Moorish idol tips for success

[btackerman]

Hello everyone.

I have 3 moorish idols In my 450 gal that after 3 days 2 of them have started to eat the frozen food. Does anyone have any advice on feedings and also any long term success. The only posts I have been able to find are close to 5 yrs out of date and hoping the 2-4 year average life span has change.

thank you in advance

 

[Webslinger]

Very hard fish to keep, best to be kept in the ocean..good luck

 

[eea60123]

I recommend a high quality diet. I feed LRS to try to get him probiotics and various types of frozen food. I try to feed at least 3 times a day to make sure he’s healthy. They are very finicky though, so don’t be surprised if it eats like a pig one day and stops the next. My first Idol stopped without any changes occurring in the tank. I didn’t stop long enough to starve but it did die. I’m not sure if we aren’t able to mimic their dietary requirements close enough or if it was something else.

 

[KLaRue]

I suggest reading, if you haven’t already done so, this article from 4 years ago by @4FordFamily here on R2R:

Keeping The Mysterious Moorish Idol

Moorish Idols. Impossible to keep. Better left in the wild, right? Anyone that has been in this hobby for nearly any length of time has read things like this or can at least recognize this iconic fish. Many of us grew up seeing this majestic fish...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[LiamPM]

I’ve had mine for just over 13 months now so no great feat but she’s fat, healthy and stands up to the other aggressive feeders so expect her to stay fit.

if I was to pick something I put down to her being so fat and healthy I’d probably say NORI. I keep a constant supply in my tank and she attacks it more aggressively than a couple of very large tangs. I use two clips, and the rule in my house is if it looks empty, top it up. She has a constant nori supply whilst lights are on and I do think this has helped massively. She’s a constant grazer Always on the lookout but never goes without.

i spent over a year looking for one that would feed in the shop like this one did before attempting one but in my opinion the constant supply of nori is the key for mine.

 

[btackerman]

I’ve had mine for just over 13 months now so no great feat but she’s fat, healthy and stands up to the other aggressive feeders so expect her to stay fit.

if I was to pick something I put down to her being so fat and healthy I’d probably say NORI. I keep a constant supply in my tank and she attacks it more aggressively than a couple of very large tangs. I use two clips, and the rule in my house is if it looks empty, top it up. She has a constant nori supply whilst lights are on and I do think this has helped massively. She’s a constant grazer Always on the lookout but never goes without.

i spent over a year looking for one that would feed in the shop like this one did before attempting one but in my opinion the constant supply of nori is the key for mine.

How do you keep the other tank mates from eating the nori. As of now mine is not the most aggressive eater but they do spend more time grazing on the rocks

 

[LiamPM]

How do you keep the other tank mates from eating the nori. As of now mine is not the most aggressive eater but they do spend more time grazing on the rocks

Just by using two clips, she’s smart enough that when one clip has no room she moves to the other. There’s generally enough of a supply that there’s still plenty their after the initial going at it.

 

[KingTideCorals]

I have a thread about my Hawiian Cleaner (another tough to keep species)

I focused on the size of the food for that fish, for the Moorish I feel sometimes if wild caught its best to get the information of what the local species is eating in the wild and then try to mimic that in your tank i.e. size, look, smell.

Good luck! Gorgeous fish, post a couple pics! Love to see em.

 

[btackerman]

I have a thread about my Hawiian Cleaner (another tough to keep species)

I focused on the size of the food for that fish, for the Moorish I feel sometimes if wild caught its best to get the information of what the local species is eating in the wild and then try to mimic that in your tank i.e. size, look, smell.

Good luck! Gorgeous fish, post a couple pics! Love to see em.

Here is the one that is eating what I call me sushi roll lol. I wrapped a little piece of seaweed around a clam strip with a krill as well. Only way I can get her to eat.

 

[KingTideCorals]

Here is the one that is eating what I call me sushi roll lol. I wrapped a little piece of seaweed around a clam strip with a krill as well. Only way I can get her to eat.

A labor of love! I commit three feedings a day and small little snacks for my Hawaiian Cleaner, that Moorish is gorgeous though!

Ill have to swing by when its dinner time I love sushi!

 

[ReefBeta]

Once it gets to eating it's not that hard. Nori on bubble works well. I think after that, obesity might be the problem. Give them a big tank and tons of flow to keep them active. They seem to swim less than tang, but eat more. I had one for about 2 years, lost it a day after a water change, didn't find obvious cause. But it's so very fat, and I always feed a lot. May be there is a thing as too far.

 

[Silent]

I feed mine PE pellets in a autofeeder 4x a day.
It loves the PE pellets from day 1. Now it eats anything and everything. Have had it for a year.