Moorish idle picky eater

[Ingasar]

I just got (one day ago) a very healthy moorish idle who was eating brine and mysis shrimp from dealer. So far he has been spitting out most of it and does not seem interested in pellets. Can anyone tell me what is the best way to get these guys eating? Also can anyone suggest the best pellet brand for them? Thanks :)

[Dr Colliebreath]

Keep feeding it mysis and brine plus veggie (algae) flakes, and add meaty foods like some chopped scallop from your grocery store. NLS are considered to be a top pellet. Once it settles in, the idol likely will eat most foods, including pellets, but you need to give it a week or more.

[MrTuskfish]

I hope this fish is in a QT, there's a big reason that Idols are considered "expert only" fish. This is probably the hardest fish in the hobby to get eating; many starve to death. However, once eating, they will usually eat about anything and are quite easy. IMO & IME. I would feed a fresh clam, opened and fresh chopped shrimp. They, like most fish, are easier to get eating in a QT than a DT. I wouldn't worry about pellets until he's eating frozen prepared foods, like Formula I & II and fresh seafoods.

[Ingasar]

Thanks for the info. Yes he is in a qt btw. He looks very social and is swimming around.

[MrTuskfish]

Idols are weird fish, often pretty much oblivious to everything around them. I hope you get him eating, ,that's the big hurdle. Years ago, I had one that swam continually as it turned black and refused to eat anything for 5 weeks, then died. Since then, I've had very good luck with them. I had two for 8-9 years before Katrina and two for about 8 years in my present home. All ate a fresh clam as their first food. Now they eat anything, they eat a lot of greens and all sorts of meaty foods.

[jjk_reef00]

MrTusk are your 2 idols a pair or are they in seprate tanks?

[wip2]

This was my FOT tank a few years back. From my experience Moorish idol would do a lot better if provided life food (clams, shrimp, mysis .....etc) on a regular basis, and let the Moorish idol be the earlier occupant in the tank is also important. As you can see the Moorish idol in the video was competing against some aggressive King Angel and Tangs. This particular Moorish Idol actually grow 30% larger within 6 mths in this tank. Hope it helps. :wavehand:

nkrgqUfwzP0

[dotcommer]

I got a MI two months ago and he is doing great. He wouldn't eat anything for the first few days until I got him fresh clams, now he goes crazy for the clams. I tried every time of food even Angelixr. It's just been clams, but he is getting fat and health. I hope that he will start eating other foods soon.

[Ingasar]

After a few days my idol decided he wanted to live and started eating! Now he's eating mysis, brine and even pellets! I guess he just needed a few days to calm down.

[MrTuskfish]

MrTusk are your 2 idols a pair or are they in seprate tanks?

I don't know the gender, but they are in the same tank. Idols generally do well in groups/pairs.

[Ingasar]

My idol looks great and eats like. Pig in the qt. I was actually now thinking about adding another one. Any reason why I shouldn't?

[HumbleFish]

I got mine started on live blackworms while in QT. He also seemed fond on Spirulina Brine Shrimp. You might also try frozen cyclopeeze, Nutramar Ova, clams. Once he completed QT and was introduced into the DT, he started eating everything including flake, pellets, nori.

[rpjaws74]

awesome fish!! just wish they were reef safe!

[MrTuskfish]

awesome fish!! just wish they were reef safe!

If your DT is big enough, it should work. If you add the new fish to the QT before QT time is up on the one you have---the QT clock restarts.

[Ingasar]

My qt is 250g and I'm willing to reset the qt clock so I might give it a try. Thank for all the info.

[Ptyochromis]

If I were in your shoes, I would get a few different types of sponges, some cheep zoanthids and order <500 amphipods (check out reefs2go.com for pods). Don't get too attached to the sponges and zoanthids, they are purely fodder.

At this point I would I would want to get him eating on anything before moving him onto frozen. I wouldn't bother with brine shirmp, they are largely devoid of nutrition. If you want to feed him any frozen crustacean, mysis/mysid shirmp and/or cyclops are a much better option.

[pinnatus]

I don't know the gender, but they are in the same tank. Idols generally do well in groups/pairs.

I have to say, you are the first person I have seen that had success with more than 1 Idol. Other than public aquariums.

I started with 3 Idols, but they killed each other off til only one was left.. I have heard similar stories elsewhere too.

Congrats on your success!

[MrTuskfish]

I have to say, you are the first person I have seen that had success with more than 1 Idol. Other than public aquariums.

I started with 3 Idols, but they killed each other off til only one was left.. I have heard similar stories elsewhere too.

Congrats on your success!

I tried two after failing with a single quite a few years ago. At that time, I failed with a few single fish and the collector suggested I try two, that worked. Mine have pretty much ignored each other. FWIW: I know Scott Michael's book mentions that they do well in groups and I know a few other folks that have 2-3. I imagine its just another area with no definite answers.

[Mr. Limpid]

My qt is 250g and I'm willing to reset the qt clock so I might give it a try. Thank for all the info.

You have a 250gal QT! That’s bigger than my DT. I'm totally jealous.

[Ingasar]

I'm sorry that was a typo.. Lol my qt is 75g. My Dt is 250.