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#1
05/04/2007, 03:20 AM
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Moorish Idols
Hey all. It's been a while since I've been on here. I'm setting up a new tank and I'm looking for help and/or opinions on it. I currently have a 120 gallon full reef and a 65 gallon reef plumbed together with a 40 gallon sump. I'm getting ready to set-up a 210 gallon tank in the same system and give it all a 150 gallon sump. I am going to set the 210 up specifically for Moorish Idols, I would like to keep 3-5 Idols in it. I have kept 2 in my reef that I adopted from someone else who was good with them, but found out the hard way they eat acros. The 2 I had did fine for a while (approx. 6 months) but then died as is expected considering I wasn't prepared for them. I am going to have this tank completely set-up and running, and hopefully have livestock going in it as well so the very last thing I put in it will be the Idols. I was wondering if anyone could tell me about previous experience with these fish, or any helpful suggestions for tank mates (I was thinking Copperbands, small gobies, and fairy wrasses). Also does anyone know where I can get a stock of live sponge for the tank. Basically any information or thoughts (good or bad) that anyone would like to give me would be much appreciated.
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#2
05/04/2007, 01:00 PM
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Re: Moorish Idols
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#3
05/04/2007, 01:15 PM
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#4
05/05/2007, 09:31 AM
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Re Moorish Idols
I have had some experience with Moorish Idols...the current fellow has been in my take for just over two years and s(he) is probably the most amazing fish I have ever had in 25 years... eats anything from flake to clams to sea veggies. I am sure I don't do anything different than any one else but I am very very careful when I buy fish. With Moorish Idols, any fish for that matter, I insist they are eating at the LFS, clear eyes and fat. Introduction into the tank takes 2-3 hours by drip method. I did try a pair of Moorish Idols this last time but with only two one dominate and the second had to be removed. I would recommend more than three.
Given they are not an agressive fish you need to be careful about tank mates. I had a powder blue tang and an asfur that, after a year, had nipped the Moorish Idol bad enough the fins did not grow back entirely. I am now watching carefuly as the only other tank mate, a blue face angel, and the moorish idol are getting too big for my 115 gal... the blue face is starting to be much more aggressive towards the Moorish Idol; it is time to re scape the tank. I also think the Moorish Idol is outgrowing the 5 foot tank... that 375 gal on the wish list looks promising! Bill |
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#6
05/10/2007, 02:45 PM
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I have heard of them eating bananas... but in the wild i believe they eat mostly sponges. not easy to keep going at all. for tank mates i would look into a school of henoc butterflys. they look a lot like idols and they do well together.
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I thought i'd get your theories, mock them, and embrace my own... the usual... |
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#7
05/10/2007, 02:49 PM
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 They're far from endemic to Hawaii. Heck, they have them in Baja (Mexico) even.
__________________
Gresham _______________________________ Feeding your reef...one polyp at a time |
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#8
05/10/2007, 04:46 PM
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ATJ |
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#10
05/14/2007, 01:25 AM
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I've read a lot of things about Moorish Idols, and found out they are supposed to be difficult to keep after I had kept one for about 3 years. When I first put the fish in my tank, it rammed its head into the aquarium glass over and over, and I thought, OK, this fish isn't going to do well in here... The next day, I put a smaller yellow, black, and white bannerfish in the tank with it, and the Idol started spending the days chasing the bannerfish out of its territory, rather than ramming the glass. I only had the single Idol in the tank, and it was anything but passive toward the other inhabitants. It would chase the damsels out of its established territory, as well as any other fish that got too close. The fish was easy to feed, and eventually ate whatever I dropped in the tank. It "picked" at the Halimeda and other algae growing on the dead coral slabs, and would eat finely chopped shrimp or whatever else filtered down into the algae on the rocks. It survived several animal die-offs in the tank, and when I moved, I released it back to the ocean where I had caught it. Maybe they do better when they don't have to compete with others of the same species? Or maybe they need smaller fish to bully to be happy? I can't tell you specifically why mine seemed happy, but it certainly didn't seem as fragile as all the literature I've read has claimed.
Cheers, Don |
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#12
05/16/2007, 12:30 AM
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I caught it with a piece of nylon netting, and put it straight into a one gallon plastic jar and rushed home to release it into the aquarium. There was no acclimation period, but I used sea water from the same area for water changes. I also rotated out the live rock, so there was always something new for the fish to pick at.
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#13
05/19/2007, 02:29 PM
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 Mine was almost five and I not only lost him but almost all of my fish in an accident. They are not what I would call fragile, but they are definately difficult and I will say that they are almost impossable to keep for more than a few years. A fish that size should live at least twelve or more years, as far as I know, no one has kept one that long. I have had many of them and dove with them quite a bit to learn their secrets. Read the moorish Idol thread so the information does not have to be repeated. For sponge I collect it on floating docks here in the Long Island Sound. I am the one who fed them bananas but it is not needed. They are not agressive and have no defense. Their mouth is very weak and they have no spines either on their gill covers or near their tail. They are lousy jumpers, not very fast swimmers and don't wedge themselves into the coral. Their diet is almost all sponge as that is the only thing I have seen them eat in the sea but in an aquarium they will eat anything that is soft and they don't have to bite off. They come from shallow water all over the South Pacific. Many will not eat at all and I believe that is because they live in mated pairs (they don't school as adults) the male leads the female to food, when she gets there, he leaves. (nice guy) Have a great day. Paul 
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#14
05/21/2007, 03:48 PM
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Paul,
I live in the NYC region (NNJ actually) and would also like to collect this sponge you say you have collected from docks in Long Island. Can you give me a description where you found this sponge, what it looks like, and how you collected it? I read you collected it and froze them so it seems like I may try to collect as much as I can and freeze it to feed my idol throughout the year so I only have to collect it a few times as needed. Thank you. |
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#15
05/21/2007, 04:58 PM
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Ralphie you can collect enough in 15 minutes to feed an Idol all year. The best place for it is on City Island off the Bronks.
I collect it at a marina there called Minnefords but I don't think you can get in there. There are a few good restaurants there that have floating docks with a lot of the sponge. One is I think the Lobster Shanty. There is a large dock in the back which you can collect on even if you don't eat at the restaurant. There is also a gas dock there that has sponge. The sponge looks almost exactly like the light brown to red mushrooms that you may see on rotting logs. It grows about 5" wide and grows about an inch off the dock. It is only on floating docks just under the water surface. Just grab it and rip it off the dock. Don't collect the red tree sponge, the Idol won't eat it. You feed the sponge by freezing it and cutting off bite size pieces. Idols like it better frozen than fresh, it is softer. Any restaurant on City Island with docks should have sponge. My marina is in Port Washington almost swimming distance from City Island and there is no sponge there, or I would show you how to get there. I will see if that is the name of the rstaurant where you can collect it. I eat there all the time but I go by boat so I don't see the name on the front often. If you go to the docks in NJ you may see it just below the surface. Most places clean the docks of encrusting growths every year so this time of the year, there may not be any. Paul |
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#16
05/22/2007, 09:36 PM
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Do I need to get in a boat to get access to this sponge? Or can I reach down from the dock?
What would be the best time of year to get them? Would it be a good idea to bring along a ice chest to toss them in so they don't spoil, right? I think I read you said they spoil pretty fast. WHen you say Bronks is that the old dutch way of saying Bronx or is the Bronks a part of Long Island? Sorry, Jersey boy over here ;-) My idol eats everything I put in the tank but the only packaged food I can find with sponge in it has very little of the sponge ingredient and I know you've kept your idol for 5 years so Im just trying to work off what you learned. Thanks a million. |
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#18
05/22/2007, 09:40 PM
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Here's my little guy I bought online. I have lots of pictures of him but my camera sucks so this is the best I have of him. He's so hungry all the time that he confused my Panda Puffer's tail for food tonight and tried to take a bite...now the puffer (twice his size) is scared of him! He loves cockle right off the shell too. I know they got weakass jaws but he rips the meat right off the shell like its nobody's business. I feed him about 8-10 times a day very small meals so that he can eat and fully digest every meal instead of just ramming it through his digestion system so that he can get all the nutrients from the food. I use Selcon and another multi vitamin soak for every meal.
Last edited by ralphie16; 05/22/2007 at 09:46 PM. |
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#19
05/23/2007, 04:06 PM
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Ralphie it's Bronx, sorry. I can't believe I spelled that wrong, I have to go there tomorrow. You don't need a boat to collect sponge. It grows on all of the floating docks there on City Island. I am not sure it's there now but I am going out this weekend so maybe I will end up there. It is only on the sides of floating docks a few inches under the water. It does not grow submerged very deep, maybe it's photosynthetic.
Yes you do need a cooler, or it will start to stink by the time you get it home. Just rinse it in some saltwater and freeze it right away. It will have some worms, shrimp, amphipods etc on it which also makes good food. My Idol used to jump out of the water for it. Don't forget, I don't guarantee that your Idol will eat it but almost all of my fish enjoy it including the copperband butterfly. I will try to get the exact name of the restaurant and see if any sponge is there now. Paul Don't collect this which grows along and sometimes on top of it. They don't eat it even though it looks nice. 
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#21
05/26/2007, 05:42 AM
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I don't have a picture of it but it looks exactly like encrusting mushrooms on rotting wood. It's kind of fleshy looking and very common. Most of it grows close to the wood and it is hard to collect it like that but in many places it extends off the wood for an inch or two and it is easy to just rip it off with your hand. You will see it, the rest of the growths on docks are sea squirts and seaweed.
Paul |
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#22
05/30/2007, 10:36 AM
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