in health.
Paul, most of the moorish Idol Stories u read on the net, end with a tank crash, and death of Idol. I dont think that shows the Idol declining in health !
it just means there was an accident, power, or ... and that brought around death of ones tank, which also stocked an Idol ... who is to say the Idol wouldnt have made it for another 5 years after, if the tank didnt crash ...
when ppl on the net say yellow tang can live a long and happy life in captivity, how long did they keep it for ? before making that statement ?
Moorish_Idol
New member
So, are idols extremely sensitive to water parameter fluctuations? I've been reading on idols for a long time and see what you mean about tank crashes leading to most idol deaths. Look at zfunk's idol. So as long as I try to avoid tank crashes and feed a lot the idol should do fine? I've heard it quoted many times that once idols are acclimated to your tank and eating, they're about as hardy and difficult as tangs....is this true?
I know I don't have an idol and no experience with them, so thanks for bearing with me hear and giving me feedback. It's sad the most beautiful fish in the world is one of he hardest to keep. I fell in love with them when I watched them while snorkeling in Hawaii!
About the yellow tang question....my friend with a 700 gallon tank had a yellow tang that lived for 14 years.
I know I don't have an idol and no experience with them, so thanks for bearing with me hear and giving me feedback. It's sad the most beautiful fish in the world is one of he hardest to keep. I fell in love with them when I watched them while snorkeling in Hawaii!
About the yellow tang question....my friend with a 700 gallon tank had a yellow tang that lived for 14 years.
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Paul B
Premium Member
This is not entirely true as most fish live at least 15 years, clowns can go over 20. I have had many fish live over 15 years and some 18 years. A fish the size of an Idol I assume should live at least 15 years. My tank never crashed but all of my Idols never lived past 5 years. And I am not considered a Noob.
Some fish such as Idols and copper band butterflies just don't reach their presumed lifetime in a home tank. Copperbands do live 10 years in a tank but they should live much longer but moorish Idols usually live a year or two with a few going 4 or 5 years. But that is accounting for the thousands collected every year. Absolutely none of them ever lived more than 5 or 6 years in a normal home tank. If a few lived longer, than it may be the experience of the tank owner, but if none live, we are doing something wrong and it is our fault, not the fish.
5 years stinks with any fish except seahorses and pipefish which have a limited lifespan even in the sea. Even my hermit crabs lived to 13 years.
If one of my fish lives just five years, I know I did something wrong.
Allmost
New member
that is not consistant with your last post Paul.
if this fish, along with your other fish died, then it was an accident .... who is to say your Idol wouldnt have lived for another 4.5 years after ?
I would not look at stats ... yes many Idols are collected yearly. and most die. but keep in mind, that its inexperienced ppl buying them and killing them, same ppl who cant keep a tang or a clown alive for more than 2 weeks ... we should not include those ppl when taking stats of REEFERS ! Idols are failry cheap too ! u dont see that many ppl doing this with anchilles or black tang ... but Idol ... pfffttt, everytime my LFS gets Idols, they sell out within hours ... same ppl come back when the next shipment of Idols come in .... those arent reefers, those ppl are fine with "replacing fish" which is not good ...
I have many friends with salt water tanks I have set up for ... but they are not reefers, they have fish ... and that's it .... if they fail to keep an Idol, I would make no conclusion from it ...
now within experienced hobbyists ... [I am much younger than you are
, but I have kept reefs for many years now, about 15] it seems to me that most of idols who pass the first year, and eat well, dont just die for no reason ! they dont waste away . they dont loose weight ... but Accidents happen, specially when you mix high power electricity with salt water. and that's when most idols are lost ... I would agree if one argued that when a temp spike happens and the Idol is the first to go, then yes, the Idol was most likely not healthy enough ... but when they go with a bunch of other fish ... no conclusion can be made from it.
I too would think I did something wrong if a fish lived for only 5 years or less. BUT, if the death was brought about by electricution of all fish ... then the thing that went wrong was stray voltage, and not my fish keeping skills, or health of fish or the environment nor the food offered.
hope that made sense
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