I know I will get flamed, but I want to know if I should claim victory after 3 months. This fish eats like a pig, after I trained him to eat out of the water column. I was given this fish as a gift so don't flame me too bad. I have done my best to keep it healthy. Would like to hear anyone else that has had success.Yahoo Briefcase
Like to hear from anyone having sucess with a Moorish Idol
- Thread starter Colonel
- Start date
Yes, I've had one for 11 months now and it's a picture of health. When I first got it ( a juvenile about 4 1/2 inches long) it refused to eat any of the foods I offered for over a week. I could see that it was definately hungry as it was constantly pecking at rocks and the glass where little pockets of algae grew. I could see that it was interested in eating but the problem appeared to be getting it to eat from the water column. Heres what I did:
I usually feed my fish a mixture of frozen foods in the morning, then flake or nori or sea vegies in the evening. I noticed that the Idol was showing some interest in pecking at the frozen bloodworms that happened to land on the sand or rocks. Trouble was it was only "mouthing" the bloodworms and spitting them out. I thought I'd try feeding just the bloodworms, putting 2 cubes in the tank so that they were everywhere. The other fish went crazy as usual then lo and behold the Idol started to join in, but now it was swallowing the bloodworms and taking them from wherever it saw them, sand and rocks and from the water column.
Next day, I fed just bloodworms again. All the fish, including the Idol joined in.
Next day, I fed the frozen mixture but no bloodworms this time.....just brine shrimp, mysis shrimp. marine-green mix and the Idol started "mouthing" the new foods, but soon was swallowing them.
For the next week I continued the normal feeding regime and by weeks end the Idol was eating everything and quite greedily. Soon after it was eating flake, nori, sea vegies and now is the first to start and last to leave the table. In fact it takes Nori from my fingers. It has grown 1 1/2 inches in the 11 months I've had it.
A couple of things come to mind; I think the red colour of the bloodworms may have been an attractant as I know that Idols favour sponges in their natural diet. They are definately a grazing type feeder...you will often see the Idol blowing water at the surface of the sand trying to uncover things just below the surface. The trick is to get them to eat from the water column, once you've cleared that hurdle they are as hardy as any other fish.
The other neat thing is the "night" pyjamas they put on, where the white parts become a creamy colour. Mine is the only fish in the tank which actually sleeps in open water...all the others hide in the rockwork.
Hope this helps.
I usually feed my fish a mixture of frozen foods in the morning, then flake or nori or sea vegies in the evening. I noticed that the Idol was showing some interest in pecking at the frozen bloodworms that happened to land on the sand or rocks. Trouble was it was only "mouthing" the bloodworms and spitting them out. I thought I'd try feeding just the bloodworms, putting 2 cubes in the tank so that they were everywhere. The other fish went crazy as usual then lo and behold the Idol started to join in, but now it was swallowing the bloodworms and taking them from wherever it saw them, sand and rocks and from the water column.
Next day, I fed just bloodworms again. All the fish, including the Idol joined in.
Next day, I fed the frozen mixture but no bloodworms this time.....just brine shrimp, mysis shrimp. marine-green mix and the Idol started "mouthing" the new foods, but soon was swallowing them.
For the next week I continued the normal feeding regime and by weeks end the Idol was eating everything and quite greedily. Soon after it was eating flake, nori, sea vegies and now is the first to start and last to leave the table. In fact it takes Nori from my fingers. It has grown 1 1/2 inches in the 11 months I've had it.
A couple of things come to mind; I think the red colour of the bloodworms may have been an attractant as I know that Idols favour sponges in their natural diet. They are definately a grazing type feeder...you will often see the Idol blowing water at the surface of the sand trying to uncover things just below the surface. The trick is to get them to eat from the water column, once you've cleared that hurdle they are as hardy as any other fish.
The other neat thing is the "night" pyjamas they put on, where the white parts become a creamy colour. Mine is the only fish in the tank which actually sleeps in open water...all the others hide in the rockwork.
Hope this helps.
Thanks,
I had a similar exp. I got him eating brine first. Then Mysis and then Blood worms. The Idol is my favorite fish. Now when I walk into the room, he comes right to the side of the tank and shakes. He wants to be fed. It is great to see. I was worried when I got the fish, because I thought they all died. I appear to be wrong. Glad I did'nt get flamed for even having one but in my opinion they are the most beautiful marine fish there is.
I had a similar exp. I got him eating brine first. Then Mysis and then Blood worms. The Idol is my favorite fish. Now when I walk into the room, he comes right to the side of the tank and shakes. He wants to be fed. It is great to see. I was worried when I got the fish, because I thought they all died. I appear to be wrong. Glad I did'nt get flamed for even having one but in my opinion they are the most beautiful marine fish there is.
Thanks,
I had a similar exp. I got him eating brine first. Then Mysis and then Blood worms. The Idol is my favorite fish. Now when I walk into the room, he comes right to the side of the tank and shakes. He wants to be fed. It is great to see. I was worried when I got the fish, because I thought they all died. I appear to be wrong. Glad I did'nt get flamed for even having one but in my opinion they are the most beautiful marine fish there is.
I had a similar exp. I got him eating brine first. Then Mysis and then Blood worms. The Idol is my favorite fish. Now when I walk into the room, he comes right to the side of the tank and shakes. He wants to be fed. It is great to see. I was worried when I got the fish, because I thought they all died. I appear to be wrong. Glad I did'nt get flamed for even having one but in my opinion they are the most beautiful marine fish there is.
Yes, have to agree with you. Mine is certainly the most inquisitive fish in the tank...not at all shy. In fact it's about the only one I can take photos of without it shying away from the camera. It looks funny some times tilting itself to get under a rock ledge etc. Its always grazing and on the lookout for feeding time. As a matter of interest, mine started out in a FO set up which I converted to a reef 8 months ago. He's only bothered one of my corals, a red Cyanaria lacramalis, which he constantly attacked and eventually ate, but ignores all the others including a physogera, mushrooms, leathers and a big colony of whiskers coral. The "red" colour comes into play again with his choice of corals to nip now that I think of it.
Does yours start to grow the long filament on the dorsal fin ?. Mine grows it so long it trails almost back to his tail fin until it must get caught on a rock or maybe nipped by other fish and its back to normal length for a while, then grows again pretty quickly.
All in all, it's my favourite fish.
Does yours start to grow the long filament on the dorsal fin ?. Mine grows it so long it trails almost back to his tail fin until it must get caught on a rock or maybe nipped by other fish and its back to normal length for a while, then grows again pretty quickly.
All in all, it's my favourite fish.
No don't have any sponge to feed him. All food is soaked in Selcon. He eats like a pig. Bloodworms, Mysis, and brine. He won't touch flake. He also eats green algae sometimes. What I do notice is he wants to graze constantly. My best guess is you cannot under feed Moorish Idols or they die quickly. They are thin, and in nature graze all the time. I feed mine twice a day.
To be truthful Steve, I've never fed sponge as I've not seen it available over here. The fish eats virtually anything I put into the tank though so it is far from being a finicky eater.
I think its true to say that being a slender fish there is not a lot in reserve if they become malnourished, and most wouldn't get past the second week without eating. Typically most losses from what I've read occur during this period. Then again John Tulloch recounted that he had one for just over a year that appeared to be thriving and just died without any outward signs of disease so that may still prove another hurdle down the track.
Actually 2 years ago I had another Idol which I'd gotten through the initial "non-eating" period and it thrived for over 9 months but I lost this fish along with 7 others with a contaminated water catastrophe, but thats another story.
The other factor that I think may be relevant is that both Idols were acquired as juveniles and probably were more adaptable to accepting substitute foods. I wouldn't attempt the break in an adult Idol as I think they may be too set in their dietry needs to be a realistic chance of success.
I think its true to say that being a slender fish there is not a lot in reserve if they become malnourished, and most wouldn't get past the second week without eating. Typically most losses from what I've read occur during this period. Then again John Tulloch recounted that he had one for just over a year that appeared to be thriving and just died without any outward signs of disease so that may still prove another hurdle down the track.
Actually 2 years ago I had another Idol which I'd gotten through the initial "non-eating" period and it thrived for over 9 months but I lost this fish along with 7 others with a contaminated water catastrophe, but thats another story.
The other factor that I think may be relevant is that both Idols were acquired as juveniles and probably were more adaptable to accepting substitute foods. I wouldn't attempt the break in an adult Idol as I think they may be too set in their dietry needs to be a realistic chance of success.
Thanks Trybka,
Funny thing is of the 8 fish in my tank 3 are generally considered impossible or very difficult by most experts yet all are going great guns so far:
* A leopard wrasse which I've had for close to 3 years. This fish survived the "nuke" event that claimed the 1st Idol, and it even changed gender from female to male last year.
* The Idol for 11 months as already discussed.
* A juvenile cleaner wrasse for just over 2 months which is eating everything and appears to be thriving so far.
Then again I've tried 3 times but can't keep a Flame Angel in my tank. They all perish after refusing to eat. Likewise, limited success with Yellow Tangs which start out well but suddenly die without symptoms after anything from 2 weeks to a year. Go figure...
Funny thing is of the 8 fish in my tank 3 are generally considered impossible or very difficult by most experts yet all are going great guns so far:
* A leopard wrasse which I've had for close to 3 years. This fish survived the "nuke" event that claimed the 1st Idol, and it even changed gender from female to male last year.
* The Idol for 11 months as already discussed.
* A juvenile cleaner wrasse for just over 2 months which is eating everything and appears to be thriving so far.
Then again I've tried 3 times but can't keep a Flame Angel in my tank. They all perish after refusing to eat. Likewise, limited success with Yellow Tangs which start out well but suddenly die without symptoms after anything from 2 weeks to a year. Go figure...
I do not intend on keeping Moorish Idols. I do however think of them to be an absolutly beautiful fish. I am happy to see this post Flame free. There are people who have had success but would be hesitant to post anything that they have done as to avoid the wrath of someone flaming. This fishes chance of success will only improve with people who will take the time to have meaningful dialog.
Those who are itching to pull the triger on the flame thrower please hold back.
Also those who have had success please include all the problems as well so many more do not have to make the same mistakes.
Those who are itching to pull the triger on the flame thrower please hold back.
Also those who have had success please include all the problems as well so many more do not have to make the same mistakes.
Naesco,
Put it this way, I wouldn't even attempt an adult Moorish Idol. Knowing what I know now I'd only suggest a juvenile and I'd further qualify that a) it had only recently arrived at the LFS and b)was showing interest in eating and was generally active and alert. To illustrate my point, the other day I was in the LFS and there was a tank with a couple of juvenile Idols mixed in with a group of Tangs, one of the tangs was dead on the bottom of the tank. I noticed that one of the young Idols was totally engrossed in picking at the remains of the dead fish. To me, that is a potential survivor. As far as the other difficult fish are concerned, I was blindly unaware that the Leopard Wrasse was categorised as very difficult and thought that like most wrasse they would be indestructible...which is exactly what this one has proven to be over 3 years. I'll reserve judgement on the Cleaner Wrasse and concede that although it is eating well the lack of available parasites may have repercussions later. There may be something vital that its not going to get in their diet that proves its downfall. For now I neither recommend nor discourage.
Fish that I would certainly discourage are the obligate feeders such as the endemic Hawaiian cleaner wrasse, Orange spotted filefish, most Butterfly species etc which just won't accept substitute foods. They are the Goni's of the fish world and should be left in the ocean.
Put it this way, I wouldn't even attempt an adult Moorish Idol. Knowing what I know now I'd only suggest a juvenile and I'd further qualify that a) it had only recently arrived at the LFS and b)was showing interest in eating and was generally active and alert. To illustrate my point, the other day I was in the LFS and there was a tank with a couple of juvenile Idols mixed in with a group of Tangs, one of the tangs was dead on the bottom of the tank. I noticed that one of the young Idols was totally engrossed in picking at the remains of the dead fish. To me, that is a potential survivor. As far as the other difficult fish are concerned, I was blindly unaware that the Leopard Wrasse was categorised as very difficult and thought that like most wrasse they would be indestructible...which is exactly what this one has proven to be over 3 years. I'll reserve judgement on the Cleaner Wrasse and concede that although it is eating well the lack of available parasites may have repercussions later. There may be something vital that its not going to get in their diet that proves its downfall. For now I neither recommend nor discourage.
Fish that I would certainly discourage are the obligate feeders such as the endemic Hawaiian cleaner wrasse, Orange spotted filefish, most Butterfly species etc which just won't accept substitute foods. They are the Goni's of the fish world and should be left in the ocean.
Smokinreefer,
Theres quite a story to tell with this fish. It was the second fish added to my tank about 3 years ago. Mine was a female, white body with black spots. I had, and still have, another wrasse in there a Coris Gaimard which like the leopard, buries itself at night. The leopard eats all the standard fare; brine shrimp, chopped krill, mysis shrimp, bloodworms. Not keen on flake but will eat the sinking pellets. Throughout the day you will see it cruising in and out of the rockwork, they also like to dive into the sand every now and then and jump out seeing if they've exposed anything edible. Both wrasse do that.
Anyhow, I had a major catastrophe the Christmas before last and lost all my fish except for the 2 wrasse and a damsel due to unknowingly using contaminated water doing a water change prior to going on vacation. The whole tank was pulled down and the survivors put back in the same day. By rights all the fish should have perished but the leopard was one that came through.
Heres the interesting thing; the tank was a FO at the time and one of the new fish I added months later was a small spotted grouper. From day 1 the leopard started harassing the little grouper, sort of coralling it in the corner of the tank, but nothing too serious. A few weeks passed and I noticed that the Leopard started to change colour, with green overtaking the white body. Then the spots gradually faded out and were replaced by a checkered pattern, at the same time a red spot appeared on the dorsal fin. I'm thinking "what the hell is going on ", anyway after doing a bit of research I found that on the reef there is usually 1 male with a harem of a dozen or more females. Should the male die or disappear, one of the females undergoes a gender change and takes over the harem. Obviously, my wrasse had viewed the spotted grouper as a female of the same species and decided that it's purpose in life was to become a male.
Today its a mature male, and a beautiful fish at that. I've got a digital camera and have a photo of it as a female and I will take one of it as a male... I'll figure out how to post the photo.
Don't let anyone tell you that a leopard can't change its spots !!.
Sorry for the length of this post but I thought it needed some explaining.
Theres quite a story to tell with this fish. It was the second fish added to my tank about 3 years ago. Mine was a female, white body with black spots. I had, and still have, another wrasse in there a Coris Gaimard which like the leopard, buries itself at night. The leopard eats all the standard fare; brine shrimp, chopped krill, mysis shrimp, bloodworms. Not keen on flake but will eat the sinking pellets. Throughout the day you will see it cruising in and out of the rockwork, they also like to dive into the sand every now and then and jump out seeing if they've exposed anything edible. Both wrasse do that.
Anyhow, I had a major catastrophe the Christmas before last and lost all my fish except for the 2 wrasse and a damsel due to unknowingly using contaminated water doing a water change prior to going on vacation. The whole tank was pulled down and the survivors put back in the same day. By rights all the fish should have perished but the leopard was one that came through.
Heres the interesting thing; the tank was a FO at the time and one of the new fish I added months later was a small spotted grouper. From day 1 the leopard started harassing the little grouper, sort of coralling it in the corner of the tank, but nothing too serious. A few weeks passed and I noticed that the Leopard started to change colour, with green overtaking the white body. Then the spots gradually faded out and were replaced by a checkered pattern, at the same time a red spot appeared on the dorsal fin. I'm thinking "what the hell is going on ", anyway after doing a bit of research I found that on the reef there is usually 1 male with a harem of a dozen or more females. Should the male die or disappear, one of the females undergoes a gender change and takes over the harem. Obviously, my wrasse had viewed the spotted grouper as a female of the same species and decided that it's purpose in life was to become a male.
Today its a mature male, and a beautiful fish at that. I've got a digital camera and have a photo of it as a female and I will take one of it as a male... I'll figure out how to post the photo.
Don't let anyone tell you that a leopard can't change its spots !!.
Sorry for the length of this post but I thought it needed some explaining.
Thanks KenH, if I ever see Angel formula I'll try it. I use a local one called Marine Mix- Green, amongst the others down here but not sure if sponge is included in the formula.
The tank is a 6 footer, 120 US gals. Started as a FO and is now a reef set up. I have around 60 kgs of live rock but left a lot of free space so the fish aren't overly restricted .
The tank is a 6 footer, 120 US gals. Started as a FO and is now a reef set up. I have around 60 kgs of live rock but left a lot of free space so the fish aren't overly restricted .
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