Reef Central Online Community

Go Back   Reef Central Online Community > Marine Fish Forums > Reef Fishes
Blogs FAQ Calendar Mark Forums Read

Notices

User Tag List

Reply
Thread Tools
Unread 06/13/2005, 06:55 PM   #51
Paul B
Premium Member
 
Paul B's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Long Island NY
Posts: 15,549
Zfunk, looks beautiful there. I myself have done quite a bit of diving and some of it was in Florida. I live on an Islant too, Long Island. There is a lot of history here, I usually dive around a lighthouse that was commissioned by George Washington. There are 200 wrecks around Long Island. Many of my froends have boats and we usually go out all weekend and tie up together, sometimes we have 14 boats rafted up.
Take care.
Paul
I dove here in Bora Bora in November, That was our ship and this is the lagoon where they filmed "Mutiny on The Bounty"




Paul B is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 06/13/2005, 07:08 PM   #52
Paul B
Premium Member
 
Paul B's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Long Island NY
Posts: 15,549
I may as well add some pictures of the water around here. The first one is Southhampton Long Island, you know Billy Joel and all that.
And the second one is my boat with some friends






Paul B is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 06/13/2005, 07:21 PM   #53
MrMongoose
Registered Member
 
MrMongoose's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: West Lafayette, IN
Posts: 370
I have a pond behind my house....bullfrogs keep me up all night. Don't worry I'll post pictures up later.

Back to the Idols..Does anyone know of a frozen food that contains sponges? My friend who works at the LFS said thier is a new food that contains them but I don't know what its called. Maybe this would be a more practical way for others to keep MIs


__________________
Understand first....Buy later.
MrMongoose is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 06/13/2005, 09:50 PM   #54
VolitanLioness
Registered Member
 
Join Date: May 2003
Location: OC MI
Posts: 1,528
Frozen Angel Formula has sponge, it will say right on the package.

Nice Pic's everyone!!


Kaye


__________________
The Last Thing Many Fish Will Ever See . . .
VolitanLioness is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 06/13/2005, 11:01 PM   #55
zfunk007
Premium Member
 
zfunk007's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Jensen Beach, South Florida
Posts: 467
Hey Paul, it actually looks half way decent there . Nice pics. There is actually a kind of food called "sponge formula" its by the same company that makes the angel formula and formula 1 and 2. Its just less common and harder to find.

A note of concern for my Idol. He has some ich spots on him. Not a ton, but they seem to be popping up one day and being gone the next. Today he had about 5 or 6 spots on him. I KNOW this is because I broke my rule and didn't quarantine him before I put him in my main system. Cause none of my fish ever get ich generally because I always quarantine them. I hope he gets over this. It doesn't seem to be bothering him. So hopefully he'll get over it on his own. Any ideas?


zfunk007 is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 06/14/2005, 04:10 AM   #56
Paul B
Premium Member
 
Paul B's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Long Island NY
Posts: 15,549
Zfunk, there is really nothing you can do but it is a good sign that he only has a few spots. Some fish build up an imminity from it like that. My fish used to occasionally get a few spots but now I never quarintine and I have not had a case of ich in 20 or 25 years. I believe if your fish are very healthy and in breeding condition they will not get ich. I also don't think a moorish Idol will be that healthy in a tank no matter what you do. We all know there is either something missing or too much of something, thats why these fish have such a poor survivability rate.
Have a great day.
Paul


__________________
I used to get shocked when I put my hand in my tank. Then the electric eel went dead.

Current Tank Info: 100 gal reef set up in 1971
Paul B is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 06/14/2005, 03:35 PM   #57
zfunk007
Premium Member
 
zfunk007's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Jensen Beach, South Florida
Posts: 467
Well today the spots on my Idol are all gone. Strange, I didn't realize ich could come and go so quickly. I know it lives in "cycles" where it goes from the sand to the fish and back again but the ich pattern on my Idol seems strange.

I went diving today and got some interesting light blue colored sponge. There are SO many different types of sponge around here that it is hard to identify it exactly but I looked through my book "Reef Creature Identification: Florida, Caribbean, Bahamas" by Paul Humann (great book) and it looks like Holopsamma helwigi. If you want to see what else I caught, go look at the "Atlantic Blue Surgeon" thread.

I chopped the sponge up while it was still alive im assuming. Basically took it right out of the bucket and started chopping away. Then I put the pieces in the water for my Idol. At first he woulden't touch it. Then he seemed passively interested in it. But then after a while he started nipping on the pieces that were all over the bottom. And now, 20 mins later he is constantly nipping at the pieces on the bottom. So he apparently likes it.

I took the rest of the sponge and put it in the freezer. I'm going to mix it with his regular food everyday along with the garlic and everything else and when I can i'll get more live sponge for him.

I'm hoping that live sponge is one of the issues that Moorish Idols have in captivity. Because its something I can provide on a regular basis. Time will tell.


zfunk007 is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 06/14/2005, 08:39 PM   #58
Paul B
Premium Member
 
Paul B's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Long Island NY
Posts: 15,549
Zfunk, mine still jumps out of the water literally when I remove the feeding tube of sponge. I freeze the stuff. He really goes crazy for it. Now to collect a lot of it.
Paul


__________________
I used to get shocked when I put my hand in my tank. Then the electric eel went dead.

Current Tank Info: 100 gal reef set up in 1971
Paul B is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 06/16/2005, 10:34 AM   #59
zfunk007
Premium Member
 
zfunk007's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Jensen Beach, South Florida
Posts: 467
Well i'm a little concerned. My Idol is still eating like a pig, has plenty of energy and for the most part seems fine. However, he seems to be getting visibly skinnier despite his apetite. He just won't gain any weight.

I feed him 2-3 times a day, there is plenty of algae for him to graze on in the tank when i'm not here to feed him. What could be causing this? Could he have some sort of intenstinal parasite? I have heard of such things, where a fish will be eating normally but he won't gain any weight and just waste away. Any info would be appreciated.

One thing that bugged me about this from the beggining is that I wasn't at the wholesaler to actually pick out my Idol. I had planned to get an Idol for some time but when my boss picked one up I had to take him. Despite the fact that he looked skinny when we got him. Usually when I pick out fish I go with my boss to the wholesalers and pick the fish out myself so I can make sure they look fat and healthy. We shall see.


zfunk007 is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 06/16/2005, 10:54 AM   #60
zfunk007
Premium Member
 
zfunk007's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Jensen Beach, South Florida
Posts: 467
Well after doing a little research i'm convinced he has some sort of internal parasite. It seems to be quite common and his symptoms seem to match. Eating normally, not gaining weight. I know hes a Moorish Idol and is hard to keep but in all reality I don't see how anything could eat as much as he eats and "lose" weight.

In another thread someone recommended a medication called "pipzine." I'm going to go out today and see if I can get some and treat his food with it. If anyone else has had a similar experience let me know.


zfunk007 is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 06/16/2005, 11:41 AM   #61
mangrovecrab
Premium Member
 
mangrovecrab's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Norwalk, IA
Posts: 20
internal parasites

Spectrum TheraAA pellets by New Life are supposed to help with internal parasites, though they are not medicated. Some friends of mine just got a small MI who seems to be doing very well but I am concerned about parasites because he eats well but is still skinny. I've appointed myself as their fish nanny and had them put the MI on a diet of mysis shimp, spectrum theraAA pellets, and spectrum finicky eater formula plus anything else he will eat supplemented with zoe, zoecon, and garlic elixer. This forum has been so helpful. I will also reccomend they get him some mega marine angel formula with sponge in it and some nori seaweed so he can graze. I am concerned about what appears to be a fluke on his eye. I gave him a freshwater bath for about 10 minutes and treated the tank with prazipro but the fluke is still there. He recovered quickly from the dip, at least, and was eating well again within hours. If the fluke is still present in a few days I think I will try giving him another bath with coppersafe in it. I hate to do it, but I may slice off a branch or two of my tree sponges for him so he can have something to graze on for awhile. I probably wouldn't have bought him myself, but now that they have him we are all getting attached to the little guy, he has so much personality I really hope he will make it.


mangrovecrab is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 06/16/2005, 12:28 PM   #62
Jeffie
Registered Member
 
Jeffie's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Minneapolis
Posts: 1,187
mangrovecrab-Coppersafe will do nothing for the fluke in a dip. If the fluke did not release itself in a freshwater dip for 10 minutes then I doubt what you have is a fluke. When Dipping fish the flukes will usually start streamlining out of the fish within minutes. A strong formalin bath would probably work better in this case.


Jeffie is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 06/16/2005, 06:49 PM   #63
Paul B
Premium Member
 
Paul B's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Long Island NY
Posts: 15,549
Zfunk, welcome to the world of moorish Idols. It is possable that your fish has intestional paracites but I doubt it. It is a very common affliction of MI's that no one seems to know what is happening. Thats how I lost a few of them. You can try piperazine, which is a non toxic drug. You need to use 250mg/100 gm of moist food for ten days. If it has paracites that will cure it. Maybe Idols are just prone to intestinal nemotodes. Let me know what happens.
Goog luck.
Paul


__________________
I used to get shocked when I put my hand in my tank. Then the electric eel went dead.

Current Tank Info: 100 gal reef set up in 1971
Paul B is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 06/16/2005, 08:58 PM   #64
shane 1111
Premium Member
 
shane 1111's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: RI
Posts: 2,562
i don't have a moorish Idol but i am interested in the sponge you collect spzfunk007.
i would like to get some off you
shipping is easy you bag them under water and seal the bag with water only
please pm me
and keep up the good work and good luck with the fish
spzfunk007. do you have cleaner shrimp in your tank that might help your fish


shane 1111 is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 06/17/2005, 11:22 AM   #65
zfunk007
Premium Member
 
zfunk007's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Jensen Beach, South Florida
Posts: 467
Well the reason i'm concerned is because like I said I have kept 3 other Moorish Idols at the other LFS I used to work at and none of them had this "skinny" problem and all of them lived over a year (damn hurricanes). They ate well and didn't seem to lose weight.

Perhaps its the area they are collected in. Where I used to work we got our Moorish Idols from Hawaii. And they seemed to do very well. At the wholesaler in Miami that we goto now i'm not sure where they come from, but I know it is somewhere in the Orient. So maybe that has something to do with it.

My Idol still seems to be doing well, eating, spunky as usual, doesn't look any skinnier, but he is skinny. I have given him all of the foods he needs (at least that we know of). Live sponge, formula 2, mysis shrimp, vitamin enriched brine, blood worms, algae strips. And I treat all his food with Selcon and Garlic. Although he isn't to keen on the Spectrum pellets yet, but he does pick at them if I let them soak for a while before I put them in.

I coulden't find pipzine anywhere. I went to 5 different LFS's including my own. I'm looking at piperazine online now Paul. Its sold in 1 gallon jugs for $13.99 and says it is used in the "control of large roundworms in chickens, turkeys, dogs, cats, swine and horses. Aids in the control of large and small strongyles and pinworms in horses." WOuld that be safe to use in my fish food? Yikes... sounds scary.

I'll PM you about the sponge Shane.


zfunk007 is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 06/17/2005, 11:32 AM   #66
Paul B
Premium Member
 
Paul B's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Long Island NY
Posts: 15,549
Zfunk, it is supposed to be safe, I have never used it though.
I hope you can find a smaller amount, probably a vet but he would charge you more.
Good luck.
Paul


__________________
I used to get shocked when I put my hand in my tank. Then the electric eel went dead.

Current Tank Info: 100 gal reef set up in 1971
Paul B is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 06/17/2005, 11:43 AM   #67
reefplayer
Registered Member.
 
reefplayer's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: S.E.Asia
Posts: 396
Here is mine.




reefplayer is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 06/17/2005, 11:48 AM   #68
zfunk007
Premium Member
 
zfunk007's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Jensen Beach, South Florida
Posts: 467
Can't see your picture Reefplayer.


zfunk007 is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 06/17/2005, 11:55 AM   #69
reefplayer
Registered Member.
 
reefplayer's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: S.E.Asia
Posts: 396
Sorry missed out.


reefplayer is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 06/17/2005, 11:57 AM   #70
reefplayer
Registered Member.
 
reefplayer's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: S.E.Asia
Posts: 396
Another one




reefplayer is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 06/17/2005, 11:58 AM   #71
reefplayer
Registered Member.
 
reefplayer's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: S.E.Asia
Posts: 396
And another have been with me for 6 mths but died 2 months ago.




reefplayer is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 06/17/2005, 12:03 PM   #72
reefplayer
Registered Member.
 
reefplayer's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: S.E.Asia
Posts: 396
I believe space is the key to success.
I have bought it from a poor LFS who has very bad record of maintaining good healthy fish.

Having consider for almost 5 mths before i really decided to buy one. As i am totally aware of the difficulty in keeping this fish.

Started without eating anything. But having less stress with lots of swimming spaces and less competition from other companions. I was surprised that i can train it to eat from nori to home made food, to pellets and even hand feed it with pcs of prawn meat.


__________________
It's my passion and my agony!

Current Tank Info: 400g SSB TM PR salt 90% SPS tank w/ 100g sump, chiller, Deltec CA reactor, 3x400W MH lights w/Luminarc, 8x39W T5, BK300Ext skimmer, 10k l/h & 2x6,5k l/h Red Dragon, 2xAM pump, LED moonlights, Tunzes, IKS system
reefplayer is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 06/17/2005, 12:29 PM   #73
zfunk007
Premium Member
 
zfunk007's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Jensen Beach, South Florida
Posts: 467
Well Reefplayer, im impressed. He looks beautiful. His streamer is probably the longest i've ever seen in captivity. How long have you had him? And you have a 450 gallon tank, that probably has alot to do with your success so far. Do you feed him any sponge based foods? What is his favorite?

Its hard to tell from the pics but is he full and round? How big is he? Alot of the ones in captivity seem to have those "lines" down their body I was talking about. Yours doesn't seem to have them. Which is a good sign.


zfunk007 is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 06/17/2005, 01:12 PM   #74
reefplayer
Registered Member.
 
reefplayer's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: S.E.Asia
Posts: 396
Quote:
Originally posted by zfunk007
Well Reefplayer, im impressed. He looks beautiful. His streamer is probably the longest i've ever seen in captivity. How long have you had him? And you have a 450 gallon tank, that probably has alot to do with your success so far. Do you feed him any sponge based foods? What is his favorite?

Its hard to tell from the pics but is he full and round? How big is he? Alot of the ones in captivity seem to have those "lines" down their body I was talking about. Yours doesn't seem to have them. Which is a good sign.
Yup he is a beauty and also a temperamental baby. And always have many admirer whenever i post it. I have it for 6 mths until it passed away. The reason being i reduced in feeding as i was afraid that the water getting very dirty with lots of nutrient as i am keeping lots of sps. Maybe due to stress and drop in kH which i do not know whether this is the reason.

I tried at first but it refused to eat so i began to get worried after day 3. So i started to try on nori. To my surprise it started to eat. Having a big tank with lots of swimming space is important especially keeping a big fish like MI. It also helps when you have 2 companion fishes like hungry eating Tangs which can entice MI to eat.

Initially it has "lines" because it was thinning out due to stress and not eating.
I think it enjoyed my hand feed of prawn meat.

But that was all gone 3 mths ago until it rest on bed.

Now i have a new MI which is smaller than this. but has the potential. It begins to eat and no signs of stress. With me for 5days. Seems to enjoy itself.

Hope i can show some pictures later.


reefplayer is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 06/17/2005, 03:57 PM   #75
zfunk007
Premium Member
 
zfunk007's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Jensen Beach, South Florida
Posts: 467
Yes, please do post some new pics when you get them. Sorry to hear your other one didn't make it.


zfunk007 is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
wrong link on first video

Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On



All times are GMT -6. The time now is 02:56 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Powered by Searchlight © 2024 Axivo Inc.
Use of this web site is subject to the terms and conditions described in the user agreement.
Reef CentralTM Reef Central, LLC. Copyright ©1999-2022
User Alert System provided by Advanced User Tagging v3.3.0 (Pro) - vBulletin Mods & Addons Copyright © 2024 DragonByte Technologies Ltd.