Moorish Idol
- Thread starter SURGEON
- Start date
FWIW, you're unlikely to get much response. Keeping these fish successfully (ie, more than 12 months) seldom occurs, even when kept in very large reef tanks with a variety of corals to graze from. True idols should be left in the ocean until we can identify their nutritional needs and find a way to meet them in the aquarium.
Good advice.
Please do not encourage the trade of these fish, instead choose the Heniochus for a similar look and much more hardy animal that will bring you a lot more joy.
Please do not encourage the trade of these fish, instead choose the Heniochus for a similar look and much more hardy animal that will bring you a lot more joy.
Keeping Moorish Idols
When I lived in Micronesia I had a 50gallon tank with 4 moorish idols that I kept for 3 years before I left (I returned them to where I found them). The place I caught them was called Nett Point and was where the sewage was dumped in the water. They were litterally thousands of them around and were more plentiful there than on the barrier reef which was about 5 miles away. They ate everything I gave them but particularly liked pieces of clam or mussels.
I'm convinced the only reason people have such a hard time with them is that they are very poor travellers. For this reason I'd avoid getting them from any place in the continental US. I agree with other people that you are better off getting the heniochus acuminatus since they travel well and resemble the idol so much.
Azorean
When I lived in Micronesia I had a 50gallon tank with 4 moorish idols that I kept for 3 years before I left (I returned them to where I found them). The place I caught them was called Nett Point and was where the sewage was dumped in the water. They were litterally thousands of them around and were more plentiful there than on the barrier reef which was about 5 miles away. They ate everything I gave them but particularly liked pieces of clam or mussels.
I'm convinced the only reason people have such a hard time with them is that they are very poor travellers. For this reason I'd avoid getting them from any place in the continental US. I agree with other people that you are better off getting the heniochus acuminatus since they travel well and resemble the idol so much.
Azorean
1.Get a well-established, huge tank with tons of live rock.
2.Buy copepod and sponge cultures, introduce them into your tank.
3.Pray.
4.Repeat step three.
2.Buy copepod and sponge cultures, introduce them into your tank.
3.Pray.
4.Repeat step three.
please dont take this the wrong way, but do alot of reading also check out reefcentral there are several people who have had good experiences with them.but on the other hand there are 3 times as many who have lost them even under the best conditions. read as much as you can find from books and from people who have tried keeping one. idols are a certain lvl of commitment that you can not take lightly some things to consider.
what are the tank mates going to be are they going to compete with the idol if so this is bad. having a fish that can help teach the idol to eat in the tank makes a big diffence.
are you able to get the fresh food he needs to eat if you do manage to get him started. in other words after a hard day at work and you have tried everything else are you going to run to the store and get your idol a clam if thats the only thing it will eat also the diet for a idol needs to be planned out fortifing some of its food helps with as much variety.
what is your water change regiment?
how long has your tank been going how stable? is it how much live rock do you have? do you have the copipods in your tank and other neat little bugs this guy will need to pick on hows the algae growth sponge too. these things take time to grow.
do you have the experience you need to know when your fish are stressed and what is causing it?
how about the wisdom to know when not to get something even though they are really cool. this is not a put down mst seasoned salties learn this lesson the hard way learning what your tank can handle takes time.
what sort of filteration do you have how big is your tank what sort of skimmer do you have.
good luck on your research i honestly wish youy the best of luck.
Ashley
i have 6 years experience and maybe one day i will own a idol but thats a very big step up and i dont take this fish lightly. thank about it some more then when you are ready think about it some more.
what are the tank mates going to be are they going to compete with the idol if so this is bad. having a fish that can help teach the idol to eat in the tank makes a big diffence.
are you able to get the fresh food he needs to eat if you do manage to get him started. in other words after a hard day at work and you have tried everything else are you going to run to the store and get your idol a clam if thats the only thing it will eat also the diet for a idol needs to be planned out fortifing some of its food helps with as much variety.
what is your water change regiment?
how long has your tank been going how stable? is it how much live rock do you have? do you have the copipods in your tank and other neat little bugs this guy will need to pick on hows the algae growth sponge too. these things take time to grow.
do you have the experience you need to know when your fish are stressed and what is causing it?
how about the wisdom to know when not to get something even though they are really cool. this is not a put down mst seasoned salties learn this lesson the hard way learning what your tank can handle takes time.
what sort of filteration do you have how big is your tank what sort of skimmer do you have.
good luck on your research i honestly wish youy the best of luck.
Ashley
i have 6 years experience and maybe one day i will own a idol but thats a very big step up and i dont take this fish lightly. thank about it some more then when you are ready think about it some more.