Moorish idol HELP

[clk2609]

i have posted this thread at RC also, but no responses yet: ANY help is greatly appreciated.

ok, did a search about moorish idols and apparently pretty hot topic. This post is NOT intended for a debate to rage on, more of a question of WHAT I SHOULD DO.

background, i have a 110g reef with softies, LPS and new SPS. just purchased a 233g acrylic tank to ugrade to and moorish idol came with it. . The moorish idol is in my 75g tank with the live rock from the purchase.

1. NOW, some say they are reef safe and others say they are not. PLEASE.... some opinions on people that actually have this fish and kept it with success... which i know is few and far in between. for those of you that have them: ARE your tanks REEF or FISH ONLY? if reef, what kind of corals do you have?

The one i have now has been eating well for over a year and still eating in my 75g tank and is gorgeous.

2. Should i take the chance and put it into my reef once i transfer it to the 233g?

3. OR try to sell to somebody locally... only dilemna there is i want him to go to a good home and good size tank... there is no need for this fish to perish needlessly. I will not give to LFS!!

PLEASE HELP WITH THIS TOPIC, IN A BIND HERE.
THANKS!!

 

[AF Founder]

CLK,

It is very unlikely that it will touch stoney corals, but soft corals are a possibility. Your idol will do best in a large tank, especially when fed a variety of foods. Idols tend to crap out after about a year from mysterious causes. Good luck!

 

[Jaffo_botz]

CLK,
I had a MI for over 7 years. They grow LARGE and need plenty of swimming space. Unfortunately, I just lost my MI recently after seven great years as it was punctured by swimming into LR that was covered with Vermetid snails. (sharp tubes)... We tried saving him, but with no luck. On my fish website below I have some pics and the story behind our Idol....

Since it was mainly a FO w/LR show tank, I have no experience with Idols in reefs and what they would eat. My guess is they would leave hard corals alone, and eat any softies it could find. As you know they eat/pick all day long.... Good luck.

 

[Lynn]

CLK, I was just reading your post here and wondering what you decided to do with the moorish idol?

Jaffo-I also have a MI and would like to know what all you fed yours? 7 years is probably the record that anyone has kept one alive! Congrad's

 

[Jaffo_botz]

Hi lynn....I Detailed (long) on our MI page on the geocities page below if you want to read what we fed it. Comes down to this: a very varied diet, including Ocean Nutrition's Formula foods (I, II, Angel, VHP), Daily offering of Nori/Seaweed selects (switched between brown, red, green), Hakari marine-A pellets, periodic marine flake, frozen Mysis and clam.

I added either Selcon or Boyd's Vitachem to the foods, literally on a daily basis...... The tank was fed minimum twice daily, usually three times...

They need plenty of food to stay healthy....Good luck!

 

[Lynn]

Jaffo-I've really enjoyed ready all about your MI. Very informative!
Mine is doing super well (touch wood). She is eating everything that I offer to her. Squid, mysis, all the different seaweeds select, marine angel food,shrimp, clams, mussels, spirulina, formula foods, etc. I feed six times a day and everynight she gets a fresh mussle or clam.

She's really good with the other fish and doesn't bother with them at all.

The only problem I'm having is that she batter's herself againist her relection trying to "kill the other" MI. I've tried several things including a background scene againist the glass, but nothing is working. I'm now leaving the side unclean and hopefully algae grows on it and blocks the reflection which should solve the problem.
cheers