The Moorish Idol Thread

[zfunk007]

Heres a list of the fish I have with my MI:

-Red Margin Fairy Wrasse
-Some other kind of Fairy Wrasse
-Sixline Wrasse
-2 Blue Chromis
-2 Convict Gobies
-3 Atlantic Blue Tangs
-Dusky Jawfish
-Neon Goby
-Regal Angel

And I think thats it... For the most part they all get along pretty well... Hope this helps a little Chisel...

[Shawnts106]

OO..OO... YELLOW TAILED DAMSELS... ABOUT 100 IN THAT TANK WITH THE MOORISH IDOL!!! lol

ok just kidding!!!


Well... my MI hasnt been nipping at any prepared foods in 2 days.... hes still paying attention to them... just not nipping!


He keeps pooping sand!... this is really bothering me!!!.....

I am hopping to be getting some sponge in soon... and some ANGEL forumla!


Any Advise would be appreciated!

[chisel]

I can't help but think that this MI thing has a factor of luck involved, I have luckily never had a problem w/ my MI eating, if I throw rice grains in the tank, it would probably eat it Maybe it has something to do with where they are collected. Or are there possibly any tank bred idols out there?

[CrazyLionfish]

Heres a quick random question, since you mentioned that rice grain thing. One day I was eating cheerios and wondered, what if I fed these to my triggers and lionfish? They eat anything. What do you think would happen? lol

[chisel]

I dont think anything extra ordinary would happen, I was once in the carribean and remember eating doritos while in the water and was surrounded by fish, and decided to give them doritos....they went nuts over the stuff. I don't know if they came back that night hoping for some pepto bismol or not.

[CrazyLionfish]

lol ya when I was in st. thomas there they gave us bread, I was like what the heck. But they went crazy over it. Hmm. Maybe we are stealing all the natural food so they have to eat bread!! AHHH lol

[Shawnts106]

LOL, you guys are crazy!..

anyway, No there is NO possibility of CB MI... we cant even keep them Alive for very long... much less captive breed them!


Well... he is still suddenly not eatting anything, though paying attention to it.. just not nipping!

[CrazyLionfish]

Don't make us say we told you so!!! lol Don't do it!!

[benf]

for the hell of it, you might try going to the food store and get some fresh mussel and cut one open and see if he will go for it, mine did.

[zfunk007]

Shawnts106, sorry to hear your Idol stopped eating . I think you are probably experiencing what alot of Idol owners experience. Where their Idols start eating, look good but then suddenly stop and decline in health. Try what benf said. Maybe that would stimulate his appetite.

Also, i'm telling you, get some Kent Garlic Xtreme. That stuff is potent! Its much more concentrated than Garlic Guard. Soak some kind of food in that for your Idol and hes bound to go after it. Thats what got mine eating in the first place.

I can't help but think that this MI thing has a factor of luck involved, I have luckily never had a problem w/ my MI eating, if I throw rice grains in the tank, it would probably eat it Maybe it has something to do with where they are collected. Or are there possibly any tank bred idols out there?

Your right chisel, I think for alot of people it is a matter of luck. They get an Idol that is eating well to start out. Mine was certainly luck since I didn't have the luxury of picking my Idol out of a bunch of ones to pick the healthiest. However, I also made every effort possible to get mine eating and healthy. When I first got him he was skinny as a rail, now he is fat and his banner is long and full. But I think collections sites do make a big difference in aquiring a healthy specimen.

As far as breeding them in captivity. I have no clue, but I doubt they have been bred in captivity yet. The closest I have ever heard is that guy in Australia that caught his own Idols and has kept them for over 9 years. I'd imagine you would need a tank that is 1000's of gallons to get them breeding in captivity. But who knows.

[Paul B]

I doubt that anyone even knows how a moorish Idol breeds but I would imagine they just scatter eggs like butterfly fish. If they do, then you will not be seeing them raised in a tank. They would lay thousands of eggs which would float with the plankton for a while where most of them would be eaten. The few that may survive will grow but that planktonic stage can not be reproduced in a tank. Not yet anyway.
Ben, I keep opening fresh mussels for my Idol but I can't resist so I eat them.
Paul

[VolitanLioness]

For the Idol that stopped eating I would try fresh mussel's plus buy a sponge from the LFS to see if it will nip at that just incase it wont take the meaty food.

Kaye

[benf]

[Shawnts106]

I doubt that anyone even knows how a moorish Idol breeds but I would imagine they just scatter eggs like butterfly fish. If they do, then you will not be seeing them raised in a tank. They would lay thousands of eggs which would float with the plankton for a while where most of them would be eaten. The few that may survive will grow but that planktonic stage can not be reproduced in a tank. Not yet anyway.

Agreed completly... Planktonic stage = death for any sw fish!... My YT damsels do it ... LOL, anyway, have babies all the time.. they develop hatch out and then die... I have tried raising them... but without proper foods they die of course... which I didnt have any rotifers so... .they died!


My MI, has NOT lost interests in food, he picks and investigates constantly!!! which is still a GREAT sign... and his streamer just keeps growing!!! now its about 4 inchs or 5 inches long!!!... beeeee u ttttteeeee ful!... anyway.. so today I took a clam shell and stuffed some snow crab in it... he picked at it .. but nothing more then just a OH... well look at that kinda deal..

My angel forumla come in tomorow with sponges!... , HOPEFULLY this will get him to eatting like a MAD BOY!.... I also REALLY do need to get some garlic XTreme!!!... I really want to get some.. but cant find it !! Im sure I can order some from somewhere!


anyway!.... I did have alot of BLUE sponge, which he LOVED! loved so much he ATE IT ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!... so needless to say... NO MORE LEFT!*

He is sampleing all kinds of Fish Food (frozen) and Pelets that I put in the tank.. but I duno if hes ACCTUALLY EATTEN anything, or not... he still has a full tummy... which is good, but its bother me... He poops SAND... everytime Ive seen him.. just clumps of sand!... I hope hes not filling up on sand!!!... because it CERTANLY appears he is doing so!.... DOES ANYONE ELSES DO THAT???

well ... I think he is going to make it... after all he is TRYING NEW THINGS!.. I just think its a matter of time before he really ingests it!!!

thanks you guys.. Ill keep yaz posted!

[CrazyLionfish]

Well it appears that he hasn't eaten for a while.... so that may not be a good sign. Especially if hes only eating sand like you said. Hopefully he goes for the angel formula. I have not had luck with that stuff. My queen angel picks at it, and then once its on the ground she loses completely intrest.. but she eats EVERYTHING else

[Shawnts106]

Yeah... I think who ever caught them didnt take the time to FEED them.. they just probably ate sand with diatoms .... nothing more!... Im really worried... GLAD THAT HE SHOWS INTEREST in FOOD!... but not glad he is eatting sand!


Pardon me for asking ... but .. Yes, I know what a regal angel is... but what is the big fuss over them lately???

[ReefGeekster]

Originally posted by Shawnts106
LOL, you guys are crazy!..

anyway, No there is NO possibility of CB MI... we cant even keep them Alive for very long... much less captive breed them!


Well... he is still suddenly not eating anything, though paying attention to it.. just not nipping!

Instead mussels I use live steamer clams and take a knife and split them open rinsing them under fresh water and toss them in the tank and my idols can't get enough. You can buy one or two of them from the seafood to try it out.

[zfunk007]

ReefGeekster, you said "Idols" implying that you have more than one. How many do you have?

Pardon me for asking ... but .. Yes, I know what a regal angel is... but what is the big fuss over them lately???

They are hard to keep angels and it seems like people are starting to have more success lately. At least it SEEMS that way.

[Shawnts106]

Well.. TODAY IS THE START OF A NEW ... A NEW.... a .. new... um,... START!... okkkkkkkkkkkk

Well.. I got some Angelfish Forumla with Sponges and some Angel and Butterfly forumla!... well.. forget the angel and butterfly formula... BUT the AF w/ SPONGES!!!.. wooo hoo, he is definatly interested!... picking at it QUITE A BIT!... so this may be the stuff... that gets him to eatting!!!... it acctually looked as if he ingested some!... whichis WONDERFULL!...

Im really starting to see the light shine through!

wish him luck!!

[ReefGeekster]

Originally posted by zfunk007
ReefGeekster, you said "Idols" implying that you have more than one. How many do you have?
They are hard to keep angels and it seems like people are starting to have more success lately. At least it SEEMS that way.

I have three, though one is up for sale or trade (locally) it started to boss the other two, wouldn't let the other two get at the steamer clams and kept them cornered. Since I put it in a QT tank and the other two are more relaxed and eating and swimming around the tank now.

[zfunk007]

I have three, though one is up for sale or trade (locally) it started to boss the other two, wouldn't let the other two get at the steamer clams and kept them cornered. Since I put it in a QT tank and the other two are more relaxed and eating and swimming around the tank now.

Think you could share your experience with us ReefGeekster? How long have you had them? How big is the tank they are in? What do you feed them? Could you possibly post some pictures? Give us the details!

[Shawnts106]

YES!!! DETAILS DETAILS DETAILS!!!!...


ALSO, update on my MI, he is now readily accepting the Angel Forumla with Sponges!

and is getting his little "gut" back!

[Paul B]

There is a local LFS here that has this moorish Idol for a few monthes now and the poor thing has a bad case of pop eye.
I think I am going to have to take it and cure it because I hate to see it like that. It can be cured in 5 seconds with a hypodermic needle. I just don't have the room for it. I would also like to give away a nice foxface if I could catch it.
Paul

[Shawnts106]

ehhhh.. NEEDLE!!! .. GROSS!

[Paul B]

Shawn, don't worry about it, I have done it dozens of times. The fish don't feel it and they are cured in seconds. Would you rather get a needle or walk around with your eyeball hanging out?
Paul