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Moorish idols and reefs

They're pretty hard to keep in a tank.
Very picky eaters, naturally eating sponge on live rock.
If you're lucky you might be able to find one at a LFS that's already eating.
 
I've had mine for a couple of years now. He can be a bully at times. Eats anything I put in the tank, but luckily leaves the coral alone.
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I've had mine for a couple of years now. He can be a bully at times. Eats anything I put in the tank, but luckily leaves the coral alone.
17353591_10154509777077921_4144290860938339251_n.jpg
Very nice. What foods do you focus on feeding? Mine loves all seaweeds, PE mysis, and emerald entree/carnivore cuisine. He takes pellets very cautiously still
 
Very nice. What foods do you focus on feeding? Mine loves all seaweeds, PE mysis, and emerald entree/carnivore cuisine. He takes pellets very cautiously still
I feed mostly frozen...LRS Reef Frenzy, PE Mysis, ocean Nutrition, SF Brand. He also likes Nori.
 
I have kept them since the 70s. Here is a page from my log book. I also spent quite a bit of time with them in the South pacific and I learned more about them doing that than from everything written. They are a very difficult fish no matter what you feed them. The longest I kept one was five years and I stupidly killed her in an accident but that is almost a record for a Moorish Idol which should probably live for 15 years. I would collect sponge here in New York which grew on floating wooden docks and freeze it. The Idol would practically jump out of the water for it. I also designed a feeder for her where she would have fish oil infused pellets dropped in a dish 5 or 6 times a day. They are large eaters but for some reason no matter how good they eat, the vast majority don't last a year. I know of none that lived 7 years which is a complete failure for almost any fish.


It's a shame because they are the most beautiful fish and very common. They are by far the most common fish in Hawaii where I took this. They are also all over Tahiti.

 
haha! I've actually seen your postings on Moorish Idols on some other threads out in the interweb. I love that you have the notebook from back then. I read about your pellet dish too, and I trained mine to eat first off an empty oyster shell and am still using that method to keep him well fed moving forward.
 
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