Moorish Idol anybody had any luck keeping one

[BigDaddyStar]

Moorish Idol...is eating and quite well

Its about my favorite fish and I have known people to be able to keep them

anybody have one or had any luck with them...In the past I have gone through 2 trying to keep them with no luck

For those who dont know they only eat some strange algae that grows on the reefs that cannot be duplicated in aquaria

 

[evad1]

i kept one for like a year. i got rid of him because he would eat zoo colonies over nite...
i got him to eat fozen brine/mysis and spectrum pelots...
he came from hawaii..i think the hawaiian ones are stronger more likely to survive in captivity..

 

[Ritchie]

Really beautiful fish, I loved mine when I had my 125 fowler, I had trouble with him in the beginning but after a week of garlic soaked pellets, nori, and frozen food I was able to keep him for a year . Ask the guys at the lfs what it eats that way if he's already eating some kind of food you have a better chance of keeping him alive also the guy where I got him from said to start him on red colored pellets don't know exactly why but it worked

 

[JOSE CASAS]

Awesome fish haven't tried one as i DONT TRUST IT TO BE REEF SAFE LOL.

 

[Ritchie]

not reef safe but theirs this guy in sd who has one in a feef tank and doesnt bother anything

 

[rayray]

I had 1 for 18 months. He was my favorite fish of all time. I got the call at work... At least he died with fat stomach. He's my avatar now.

You can tell from my other fish posts I dont believe most fish are "expert only", but this one was tough! He also ate zoos, but I had lots to spare. He ate everything I put in the tank, even silversides.

I'm about to get 2-3 direct from hawaii, small ones. They are also at the wholesalers all the time, but those are from fiji/philippines. I think a pair will last longer and younger ones can be trained to leave coral alone...

 

[rayray]

For those who dont know they only eat some strange algae that grows on the reefs that cannot be duplicated in aquaria

Mine ate spectrum pellets, people say it has whatever sponge-derived vitamin/mineral/complex that they need.

I read about people collecting sea sponges for idols. Mine ate up my existing yellow/blue/orange sponges in weeks. I bought every type of sponge I saw at LFSs, but he didnt touch them.

 

[BigDaddyStar]

Nice.......I was to newbie when I got my other ones I am really hoping to keep one alive.....they are the most graceful fish ever....I dont care if he eats zoos so long as he eats something....

I should be getting one tomorrow.....wish me luck

I will also be stocking-piling ever food available

Any luck feeding seaweed? I read that usually works to start

 

[rayray]

Good luck Paul!

Did you get a hawaiian MI? This makes a huge difference.

I didnt QT mine, shhhh... but I did TREAT.

I acclimated fishwhisperer style:
My LFS held him for 1 month and he was eating spectrum pellets already. So I did a quick drip acclimation 10min, freshwater dip 3min (pH corrected- i measured and added buffer then floated in large ziplock bags in my sump to equalize temp), into a bucket of tank water 2min, then freshwater dip again (new batch) 5min, then straight into my fuge. I felt no need to stress his physiology with medications or place in a sterile QT. 40min from LFS to my fuge, which was part of a very mature system.

If yours isnt eating pellet try manila clams on a half shell (seafood city or ranch99 market), and live brine too. Seaweed is not really in their diet, but they are know to much on coralline algae. You're gonna have to feed heavy (3-4x daily) b/c they are a big fish with a small mouth.


Give me updates, pics.

eace:

 

[cthetoy]

The secret is finding one that eats at the LFS. The smaller the better. Then you feed it 5x a day to fatten it up since alot of Idols I see at the LFS are on the thin side. Yes your bioload will go up of all the feedings so watch your water parameters. After a few weeks you can feed it 2x-3x a day

My Idol is going over one year. Eats 90% pellets, 5% flakes and 5% mysis. I feed it 2x-3x a day.

 

[BigDaddyStar]

thanks good to see it's not impossible...I have read many good things about them.......they are my favorite and I have to have one

I am hoping it wil make it........I hate being the guy buying into something that has a nill chance at survival but they are my fave

 

[plecosword]

I had a great first experience with them. They need to be taught to change their diet, some people were saying they eat corals, and thats because they learned to do that, in my opinion though. You have to have a lot of patience at first, the younger they are, the better chance you have of training them to eat different foods. It seems that the older ones are less willing to try new foods. I feed mine Frozen mysis, Ocean nutrition Angel Formula, and New life Speactrum pellets

 

[BigDaddyStar]

Wow how many do you have 5 or so....very awesome

No Fighting problems like I heard with multiples?

I have picked spectrum pellets, seaweed, cyclopeeze, and some new gel squares food,

We will see how it goes...he will definately not die from lack of options

 

[BigDaddyStar]

So here he is thanks to brad of majesticreefs I think it is.....

He was a little shooken up but doing well now.gave him a dip and acclimated him..he will now be home in my fuge till he will hopefully take food.

He is a sub-adult

 

[BeanMachine]

Wow how many do you have 5 or so....very awesome

No Fighting problems like I heard with multiples?

I have picked spectrum pellets, seaweed, cyclopeeze, and some new gel squares food,

We will see how it goes...he will definately not die from lack of options

hehe his avatar looks like the deep blue sea... and if thats his tank we should all go on a field trip to see it!

 

[BeanMachine]

So here he is thanks to brad of majesticreefs I think it is.....

He was a little shooken up but doing well now.gave him a dip and acclimated him..he will now be home in my fuge till he will hopefully take food.

He is a sub-adult

Nice it looks to be in nice condition. Beautiful congrats!

 

[BigDaddyStar]

Seriuosly I want to know too.........I cant tell if its a tank or not

 

[JOSE CASAS]

Awesome and more power to you if you can keep it because I wish I could keep one.

 

[BigDaddyStar]

Thanks......yeah they are one of the coolest fish to watch

 

[BD Enterprises]

Lookin good paul!.

thanks for meeting up with me today.