The Moorish Idol Thread

[pinnatus]

Pretty much all instances of multiple MI's have failed from what I have seen/heard. I personally started with 3, and ended up with 1 as they killed each other off. I think that is typical, at least in a small aquarium such as what we typically have. (I am counting my 240 as a small aquarium).

My Idol shares the tank with 2 adult emperors. They do not bother each other.

Especially at first, keep feeding, feeding, feeding. They eat a little all the time. After a while, you can reduce the feedings - they will get used to it after a while. I feed twice a day now. But I feed pellets, and I feed a lot more than they can eat at one time. The MI can hunt for pellets all day long that way.

Notice my tank has a lot of cyano. I feed a lot, and that helps fuel cyano outbreaks. But my MI is my top priority in the tank, so I can live with cyano. Those with reef tanks may not like that.

 

[SDguy]

Good job Ken; congrats on 5 years!

 

[pinnatus]

Thanks, Peter! I wish I had the total collection that you have, though!

 

[HumbleFish]

Notice my tank has a lot of cyano. I feed a lot, and that helps fuel cyano outbreaks. But my MI is my top priority in the tank, so I can live with cyano. Those with reef tanks may not like that.

I've got the same thing happening in my tank (cyano all over the sandbed). But I feed my MI at least 3x daily, so I just figure that's the primary reason why.

 

[pinnatus]

I was just reading in another thread that Mrtuskfish has had success with a pair of Idols, I believe he says his pair is 8 yrs old. Impressive.

 

[TStanway]

Thanks again for the advice. The MI has really settled into the tank now and is eating quite alot. Only oysters and Nori and also anything else I lackaband onto the oyster shell but nothing from the water column yet.

The emperor angel has become less aggressive towards the MI but he is definitely still the boss. The MI now follows the emperor around the tank (It almost looks as though he is trying to befriend him).

I really wanted to have a pair but not sure if I should risk it :spin2: I'll wait a little longer......

Tim

 

[pinnatus]

My Idol and the dominant emperor swim around together. The Idol likes to swim with other fishes. He will also swim next to me as I walk by the tank. Sometimes I race him .

 

[tbone555]

I wish... that is a tough one to keep

 

[Reefael]

Anyone know why his streamer has three (long) splits in it? I don't see any of the other fish picking as his streamer. By the way, I've only had him for five weeks and eats anything I put into the tank. Spectrum, see weed pellets, see weed, spirulina and omega flakes, frozen and dried mysis shrimp and anything he finds floating around. He even recycles his own poop

 

[pinnatus]

The streamer is easily damaged. Often when they are first shipped, the streamer is pretty much gone. The flappy fin part grows back quickly but there is a filament inside that takes longer to grow back. Until it does, the streamer may be lost and grow back many times. Eventually it becomes more sturdy and stays around longer. At any rate, I have seen that feeding nori helps the streamer regenerate much faster.

 

[TStanway]

Hi guys I thought I'd give an update on how my MI is going. I've almost had him (or her) for a month now and he has just started to eat frozen foods from the water column.

Firstly he started to eat chopped scallop and today (after not being fed all day) he got stuck into some marine mix and frozen mysis shrimp. So fingers crossed he'll be on the pellets in no time.

The whitespot is pretty much gone now aswell.

Thanks again for everyones assistance

Tim

 

[tassod]

Hello everyone, thought i would post since i just got my first MI. He's in my QT of course along with 6 other fish (75g QT). My QT is already in the middle of hyppo treatment so he's doing well so far. He's been eating well also, so far he eats pellets, flakes and mysis and chopped squid. Have not really gone through this thread a lot yet but I will. Anything though i should know right away as I start my journey to try and keep this fish?

 

[tassod]

For the first time this morning my MI would not eat. Up until this morning including last night, he would eat everything i threw at him..nori, mysis, pellets, flakes..etc..Wonder what could be bothering him. I usually put a sheet of nori in the morning and he would usually go crazy at it, today he was just staying in a corner while the others devoured it. He has not displayed any signs of disease. I just finished bringing the salinity back up to normal levels as I had him in Hypo treatment for 2 1/2 weeks. I did take it slow bringing that up, took me about 9 days to go from 1.009 to 1.024 but like i said he's been fine until this morning.

 

[slate55]

For the first time this morning my MI would not eat. Up until this morning including last night, he would eat everything i threw at him..nori, mysis, pellets, flakes..etc..Wonder what could be bothering him. I usually put a sheet of nori in the morning and he would usually go crazy at it, today he was just staying in a corner while the others devoured it. He has not displayed any signs of disease. I just finished bringing the salinity back up to normal levels as I had him in Hypo treatment for 2 1/2 weeks. I did take it slow bringing that up, took me about 9 days to go from 1.009 to 1.024 but like i said he's been fine until this morning.

Hope he's ok ..
Please keep us updated

 

[pinnatus]

Mine went on hunger strikes occasionally when he was new - the first 6 months or so. When he did, I fed Rod's food and that usually stopped the hunger strike, and he would go back to eating pellets again.

Hope yours starts eating again.

 

[Dmorty217]

I am thinking about trying 2 MI in the tank I'm picking up then end of this month. It's a 7x6x2ft 625g with a 210 sump and a 220g refugium (well will be) anyone have any advice or advise against this? Hedgedrew, who is feature as this months RTOTM has 3 MI in his 900g. I haven't been able to ask him specifically about this but I plan on getting some inside info on how long he has had them and how it has and is working out

 

[pinnatus]

My personal experience has been that MI's will kill each other off until 1 is left. I started with 3 and now have 1. I suspect tank size has something to do with this, the three were in a quarantine situation with not a lot of space. I have also heard this from many others. However, there is someone who posts in the fish only forum that has I believe 3 Idols that live together and get along well.

Edited - MrTuskfish is the person I am referring to.

 

[tassod]

Mine went on hunger strikes occasionally when he was new - the first 6 months or so. When he did, I fed Rod's food and that usually stopped the hunger strike, and he would go back to eating pellets again.

Hope yours starts eating again.

How long did the strikes last? Tried feeding more nori and pellets this evening but no can do. He seems "tired" and stays in one corner of the tank going in circles slowly. I'll feed some frozen later see how that goes.

Should i consider putting him in the DT?

 

[Dmorty217]

My personal experience has been that MI's will kill each other off until 1 is left. I started with 3 and now have 1. I suspect tank size has something to do with this, the three were in a quarantine situation with not a lot of space. I have also heard this from many others. However, there is someone who posts in the fish only forum that has I believe 3 Idols that live together and get along well.

Edited - MrTuskfish is the person I am referring to.

I have also been told this by many others but I was curious about others who have tried it and tank sizes involved when trying. MrTuskfish is kinda like Snorvich (and a few others on here)... Way more knowledgable and have way more experience than I do ( have been keeping saltwater for 17 yrs now) so I could only hope to be as successful as either of the two mentioned above. Hedgedrew has 3 like I mentioned but that's in a 900g and he is currently upgrading tanks from his 900g to over 30,000g total so obviously he isn't the norm

 

[pinnatus]

How long did the strikes last? Tried feeding more nori and pellets this evening but no can do. He seems "tired" and stays in one corner of the tank going in circles slowly. I'll feed some frozen later see how that goes.

Should i consider putting him in the DT?

They lasted a couple of days maybe.

Try Rod's food. It was the only thing that worked for me.