Moorish Idol
- Thread starter AWD
- Start date
Yes i have grown slightly thicker skin, but you must be honest i'v took a fair bit of flack. IE: even after posting pics someone commented i quote.....i think its plastic hanging on a piece of string... i did laugh actually i hope it was supposed to be funny? perhaps the 3 m/i's dont exist and they are all air toys? which go up and down all day...Ahhhhhhh.......air toys how many work chums have asked! if i have a sunken galleon, or clam, or diver you get my drift! p***me off
anyway dont resent my tank or knowledge, we do things so differently? Between our selves at the end of the day, we are all in this game,
be it as a hobby or business, for the same reason, The love of MARINES!
Anyway just fed my tank, fish very hungry as normal, and noticed my carpet anemone spitting out last nights meal a female Anthias.....I think he's got to go....now what did i do with that fish ad mag?
GT s wales THE HOME OF GREAT REEF TANKS-minus 1 anthius
anyway dont resent my tank or knowledge, we do things so differently? Between our selves at the end of the day, we are all in this game,
be it as a hobby or business, for the same reason, The love of MARINES!
Anyway just fed my tank, fish very hungry as normal, and noticed my carpet anemone spitting out last nights meal a female Anthias.....I think he's got to go....now what did i do with that fish ad mag?
GT s wales THE HOME OF GREAT REEF TANKS-minus 1 anthius
For what it is worth, from my experience only juvenile specimens will eventually take pellet foods, and before they do this (it may take a few weeks) you can keep them in good condition by placing bundles of Japanese Nori weed in your tank.
And yes, once on pellets they can survive for many years and are real "juwels" in a reeftank, but please don't ever try with adults, the percentage of success is too small to be justified.
And yes, once on pellets they can survive for many years and are real "juwels" in a reeftank, but please don't ever try with adults, the percentage of success is too small to be justified.
Juveniles would look like the adults but a bit smaller and less coloured, probably a few months old, not easy to get from the collectors as they mostly catch fully grown specimens, and no, moorish idols are not often kept in aquariums here in Australia as they have that "difficult" reputation and not many people are game to try them. They are not common on the reef, at least not in the Cairns area, elsewhere I don't know. Phil
i got mine when they were juvs, definatly a better choice, adapt much quicker to aquarium life.
Last night i saw something that i'v never witnessed before, my fireball angel darted out from behind the reef, and bit off the latter part, of 1 of the idols pennants. STRANGE....did'nt seem to bother him though? have fun i'm off to do a water change.
GT s wales
Last night i saw something that i'v never witnessed before, my fireball angel darted out from behind the reef, and bit off the latter part, of 1 of the idols pennants. STRANGE....did'nt seem to bother him though? have fun i'm off to do a water change.
GT s wales
I think I found Garry's secret to keeping the Moorish Idols alive. The latest issue (Jan 2003 of Tropical Fish Hobbiest (no Garry, I still haven't been able to find your two mags yet) has an article on New Life Spectrum foods in which they feature MI's kept alive for over a year on the food. The article states that the food is a complete source of food for many different types of species. The article caught my eye because of the prominant placement of the MIs in the magazine. Interesting.
Regards,
Ken
Regards,
Ken
Just a few observations gleaned with 7 years of keeping idols and seeing them on the reefs here in Hawaii:
Diet: IMO diet is not the problem with keeping idols ... they will eat and thrive on the same well balanced diet that most captive reef fish do.
Small ones: This is one of the keys ... getting them as young as possible so that they have not yet fully converted to a set diet on the reef is critical. At this point you have a better chance of getting it to eat introduced food. Not all will eat IME but most will given enough time.
Tank Size: the other key, these fish need a lot of room ... we have kept them in tanks from 500-7000 gallons for over 10 years, no problem.
Compatability with corals: IME they tend to leave SPS alone, but are fully capable of developing a taste for LPS corals, particularly Lobophyllia.
Numbers: Unless you have a true pair, keep one per tank. Small ones together will eventually either pair up or split up on the reef. If they don't pair up in your tank, one will kill the other. I have never seen schools of this fish in Hawaii, either singles, pairs or sometimes trios.
Water Quality: I can't comment too much on this since most of ours are kept in open systems, but you can find them swimming in inshore waters as well as along the seawalls of Honolulu Harbour, so what do you think?
Aloha!
J. Charles Delbeek
Diet: IMO diet is not the problem with keeping idols ... they will eat and thrive on the same well balanced diet that most captive reef fish do.
Small ones: This is one of the keys ... getting them as young as possible so that they have not yet fully converted to a set diet on the reef is critical. At this point you have a better chance of getting it to eat introduced food. Not all will eat IME but most will given enough time.
Tank Size: the other key, these fish need a lot of room ... we have kept them in tanks from 500-7000 gallons for over 10 years, no problem.
Compatability with corals: IME they tend to leave SPS alone, but are fully capable of developing a taste for LPS corals, particularly Lobophyllia.
Numbers: Unless you have a true pair, keep one per tank. Small ones together will eventually either pair up or split up on the reef. If they don't pair up in your tank, one will kill the other. I have never seen schools of this fish in Hawaii, either singles, pairs or sometimes trios.
Water Quality: I can't comment too much on this since most of ours are kept in open systems, but you can find them swimming in inshore waters as well as along the seawalls of Honolulu Harbour, so what do you think?
Aloha!
J. Charles Delbeek
Nicely put my friend? this is the point i'v been trying to get across! LOTS OF ROOM i think that is the key factor and of course juveniles. Anyway happy Reefkeeping, i'm trying to work out how to plumb another monster sump in 30 feet away in my garage? Hello 1000 gallons hopefully?
Wow i love your tank. Sorry that you come to this board and get attacked. Anyway a quick question, what would the 1000 gallon sump do to improve the tank other than the obvious larger tank volume? BTW do you dose anything?
Thanks for the info
JJ
ps hope somday when i get out of the parents house and some money money i could have a system that big!! My car fund is already fading into tank funds.
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Honda CBR150R
Thanks for the info
JJ
ps hope somday when i get out of the parents house and some money money i could have a system that big!! My car fund is already fading into tank funds.
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Honda CBR150R
Hello reefann you misread my friend! the sump , hopefuuly will take me up to 1000gals not an extra 1000gals BUT NOT A BAD IDEA? no seriouslly my wife is not to keen on the idea at the moment! She keeps on about floods ect, we did have one back early last year caused a lot of damage. so i can possibly see her point of veiw.
the extra water, as you'v said why?........why not. It must improve something! One thing is for sure if i get that sump in the garage, thats where my skimmer's going. Thats the only thing which makes a noise on the tank! the constant noise of the twin pumps chopping the air!
I'm going to post pics of my mates tanks at home soon, all stunners from a 4x2x2 to a 8x21/2x21/2 and i friend has just built 8x4x3 but its fish only he's got 1 moorish idol in there as well!
the extra water, as you'v said why?........why not. It must improve something! One thing is for sure if i get that sump in the garage, thats where my skimmer's going. Thats the only thing which makes a noise on the tank! the constant noise of the twin pumps chopping the air!
I'm going to post pics of my mates tanks at home soon, all stunners from a 4x2x2 to a 8x21/2x21/2 and i friend has just built 8x4x3 but its fish only he's got 1 moorish idol in there as well!
I like the way you think mr. Thomas. Wow system up to 1000g that would be great. I am back to the question if you dont mind me asking do you dose anything. And lastly did you have a problem with the similar species of tangs fighting each other?
Thanks
JJ
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Honda S360
Thanks
JJ
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Honda S360
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