Moorish Idol- a fish best left in the ocean? whats your experience?

[Cassian]

Hello all! So I just set up a new tank and I have always loved Moorish Idols. Unfortunately, I have heard so many people that say they never live more than a year in reef aquariums. But, with the right diet and adequate space, is it possible? Please, share your experiences with them and tell me what you have done to achieve success. I would really love to keep this beautiful fish, but I am hesitant to try because of all the negative experiences I have read about.

 

[User1]

Hello all! So I just set up a new tank and I have always loved Moorish Idols. Unfortunately, I have heard so many people that say they never live more than a year in reef aquariums. But, with the right diet and adequate space, is it possible? Please, share your experiences with them and tell me what you have done to achieve success. I would really love to keep this beautiful fish, but I am hesitant to try because of all the negative experiences I have read about.

Anything is possible. We landed on the moon and successfully returned with less compute than our cell phones have today. That is engineering.

On a more serious note with regards to the Moorish Idols. Yes, people have kept them successfully for much longer than that. I personally have not ever attempted one but have seen tanks with them and people posting that have keep them over longer than 5 years. I do not recall the actual longevity of the animal but I do know they didn't treat them like a commodity - they treated them like a pet if that makes sense.

Collecting information is the first step. Second in my opinion would be having a mature enough tank. Once those two steps are finished then I would consider adding one to my tank. My tank maturity, even after 1 1/2 year isn't ready for one in my opinion. Good luck and let's see what information comes in.

 

[carolinareefguy]

I had one for a couple of years, ate everything, algae sheets, pellet, frozen and even my corals... lol

 

[Cassian]

thanks for the info! I definitely agree with @saf1 that the tank needs to be mature. I gotta do more research on whether they are reef safe though. sounds like they are iffy

 

[User1]

I'll tag @Paul B - I believe he has keep Moorish Idols at times with good success. Good, great - meaning a long life. Hopefully I remembered that correctly

 

[pirate2876]

I had one for a couple of years, ate everything, algae sheets, pellet, frozen and even my corals... lol

Same. I've had him for a couple years and he's a tank, but he eats coral so he's in the sump atm.

 

[Montiman]

I just lost mine after 3 years. It was my fault I cut down on feedings and my 6 tangs just out competed him for food. They absolutely can be kept and are no where near as difficult as some make them out to be. The biggest trick is getting them to eat. When I was working at an LFS I struggled to get even a single Indo specimen to eat but at least 75% of the Hawaiian ones would.

They usually ate either small pellets like Dianichi, NewLife Spectrum, or Sera Granumin, or clams on the half shell. I have always had the most success keeping them alone and have struggled with groups. They absolutely can get out competed for food which is why I lost mine.

When I started with mine I got him eating pellets and then fed the tank heavily with pellets 4 times a day to make sure he ate plenty. As my fish grew I kept feeding the same and I got busy and lazy and didn't realize that my large tangs were getting all the food before he had a chance. They are slow gentle eaters unlike my tangs.

They are also mostly reef safe. I have seen them eat clams and fleshy LPS but not all of them eat these and I have never seen one touch softies or SPS.

 

[AZMSGT]

I just lost mine after 3 years. It was my fault I cut down on feedings and my 6 tangs just out competed him for food. They absolutely can be kept and are no where near as difficult as some make them out to be. The biggest trick is getting them to eat. When I was working at an LFS I struggled to get even a single Indo specimen to eat but at least 75% of the Hawaiian ones would.

They usually ate either small pellets like Dianichi, NewLife Spectrum, or Sera Granumin, or clams on the half shell. I have always had the most success keeping them alone and have struggled with groups. They absolutely can get out competed for food which is why I lost mine.

When I started with mine I got him eating pellets and then fed the tank heavily with pellets 4 times a day to make sure he ate plenty. As my fish grew I kept feeding the same and I got busy and lazy and didn't realize that my large tangs were getting all the food before he had a chance. They are slow gentle eaters unlike my tangs.

They are also mostly reef safe. I have seen them eat clams and fleshy LPS but not all of them eat these and I have never seen one touch softies or SPS.

@Sisterlimonpot
This is interesting to know. My friend just got an Idol and he has several tangs too.

 

[motortrendz]

Had one for 5 months. Was doing awesome, ate everything I put in the tank from LRS frenzy to pellets or a sheet of nori. Until the one morning when the lights came on and he was laying on the sand heavy breathing and then died soon after.

 

[vetteguy53081]

They've gotten much easier and I had a trio for almost three years and they started to mess with my coral and squabble and I sold them to a fellow who has a FOWLER tank only and he still has two of the three making them almost 5 years alive

 

[Cassian]

thanks for the info everyone. @Montiman , I appreciate the really good info. not sure if this would be a good fish for my tank though. I have a lot of LPS.

 

[Cassian]

They've gotten much easier and I had a trio for almost three years and they started to mess with my coral and squabble and I sold them to a fellow who has a FOWLER tank only and he still has two of the three making them almost 5 years alive

very nice!

 

[Daniel@R2R]

They've gotten much easier and I had a trio for almost three years and they started to mess with my coral and squabble and I sold them to a fellow who has a FOWLER tank only and he still has two of the three making them almost 5 years alive

Good-looking fish!

 

[Montiman]

thanks for the info everyone. @Montiman , I appreciate the really good info. not sure if this would be a good fish for my tank though. I have a lot of LPS.

Maybe. Maybe not.

Mine never touched My euphillia, but that was the only LPS in the tank. I am moving soon and have decided my new main tank will have no LPS because I want to have angels butterflies, and would love another Idol. Ultimately you have to decide if the fish or the coral are more important.

I love coral but after working for 5 years at an LFS that specialized in fish I have a great love for large show fish and I am willing to sacrifice a lot to have some.

 

[melanotaenia]

I have read so many stories on these guys, with some living for a few weeks, other several years, some just up and stop eating, others never really eat from the start. It seems to be a toss up with them, I wonder if smaller specimens do better, or if a lot of the differences in success are attributed to how well they are cared for during collection/shipment.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Good-looking fish!

They were super healthy. My coral comes first LOL

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

@Sisterlimonpot
This is interesting to know. My friend just got an Idol and he has several tangs too.

I can't attest to long term stability, but I have one in QT right now going on week 3. He eats like a pig, I feed him 4 times a day, a mixture of San Francisco bay saltwater multipack, reef miltipack and pemysis. The first few days he was also eating flake and nori, but he spits that stuff right back out and waits for the meaty foods.

It does have signs of lymphocystis but that doesn't effect his eating habits. hopefully I will see this guy in display tank in 5 1/2 weeks. then the challenge of acclimating the other fish to him.

 

[4FordFamily]

Here is an article on the subject I think that helps explain a lot

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

With a new tank, I would definitely avoid. They are very demanding and sensitive fish.

 

[artieg1]

There was as a documentary that suggested a Moorish Idol will rule the tank, corrupt young clownfish, and convince all the other fish to escape the tank.

 

[Jay Z]

I had a nice large idol in my 90 back when I was 16. Customer dropped it off because it was to big. Lived for 3 years and went with the tank when I sold it. Was a community fish. He was in with some triggers and tangs.

Very pretty and active.

That was back in the day when i used treated tap water, powdered ph up, cheap test kits, no skimmer, penguin bio wheels, fluval canisters, and mixed fresh salt water in buckets in the bath tub. Amazing what you need today to keep a fish alive.