Keeping The Mysterious Moorish Idol

[SDK]

Good advice! Do you have an automatic feeder to feed 3 times a day or are you working from home? Just curious as I'm getting one soon and wonder how people feed these guys when away for work during the day.

I manage four to five feeds per day with a full time job. It's all about planning, plus a $25 investment in a feeder...

My tank gets a good size frozen or live feeding before and right after work. An Eheim feeder then drops in a 4 pellet mix at 10AM and 2PM. I will sometimes add a small fifth feed about an hour before lights out if I am home and watching the tank.

I also put a strip of Nori in evey other day and shucked clam once or twice per week that my Kole Tang and Copperband both pick at all day...

 

[4FordFamily]

Good advice! Do you have an automatic feeder to feed 3 times a day or are you working from home? Just curious as I'm getting one soon and wonder how people feed these guys when away for work during the day.

Nori is a great supplement for those that leave for work. It is, quite dirty, to feed as much of it as tangs/idols need for grazing, and of course it increases their "nutrients" when it comes out the other end -- but it is critical for their health and an "easy button".

 

[ajjw0828]

I manage four to five feeds per day with a full time job. It's all about planning, plus a $25 investment in a feeder...

My tank gets a good size frozen or live feeding before and right after work. An Eheim feeder then drops in a 4 pellet mix at 10AM and 2PM. I will sometimes add a small fifth feed about an hour before lights out if I am home and watching the tank.

I also put a strip of Nori in evey other day and shucked clam once or twice per week that my Kole Tang and Copperband both pick at all day...

Thanks for the advice. I will look into getting an Eheim feeder. What brand of pellets do you feed? As far as the shucked clams, do you just buy frozen ones from he grocery store? Do you thaw it out before giving to the tank or just drop in frozen? Do you do like Rod's Food for the before and after work feedings?

 

[ajjw0828]

I manage four to five feeds per day with a full time job. It's all about planning, plus a $25 investment in a feeder...

My tank gets a good size frozen or live feeding before and right after work. An Eheim feeder then drops in a 4 pellet mix at 10AM and 2PM. I will sometimes add a small fifth feed about an hour before lights out if I am home and watching the tank.

I also put a strip of Nori in evey other day and shucked clam once or twice per week that my Kole Tang and Copperband both pick at all day...

Would you recommend this feeder?

 

[SDK]

Thanks for the advice. I will look into getting an Eheim feeder. What brand of pellets do you feed? As far as the shucked clams, do you just buy frozen ones from he grocery store? Do you thaw it out before giving to the tank or just drop in frozen? Do you do like Rod's Food for the before and after work feedings?

That Eheim feeder you linked is the one. It's been a hobby staple forever and is rock solid/reliable. I have an Apex on my tank and still prefer the Eheim over the Apex feeder.

I feed a pellet mix that is primarily Reef Nutrition TDO and NLS Marine, with smaller amounts of NLS Algae Max and NYOS True Algae pellets mixed in as well.

I live in New England, so I buy fresh littleneck clams about a dozen at a time, then freeze them right away. I thaw them and crack them open before dropping in.

I have never fed Rods food although I have heard good things. I do use LRS Reef Frenzy sparingly. I feed a lot of live black and white worms along with frozen spirulina brine shrimp and PE Mysis. Both get enriched with Selcon and Vita Chem on an alternating basis.

 

[ajjw0828]

That Eheim feeder you linked is the one. It's been a hobby staple forever and is rock solid/reliable. I have an Apex on my tank and still prefer the Eheim over the Apex feeder.

I feed a pellet mix that is primarily Ocean Nutrition TDO and NLS Marine, with smaller amounts of NLS Algae Max and NYOS True Algae pellets mixed in as well.

I live in New England, so I buy fresh littleneck clams about a dozen at a time, then freeze them right away. I thaw them and crack them open before dropping in.

I have never fed Rods food although I have heard good things. I do use LRS Reef Frenzy sparingly. I feed a lot of live black and white worms along with frozen spirulina brine shrimp and PE Mysis. Both get enriched with Selcon and Vita Chem on an alternating basis.

I appreciate the help! I just ordered the feeder. I looked up to buy the Ocean nutrition TDO and was wondering what size granule you purchase, looks like there are quite a few. Also I saw it says to refrigerate after opening. I'm guessing the amount put in the feeder is fine not refrigerated?

Also wondering where you order live black and white worms from? When you add the selcon/ vita chem do you just add a little to the worms and mysis right before feeding?

Thank you for the help!

 

[SDK]

I appreciate the help! I just ordered the feeder. I looked up to buy the Ocean nutrition TDO and was wondering what size granule you purchase, looks like there are quite a few. Also I saw it says to refrigerate after opening. I'm guessing the amount put in the feeder is fine not refrigerated?

Also wondering where you order live black and white worms from? When you add the selcon/ vita chem do you just add a little to the worms and mysis right before feeding?

Thank you for the help!

You're welcome!

The TDO Small C2 size is close to the same as the NLS, so I use those. If you have a lot of larger fish you might want t go up to the 1.7mm size. I load a few weeks worth at a time and only refrigerate the containers. Works fine

I order live blackworms form Eastern Aquatics, but you can also get them in smaller portions from a local LFS if you are lucky. If you order a big batch though the mail make sure you are up to speed with how to store them in the fridge. They are good for months with proper care.

Live white worms you would culture yourself. You can research the subject both here and the web in general.

 

[ajjw0828]

You're welcome!

The TDO Small C2 size is close to the same as the NLS, so I use those. If you have a lot of larger fish you might want t go up to the 1.7mm size. I load a few weeks worth at a time and only refrigerate the containers. Works fine

I order live blackworms form Eastern Aquatics, but you can also get them in smaller portions from a local LFS if you are lucky. If you order a big batch though the mail make sure you are up to speed with how to store them in the fridge. They are good for months with proper care.

Live white worms you would culture yourself. You can research the subject both here and the web in general.

Sweet thank you! Just got everything ordered for the Auto feeder/ pellets. Just need to get the live worms now. Thanks for the help!

 

[ReefHog]

Good advice! Do you have an automatic feeder to feed 3 times a day or are you working from home? Just curious as I'm getting one soon and wonder how people feed these guys when away for work during the day.

I work second shift so I feed frozen around 10:30am, pellets via Neptune auto feeder at 2:00pm then wife feeds frozen at 5:00pm. There's 12 fish in the 220 with him. I carbon dose Tropic Marin Reef Actif weekly along with their Bacto Balance daily which really keeps nutrients from rising with all the food. My P04 sits at .05 (Hanna) and my N03 at 5 (Nyos) pretty constant. I would definately get an auto feeder if your gone for 8-10 hours a day. You could put algae/Nori on a clip before work (even if lights still out), then pellets via auto feeder for lunch and frozen after work. I let algae grow on side and back glass as him and the tang are always picking at that. I've heard they get a lot of sponge from picking at rocks in the ocean so I make sure some of my frozen has added sponge to it.

 

[SDK]

Sweet thank you! Just got everything ordered for the Auto feeder/ pellets. Just need to get the live worms now. Thanks for the help!

No worries. If you have not already, remember to get a feeding ring or tube to go with the auto feeder. Otherwise your pellets will mostly go right into the overflow before they have a chance to sink...

 

[ReefHog]

I like the Neptune CD crossover pellets mixed with Nyos True algae pellets. The Nyos sink a little faster so there's time for most of the pellets to get eaten. What hits the sand bed gets eaten by my Diamond Goby and Starfish. I buy live blackworms locally. I change water with rodi every three or four days and they stay good for a month or two.

 

[Reef Nutrition]

I appreciate the help! I just ordered the feeder. I looked up to buy the Ocean nutrition TDO and was wondering what size granule you purchase, looks like there are quite a few. Also I saw it says to refrigerate after opening. I'm guessing the amount put in the feeder is fine not refrigerated?

Also wondering where you order live black and white worms from? When you add the selcon/ vita chem do you just add a little to the worms and mysis right before feeding?

Thank you for the help!

It is totally fine if you wish to use TDO in an auto-feeder. Thanks for asking.

By the way, it's us (Reef Nutrition) that manufactures and sells TDO, not Ocean Nutrition. It's a common mistake.

Best,
Chad

 

[Silent]

Mine has always loved the PE pellets. Never had any issues with it not eating. Probably eats too much. Autofeeder 4x a day.

 

[reefer333_]

I have a question for those of you who has successfully kept Moorish Idol for more than a year or two. Have you checked out what your idol does after lights go out? Does it go into the rocks to sleep? Does it stay out in the open and swim?

I recently got one and mine stays outside the rocks and kept swimming, sometimes erratically (I assume due to the current/flow) in the tank. During day time, it behaves normally and eats pretty good (pellets, frozen). I feed 5-6 times a day. I tries a few things, total darkness, moon light, light out with some fuge light spill from the stand. Regardless, it never goes into rocks (during day time, when it gets scare, it will go in to hide). The tank has no aggressive fish and idol is the biggest and no one bothers him/her just in case you are wondering whether it is due to stress from other fish in the tank.

I have also kept one a couple of years ago for 8 months (although it was eating good (eats everything, pellets, nori, frozen) and gaining weight and fat), it got thinner and thinner around 8 months mark and didn't make it. (from reading threads, it seems like it is common for those fish) That fish also behaves the same thing at night time. I am wondering whether that night time behavior is something to do with the reason it perished although it was eating great. For those of you who has successfully kept it for multiple years, I am wondering whether your fish behaves differently at night time. Thanks.

 

[ReefHog]

Interesting take on this. I have had mine since February of this year. He was a good eater at the LFS and is an eating machine in my 220 mixed reef. I've read they may scrape sponge from the live rock they pick at on the reef. So i feed some frozen food with sponge in it along with the LRS, P.E. Mysis, clam and live blackworms. I also feed three times a day. Mine is out all night as well never seeming to sleep. I thought this may be attributed to their high metabolism. If I walk by the tank after lights out, he does dart around appearing startled. I have a wifi camera on the tank and I don't notice the "darting" around when no one is near the tank. I would be interested to see what long term owners have to say.

 

[reefer333_]

Interesting take on this. I have had mine since February of this year. He was a good eater at the LFS and is an eating machine in my 220 mixed reef. I've read they may scrape sponge from the live rock they pick at on the reef. So i feed some frozen food with sponge in it along with the LRS, P.E. Mysis, clam and live blackworms. I also feed three times a day. Mine is out all night as well never seeming to sleep. I thought this may be attributed to their high metabolism. If I walk by the tank after lights out, he does dart around appearing startled. I have a wifi camera on the tank and I don't notice the "darting" around when no one is near the tank. I would be interested to see what long term owners have to say.

@ReefHog thanks for the reply. Good to know that mine is not the only one swimming at night time. Do you have a moon light on ur tank? Mine appears to hate pink(grow light) spill from fuge and swim more erratically when fuge light is on, he/she calms down a bit more in total darkness, haven’t tried moon light long enough to see whether it will swim better with moon light.

 

[ReefHog]

My tank is in the basement so not much light. Just what comes inside through the blinds from outside street lights and maybe some from the laundry room across the basement if the door is left open. No moon light on tank. I’m surprised no one else has chimed in. I think @Paul B has had one or two over the years.

 

[Silent]

Mine swims at night, no moonlight. I wouldn't say it swims more or less than other big reef fish.

 

[ReefHog]

Mine swims at night, no moonlight. I wouldn't say it swims more or less than other big reef fish.

I’ve got a porcupine puffer in another tank that is quite active after dark. Quite normal for them I believe. I even feed him after dark sometimes. My CBB is also usually up after lights out but doesn’t really swim around like the MI does. Rest of fish are hidden in the rock work until the morning light hits the room.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Mine, behind the rocks and out within minutes of lights on and beg for food all day