Anyone have a moorish idol? Few Questions

[coralfarmer84]

I was thinking about getting a Moorish Idol for my reef. I here mixed things about them being reef safe. Does anyone have any knowledge about what corals they would most likely eat or better yet anyone have one in a reef that would care to share there story. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[STACKER]

I've always heard just about everyone caution against MI's in reefs . That being said I had one for about 3 years in an old FOWLR with some inverts and I never saw it pick but that's about the extent of my knowledge on them. Rich would likely know alot more but I don't think he visits here as much as he should. Maybe if I badmouth him his ears will start burning and he'll login :)

[coralfarmer84]

lol, yea i go to rich for pretty much everything. What did you feed yours because i heard they don't usually live that long and 3 years sounds like a long time for one of them. I really want one, just looking to find out what they might pick at because i have it all and just want to weigh the pros and cons here before he has a feast at the all you can eat buffet. :lol:

[doody]

There's a big thread in the fish forum about these guys. I been wanting to read it, but times a big issue right now. Heck, I'm lucky to be on here now. Why don't you read it and give us the cliffnotes:-)

[deepbluesea99]

i have that estimate for you ryan stop on in,i think you have the tank for it if you wanto get one but there success rate in captivity is dismal if you wanto get one id get alot more cured rock.i can probly get you one reasnable if you have your heart set on it but i have never owned one and only had one in a shop i worked at for a short time.
"Dale"no more soupe for you.

[coralfarmer84]

doody- I've read it, nobody really states what they "may" eat. All they really talk about is what they are feeding them to keep them alive.

Rich- I appreciate the quote man. I'll be in as soon as I get a chance. I'll def let you know as soon as I get some more information about this fish. I've wanted one for a while now but nobody can seem to answer my question about what they might eat. I don't want one to tear up my reef!! Thanks for the input

[STACKER]

pods, polyps, sponges, worms

[deepbluesea99]

there diet is heavy on sponges.

[Steven Pro]

fishbase.org lists zoobenthos, which means they graze on rock picking up algae, sponges, tunicates, and such.

[Crusty Old Shellback]

Coralfarmer, did you read the whoelthread or skim thru it? I know one of the posters on there said his was eating his open brain coral and a few other corals. But Paul has had his for a few years now and it hasn't bothered anything in his tank.

If your really interested in getting one. READ the threads that are posted here on RC about them. There are a bunch and some have some good links in them to other sites. One that I know of is to a site for a wholesaler who has been keep/studing them for the past 10 years. I don't have the link handy and I know the search function is a PITA but there are some ways around it, like google.

I'm not trying to discourage you from getting one and I hope you don't take my post as rude, but a lot of people witll just skim a thread rather than reading all of it becaus eits long, yes me included. ;) But if you really want to try one, do some research and make sure your up to the challenge, then be sure to post your experience in one of the ongoing threads to help educate the rest of us.

I'd like to have one as well but am not ready yet to take the commitment. Got to get rid of some of the other fish in my tank and get it settled in and ready for one first.

[coralfarmer84]

thanks for the input everyone. Now for some educational reading! :cool:

[STACKER]

Go with a few sunburst anthias instead.... you can thank me later.

[coralfarmer84]

I'm just one of those people that can't settle for an average tank, so I have to give it a shot. P.S. I'm going to get a school of anthias someday :)

[STACKER]

oh... one of those!! I was one of those when you were prolly a mere twinkle in mama's eye. BTW, reef tanks aren't average. 20 L's with crushed coral and too many fish are.

[coralfarmer84]

haha, i've seem to come to that realization

[STACKER]

Keep in mind that this is a disease too! You no longer have control of your own thoughts.. LOL

[coralfarmer84]

You hit the nail on the head there. I find myself shaking if I leave the LFS empty handed. Its like a drug.... no i take that back, drugs would be cheaper!

[STACKER]

I don't mind leaving empty handed now but that's taken years of therapy to overcome.... :)

[coralfarmer84]

well i pulled the trigger and am getting a pair of idols today :) I'll post some pics when they are settled in

[doody]

How are the idols

[Paul B]

Moorish Idols are not an easy fish and if they eat or not has nothing to do with it. Some will eat corals and some, like mine do not. Like Chevy said, there is a long thread here called the Moorish Idol thread or something like that. I followed them in Tahiti and they eat mostly sponge.
Paul

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/13094morish_idols_tahiti-med.jpg

[coralfarmer84]

14 days and they still haven't eaten anything. It sucks, I don't know how a fish can live that long without eating... I've tried everything i could get my hands on.... funny part is they still look pretty healthy

[Paul B]

coralfarmer, I guess you didn't see them eat before you bought them. Another thing, fish can go for a couple of months without eating but they will probably not recover.
Paul

[coralfarmer84]

No i didn't get to see them eat, they came strait from Hawaii to my door. I haven't given up yet, I"m trying to purchase some living sponge hopefully they will get going.

[doody]

live sponge will get costly quick.

[STACKER]

...when ya just gotta have 'em...

Stackers new Visa promo with Ryan's face pasted on it...

200 gal. of salt water, Live rock, and sand $1500.00

Lights, ballasts, pumps, heaters, and bio-balls $1500.00

Test kits, salt mix, bottles of suppliments, frozen food $400.00

Ignoring Stacker and others and buying 2 Moorish Idols... D'oh!

[Crusty Old Shellback]

NOT a very helpful post Stacker. :rolleyes:

Coralfarmer, have you tried some of the ideas in the moorish Idol thread to get them to eat? Things like soaking the food in Garlic or selcon? The sponges may also work. Good luck.

[STACKER]

It's fun dissing my younger friends... ;)

hug ug ug ug... <my best Popeye immitation>

[STACKER]

BTW, they have been around for 15 or 16 days now so they are eating something....

...but what we really need to do is get Farmboy a bunch more LR....

[doody]

I think what "old man" Staker was trying to say, is that when he and other were trying to be helpful, he did'nt take the advice.

[STACKER]

Nobody listens to me, I'm too young to possibly have any wisdom and too old to still be in touch with what's hip.

[Paul B]

Stacker, I got amphipods older than you.
:eek1:

[coralfarmer84]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6792970#post6792970 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by doody
I think what "old man" Staker was trying to say, is that when he and other were trying to be helpful, he did'nt take the advice.

Yea I'm guessing thats what happened :lol:

[coralfarmer84]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6792448#post6792448 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by blown63chevy
NOT a very helpful post Stacker. :rolleyes:

Coralfarmer, have you tried some of the ideas in the moorish Idol thread to get them to eat? Things like soaking the food in Garlic or selcon? The sponges may also work. Good luck.

I've read the threads on the idols several times. I've tried garlic no results, and i've even tried paul B's method with the little dish on the sand, but when i did that they would just look into it and not take the food, it looked promising but they just wouldn't eat. That didn't last very long anyways because i used a small plastic cup and didn't realize that as soon as i turned on the closed loop it would be blowing around like they hay bails in wild west movies :lol:

And as for Stacker.......
I tend to ignore him. You got to go easy on old men, they tend to get fragile when they realize there prime has passed them :lol: :lol: :lol: :eek1: jk buddy

[doody]

Find a supplier for sponge?

[coralfarmer84]

No I haven't Rich was supposed to look into maybe getting me some cheap ugly stuff but I haven't heard from him yet.

[doody]

Prob is you'll need a constant supplier. Have you tried any of the angel foods with sponge?

[STACKER]

Easy there stripper boy! LOL One day, If you're lucky, you'll be my age too and trying to advise some greenhorn whipper snapper who refuses to listen cuz they already know EVERYTHING they need to know. Then you'll laugh and remember me :)

Hey, I have some decent spongue growth in my tank! I promise that you can't afford it tho! LOL

PaulB, Okey Dokey there "Chief"... :) You 've prolly chewed enough dirt or hopped enough friggates to know a thing or 2 but yer not the only pirate that's farted in the West Indies.... LOLOLOL

..and I'm afraid of a 40 yr. old amphoid.... I doubt I have a pot big enough to boil the SOB in... !

[coralfarmer84]

:lol: :lol: :lol: your something else

[coralfarmer84]

Anyone have any serious suggestions on what I can do from here. I'm running out of ideas, the only difference between now and day one in the fish is they now cruise the entire tank picking at the glass pumps rock etc when before they never left the right side. I'm guessing they are using up whatever lil food supply my tank has to offer naturally. so now i don't know what to do I can't find a sponge supplier. If they live for another month I'll be able to get my own sponge in Florida, it seems to be everywhere, and then i can freeze a lot and bring it home.... i don't know what else to do??:(

[Paul B]

Robert I found that angel formula has very little if any sponge in it. I don't use it. If you can't get sponge regularly you may not want to get an Idol. That is their main diet.
They will eat other things and you may be lucky to get one to live a few years but they really need sponge.
I just about ran out of it, next year I will have to collect a lot more.
Coralfarmer, sorry I don't have any answers for you. Some fish, especially Idols just will not eat. Like I said, I have swam with them and one (I think the male) leade the female to food (usually sponge) And that is the way they want to eat. I think that is the problem with these fish, only one in the pair will try different foods. Thats my theory anyway. I guess I will have to go back to Tahiti and follow them around some more.:lmao:

Stacker, you don't say.

:smokin:

[STACKER]

Paul, I wouldn't kid a pirate! Yarrr!


Ryan, I suggest you look far and wire for sponge encrusted LR or plan on some very expensive sushi. I WILL tell you I told you so!

[coralfarmer84]

I sure could use some more LR lol but its so hard now that spring is coming and that Mustang Cobra is sitting in the garage begging for some new goodies :smokin: plus i don't have a job :confused: haven't figured that one out yet lol

[STACKER]

Priorities priorities.... I bet it sucks to be you!!!!

[coralfarmer84]

Still no luck with the idols. They seem to really be stressing out my Achilles tang too, I dont' know whats going on with that but he's turning 11 shades of grey. I don't know what to do from here, i guess just wait some more :( sucks too cuz these fish haven't so much as glanced at a coral. I haven't written anything off as of yet, but i was so proud that i hadn't killed anything in this new tank in the 7 months its been up and running.

[doody]

I'm still asking around for sponge. We should start a sponge farm, Being that no one seems to sell the stuff around here

[coralfarmer84]

Thats not a bad idea, I would make myself a pre-order lol

P.S. Nice Avatar

[Reefer247]

ryan does the sponge have to be live or could it be picked and frozen? if you can use frozen sponge you can get just about any diver in the keys to find the ugly nasty sponges and freeze them and send you large boxes it will def save on shipping and prices

[mfabrizio75]

lets just say alll drains lead to the ocean...... its been a fun thread

[coralfarmer84]

well i no longer need any sponge being that i woke up this morning and not one but both idols were missing. They were fine last night when i went to bed, but this morning they were completely gone. After about 20 minutes of searching I found them both dead under the live rock..... I def learned my lesson, hopefully now my tank can get back under control... thanks for everyones input and help... i just had to give it a try :(

[Reefer247]

sorry man.. it sucks loosing a fish.. i just lost my 2 six line wrasses.. so ****ed.. (had one in each tank got them at the same time.. and they died around the same time.. something fishey going on) good luck with what ever you decide to put in.

[doody]

Well at least you learnded something.

[STACKER]

Bummer dude! Just step back for a whilem it'll do you and your tank good.

[coralfarmer84]

yea i'm not real worried about it, i got them out and everything else looks ok. they were ick magnets and caused a lot of my tangs to ick up but its clearing, i just hope this naso doesn't follow, he won't eat much but for some reason is completely ick free, only fish in the tank right now it seems

[STACKER]

I'd be REAL worried but I guess I'm not you (thank God for that! LOL) There is no such thing as an "ich magnet" that's total BS! Most fish carry parasites (and most folks have no clue how to even identify them). Ich is just one of several that can wipe out all of your fish. I'm assuming you didn't QT the idols? I'd like to suggest that from now on you should QT all fish for several weeks or at the very least dip everything and anything that goes into your tank. If you refuse to take a few steps to eliminate potential harm you will constantly be fighting up-hill/losing battles. It's like unprotected sex with a prostitute... Those critters are just waiting for a new host.

[Paul B]

Can you get ich from unprotected sex with a prostitute?

[Reefer247]

too late might as well throw everything in.. if you know anything about ich it can stay in its shell form FOREVER waiting for a host.. just dont let the fish get stressed and invest in a few neon gobys and cleaner shrimp.. :) my hippo tang gets it every couple days and then its ate up in a few mins by the clean up crew..

[STACKER]

Paul, this is what I've heard! LOL

Ryan, for REAL information regarding Ich and it's life cycle (don't listen too many folks about Ich because most don't know squat) do a search here for articles on fish ailmants and treatment by Steven Pro. He actually made this presentation to us as a club last year and learnigng the truth about a few common ailments was enlightening. Actually James V recorded it on DVD. MAybe we can get a copy or 2 to pass around.

[coralfarmer84]

Now I'm in big trouble.... yesterday i noticed my achilles wasn't looking so hot (my favorite fish) so i set up a freshwater dip... while i was waiting for the water to become same temp as tank i fed fish and he ate, i go into bathroom and when i come out he is completely dead :confused: I had him for just over 3 months now and he was completely healthy until i put in the idols..... now my chevron tang is looking much the same way but i can't catch him and my cleaner seems to not be helping the matter... any suggestions. P.S every other fish in the tank looks fine, no signs of disease, why would one tang have it and not the hippo, yellow, and naso?? I've already lost 2 hundred dollars worth of fish someone please help.

[coralfarmer84]

I started a new thread for this.... figuring it was a new topic and people wouldn't see it here

[STACKER]

Too much too fast! Simple as it sounds it's happened to everyone who hasn't listened to us old weathered salty water folks. I'd mix up a 50% waterchange, bring it to temp. and change out 20 gal. per day till it's gone. I'd also feed some fortified food and treat the tank with RX-P. Dipping sick and stressed fish kills them! Stop listening to who ever you are listeng to that is directing your efforst. If it's you, just stop thinking! We can help you thru these opening stages if you'll have patience and listen.

[Paul B]

I have to agree with Stacker that stressed fish will not do well with a fresh water dip. Fresh water will not cure ich. It will cause some paracites to fall off but if the fish is at a stage where it will die in a few hours, you will just speed up the process. At that point, nothing will cure the fish anyway.
Ich is a very simple disease to cure but you have to remove the fish to do it. There is really nothing that will cure it in a reef without killing corals. I know there is stuff advertised and people think cleaner shrimp will do it but not gonna happen. These "cures" work sometimes because many times the paracite falls off the fish and for whatever reason, it does not infect another fish with enough paracites to notice on the skin. My fish sometimes get ich but it never is a problem. This happens sometimes but not usually. In most tanks you will have to rermove the fish and quarintine in the future.
Paul

[STACKER]

Thx Paul, maybe they'll listen to you... they certainly don't listen to me! See I'm too old to be progressive enough got the whippersnaps, and too young to possibly know anything that an old fart would find useful. I'll be in depends and eating pudding and mashed potatoes before anyone ever listens to me. And that will only be when I tell'm I crapped in my diaper again! LOL

[coralfarmer84]

Paul i simply can't seem to catch him, and i'd hate to rip apart the entire display but i just might have to...... thanks for the advise guys and stacker your senerio of diapers and mashed potatoes, isn't that your current situation haha someones in denial

[STACKER]

My advice is all bad, I'm out to get you! I'll start putting my used depends in your mailbox starting tonite!

[Paul B]

Stacker, remember I have sox older than you :lol:
Paul

[STACKER]

LOL... I bet I could give 'ema run in the smelly department tho!