Morish idol

[Evanski9]

If you have and tips and concerns please post :)

So I have seen alot of people who own idols today and they have always been my favorite.


Are they generally reef safe or no?

I hear they are hard to get to eat but I have read many people have theirs pellet trained.



Please help I wanna order one and give it a go.


I have a mixed reef

[rpjaws74]

I have to say this guys are considered one of the most diificult fish to keep alive. Ive never kept one for this same reason. They are considered for expert care level so if you consider yourself pretty knowledgeable go for it!! good luck

[Moorish_Idol]

They're very beautiful fish.....but they are very difficult, it doesn't matter of they eat ir not. I've heard that they can really be pigs! But plain and simple, they can't handle captive life, they can be eating great and then die the next day for no reason. And that's the big mystery, they just die, all of a sudden. The longest I've heard them living for is 5 years. Obviously they die for some reason, but we have absolutely no idea how......

I'm not trying to keep you away from this fish, because who knows you could find out the mystery....most advances in the hobby are made by hobbiests. But you need to be very prepared and don't dive in to this. Take a while to consider if you have the time and commitment to care for this fish, because it's going to take A LOT of commitment, care, time to keep this ish healthy. Do as much research as possible!

A great thread going on at reef central is '"the moorish idol thread" and now split into the '"moorish idol primer" great sources of information on this beautiful fish! And I think this thread is going to have some success finding the problem.

I absolutely love moorish idols also!!! But you need to be aware of the difficulty of this fish! :)

[Moontje]

I'm sure that they're not reef safe !

[Moorish_Idol]

I've seen them in reef tanks and they're reef safe but with caution. They will usually go for soft corals, zoas, or LPS. but the one thing about idols, is that they will only eat or nip at your corals if they're not fed right. Idols need to be fed a diet with a high amount of sponge and 4-5 times a day. sounds like a lot but beleive me it's the truth!

So I would say reef safe, but with caution. :)

[tallreefguy]

I have one that's just over a year old. Luckily I got him to eat, but had to try everything in the book.
He was doing great for the longest time, but then for some reason my Moorish & my purple tang started eating my clams about 2 weeks ago. Never touched a coral (softie, LPS, SPS) or clam until then. I consider them to be great with other fish too.

[SushiGirl]

Moorish Idol Primer Part 1 (http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=607477)
Moorish Idol Primer Part 2 (http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=993712)

[MrTuskfish]

I've kept 2 Idols for about 6 years and 2 for over 10 years; prior to moving after Katrina. All four of these acclimated well and will /would eat anything. I know that sponge is a big part of their diet; but they are true omnivores and the only sponge my present 2 get are occasional bits in frozen Angel foods. The 2 I had for 10+ years never got any. If its available to you, great. Like some sponge-eating Angels; i think they can be weaned onto a healthy, varied diet. Fresh clams are a delicacy for them and usually the first food I offer them. IMO & IME, smaller Idols are easier to acclimate to a captive diet, the same is true of sponge eating Angels. I assume the younger fish haven't developed a rigid diet yet. Again, IMO & IME, the big problem with these fish is they often refuse to eat anything. Once eating and comfortable, I haven't found anything they won't eat. They really need a variety of foods and vitamins, like all fish. greens, meaty stuff, seafood (shrimp, clams, scallops, etc.). I agree with the need to feed them often.
A few things I would consider before buying (IMO & IME): 1)A minimum 8', fairly tall tank. Maybe a 240. 2) A min 55 gal QT and the willingness to QT and acclimate for 8 weeks with no other fish in the QT other than the Idol (or 2). 3) A DT without fish that will harass it; like aggressive triggers, etc. 4.) I would never buy one from anywhere other than Hawaii or Australia; but Tahitian fish may do well too. 4.) No matter who does what, many of these fish simply don't eat. If that bothers you, it may not be a wise purchase.

[Dr Colliebreath]

Mr Tuskfish, Interesting on the longevity you have had. I didn't recall that yours lasted that long. Most reported on RC tend not to last past 5 years.

I wonder whether algaes help with longevity even though the fish aren't herbivores. Maybe the greens act as a reasonable partial substitute for sponge instead of a largely meaty diet. Mine loves veggie flakes and chunks of nori (I break it up into pieces and toss it in as sheets tend to get pulled from a clip very quickly).

[MrTuskfish]

Mr Tuskfish, Interesting on the longevity you have had. I didn't recall that yours lasted that long. Most reported on RC tend not to last past 5 years.

I wonder whether algaes help with longevity even though the fish aren't herbivores. Maybe the greens act as a reasonable partial substitute for sponge instead of a largely meaty diet. Mine loves veggie flakes and chunks of nori (I break it up into pieces and toss it in as sheets tend to get pulled from a clip very quickly).

I did go through a few 1n 94-95. Then kept two from mid 1995-2005, when Katrina got them. The two I have now arrived in the spring of 2006. Mine eat a lot of nori, spirulina & softened turnip greens---standard food for my tangs. They also get the standard carnivore fare; shrimp, scallops, clam, and several kinds of frozen foods. I know several folks who have kept them 10+ years.