The Moorish Idol Thread

I know you have some. But cloudy water doesn't have anything to do with Moorish idols... Just cause I own an angelfish doesn't mean its proper for me to ask about my algae issues in the "angel" thread ... Maybe I'm just letting it annoy me? If so my bad ..
 
Sorry they both have one cloudy eye and its the same on both. Like they both scratched it on the same piece of rock looking for pods or something. Treating it in a display tank environment so as not to stress these delicate fish further by putting them in a qf tank w no nathral food. I noticed this 3 days ago and its not getting better. Hoping i was gonna get them eating the spectrum pellets and that would boost their immune system or something but so far no prepared foods are taken. Especially not out of the water column :( can i treat this in the display or leave them be???
 
Paul B said:
That is not unusual and unfortunately what happens to many, if not most Idols in captivity. That's why there are no old Moorish Idols in tanks. 6 or 7 years is not old for a fish that probably lives 15 or 20 years in the sea. (that is a guess)
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For what it's worth, my idol has been in the display for over a week now. Chowing down on literally everything I throw at him, and behaving perfectly with the other fish. He and the decussatus butterfly actually push the other fish out of the way to get to NLS inbetween my fingers. He chased the Heniochus around a little bit at first, but quickly settled down and gets along fine with it now. The idol and the regal angel are the dominant fish in the tank, followed by the potters angelfish.
 
Axolotl said:
Sorry they both have one cloudy eye and its the same on both. Like they both scratched it on the same piece of rock looking for pods or something. Treating it in a display tank environment so as not to stress these delicate fish further by putting them in a qf tank w no nathral food. I noticed this 3 days ago and its not getting better. Hoping i was gonna get them eating the spectrum pellets and that would boost their immune system or something but so far no prepared foods are taken. Especially not out of the water column :( can i treat this in the display or leave them be???
Click to expand...

Sounds like they may need antibiotics and honestly treating them in qt would be better. If always believed if a fish can't be conditioned and survive in qt then it shouldn't be in the DT and prob wouldnt live anyway...
 
4y4emu5u.jpg

This is my moorish idol I've had him for 6 months and eating like a cow
I've keep several in the past
I have a little secret to keeping them alive
 
Chowing down on literally everything I throw at him, and behaving perfectly with the other fish.
Click to expand...
I have had many of them for many years and virtually all of mine ate. Idols are usually great eaters even though it is written that many of them are hard to feed. Most of them will eat cardboard, but in 4 or 5 years something happens to most of them that makes them decline. I had my last one for about five years, which is a dismal failure for almost any fish.

If you have a secret to keeping them for 10 or more years I certainly want to hear about it. I have spent time with them in the South Pacific and also learned many things about them, but I still can't keep one for at least ten years. A Moorish Idol probably has a lifespan of 15 years or so and I feel that would be a success.
I think I could keep one now for almost that long but my 100 gallon tank is way to small for an adult as it is to full of rocks.
 
OK, if you get one to live for 10 years, I want to know about it.
I will be really old in ten years so don't forget. :D
 
i havnt read through the thread all the way yet i love morish idols one of my all time fav...i recently had one in my 500 gallon sps dom reef he did soo good for 3 months then out of no were overnight gone this morning ...he ate everything put in sucs..... i wish i knew what happened ill read through this and maybe find some answers i just wanted to post im a little upset!!!
 
Hello everyone. It's taken me awhile but I've finally gotten through reading this whole thread and there seems to be alot of successful MI keepers.

I live in Australia and recently purchased a Moorish Idol for my 125g mixed reef. I've done alot of research and also kept one for about a year in a previous tank over 10 years ago.

I'm after some advice on getting him to feed from the water column. Today is the 8th day he has been in my tank. From day one he has been picking at the rocks and eating sponge that is also growing on the rocks. Initially my flame angel took quite a disliking to him and I had to trap the flame angel who is now having timeout in the sump!

So far the MI loves to eat Nori that I rubber band onto a rock. He also eats avocado and has picked at a piece of banana. He does not like to eat mussels or clams but devours oysters and scallops. So far he has ignored every other food I have put in the tank (All frozen foods:mysis/brine/angel formula/krill etc). I've also tried different types of pellets and flakes - not interested! Ive also tried hiding/crushing pellets into the avocado but he just picks around them. It seems as though when I feed the tank frozen food he goes and hides until it has mostly been consumed by the other fish.

My question is how do I train him to eat food from the water column? I know he is getting some nutrition as he is not skinny (nor fat) and his dorsal streamer has grown about 2 inches since being in the tank.

Other fish inc. - Juv emperor angel, school of lyretail anthias, mystery wrasse, yellow striped cardinals and some blue/green chromis.

Thanks for the help in advance

Tim
 
I would keep feeding the scallop and oyster and nori, and also try chopped shrimp. Keep offering the mysis, I expect your MI will start eating it. Many also eat flakes and pellets, but that typically takes time. It just takes time for them to start eating from the water column, but as you can see from this thread most will eat a lot of different foods once they settle into the tank.
 
Mine eats mostly pellets. It has eaten them from day one. However, it prefers to get them off the bottom rather than get them out of the water column. It will occasionally take them out of the water column, but usually it "blows" water at pellets resting on the bottom and eats them when they come up.

But it needs small pellets. I feed New Life Spectrum small pellets. I also have medium pellets, it won't touch them. Nori is also good, as you have seen. Nori will keep the streamer long and growing. Of course, frozen food is always good too.

Feed often. They don't eat much at one time, especially when new and or small. They do best when they can graze or pick all day long.

Occasionally, my Idol has quit eating over the years. I always got it eating again by feeding frozen Rod's food. I don't know what you have in Australia, but that is what has worked best for me.

Mine is now 5 yrs old, and I have enjoyed every minute of having this fish.

Good luck!

 
Thanks for the help Pinnatus and Dr Colliebreath. I will continue to feed Oysters/Scallop/Nori and keep offering mysis shrimp. He is now aggressively feeding on the oyster, so much so that I can see he is consuming large amounts and his belly is appears much larger.

My only worry is that he has a little bit of white spot and is being harassed a little by my jun. emperor angel. If the angel is near the food source then the idol has to wait until he swims aways until he can feed. I may have to get rid of the emperor but he is also a much loved fish.

At the moment I am putting in half an oyster lackabanded onto the outside of an oyster shell in the morning and another half at night. This disappears pretty quickly as the anthias have now started eating it as well. Should I add more than this? I don't want to overload my tank as I've already added so much food to the tank since I got the MI. I also have Nori available all day to the MI.

Thanks again for the help. One this one settles in and whitespot is gone I would love to add another MI to make a pair. Anyone had any experience with adding a second MI to a tank?

Tim

PS Pinnatus - Your MI looks fit and healthy. Hopefully mine will live for that long.
 
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