Calling all experts(Morish idol)

[daj0424]

Let me post this becuase I think it needs to be said. After having this fish for almost a week now I feel that it is better left in the ocean. The effort I have had to put forth just to get it to eat has been too much already. Then to think that I will have to give it my undivided attention every day until it perishes 6-12months from now it tuff to think about.
I have done a ton of research and found that their is a food called New Life Spectrum that has been very good for moorish idols. The person who developed the food has kept mooring idols for many years eating only this product. I ordered some the other day and will keep you posted on my progess.
Also, lastnight I rook out cleaned out the clam shell and filled it with frozen food. The MI did not go for it. I am not quite sure if it was because it was stressed from me moving my hand around the tank or becuase it just will not eat the food. I will try some other ideas tonight.
Does anyone know the exact type of sponge the MI eat in wild?

 

[debbie]

They are very beautiful fish indeed. Can you post a pic of yours?

 

[mryoung7]

Originally Posted by daj0424
Let me post this becuase I think it needs to be said. After having this fish for almost a week now I feel that it is better left in the ocean.
thank you for being mature enough to admit that. hopefully it will keep others from trying to keep a moorish idol.
i hope that new food is just what it needs and if by some act of god it lives for more than a year or two, i would love to hear "i told you so!"

 

[xdave]

The odds of an Idol collected from anywhere but Hawaii making it into a petstore in the continental US is at least 10000 to 1. If a store has a live Idol, it's from Hawaii. I've checked in at least 500 Idols from those other areas and I never received one alive.

 

[dogstar]

Well I will agree that they may have better collecting and shipping methods in Hawaii......but I dont get what your trying to say as far as what they need to live in captivity only is in Hawaii, maybe Im missing it.....As far as I know, no matter where they are from, they dont live long in captivity.....

 

[daj0424]

Finally a couple pic's of the new addition.
Update: The only thing that I can get it to eat at this time is claims and mussels that I get from the frozen seafood section at the grocery store. I am working on trying to get it to eat prepared foods in the left over shells but so far it has not shown interest.
The maroon clown has proven its dominance in the tank so I will be taking it back to my LFS for a trade on Thursday. This should give the MI more much needed freedom.

 

[aquageek]

Your Idol is absolutely beautiful!
Try some of the gel based foods and put some in a feeding grid, feeding clip.
Also, try mysis shrimp. There is a special brand out there that is awesome and known for its high quality mysis, PISCINE Eneregetics is the company.
I had a pair of idols that ate like crazy from day one but suffered the extremes of shipping stress. I got them to eat formula 2 pellets too.
I would not add any more fish into the tank until he is eating like a pig. Unless you add peaceful fish that may teach him to eat other items.
Just a thougth.

 

[eyebedam]

Have you tried mixing some flake food with some frozen cyclop eeze? As the cy thaws and soaks in the flakes my picky eaters have seemed to like this. Ive been wanting to try my hand at a moorish idol.

 

[xdave]

So AquaGeek, how are your Idols doing? I've noticed everyone refers to them in the past tense.

 

[cwgibson]

xdave you are always so negative. why dont you show some support to people? {Edit - please avoid the name calling}

 

[mryoung7]

Originally Posted by cwgibson
xdave you are always so negative. why dont you show some support to people? {Edit - please avoid the name calling}
not to speak for xdave, but i think it's justified in the case of the idol. in my opinion, if he made the same comment about any other fish in the trade, it would be uncalled for. but people keep buying these fish and it leaves some of us wondering just how harsh one has to be in order to get the point across.

i'm sure you're not just talking about this thread, though, and to that i can't comment.

 

[debbie]

Hey don't feel bad about getting this fish, maybe you will have good luck with it. They are beautiful fish.
Let you in a wonderful story that happened here the other day.
While in my LFS that I get my rock from they had a tank full of these fish. A customer came in and wanted to buy four of them. At a whopping $125.00 CDN... :scared: This customer purchased the four. I then hear them ask about what these fish eat. The fish gal said, "Oh they don't need anything special just some brineshrimp and marine flaked food"..... :scared: Can you just see how this story is going to unfold in a few weeks, months etc
I just about died when I over heard this, at least you are trying to feed your fish the right foods and maybe your story will turn out better and I hope it does for you.
Good luck to you and your "idol".......

 

[saltn00b]

man debbie i hope you stepped in and caused a big stink in front of that customer and pointed out how rediculous that was.

 

[xdave]

Asking someone how their fish is is only negative if it died. Everyone keeps saying I had one that ate this or that, but they keep forgetting to mention it only lived a year or less. I'm just being realistic.
I couldn't live with myself if anyone interpeted even a glimmer of hope from anything I say about Idols. Heres the most encouraging thing I can say, at least 75% of all the idols I sold to zoos lived more than a year.

 

[debbie]

Originally Posted by saltn00b
man debbie i hope you stepped in and caused a big stink in front of that customer and pointed out how rediculous that was.
Actually I did not say a thing. The customer was still there looking at more fish when I left. The guy that owns this store would have tossed me out if I opened my mouth I am sure of that. If the customer would have left the store I would have talked to them.

 

[ophiura]

Originally Posted by Debbie
Actually I did not say a thing. The customer was still there looking at more fish when I left. The guy that owns this store would have tossed me out if I opened my mouth I am sure of that. If the customer would have left the store I would have talked to them.

When I worked in an LFS, the owners were real set in their ways. I had few options to get different opinions out. So if someone would ask about something, I would quietly pull them over to a corner, or pretend to show them something, and write down the address of a message board or local reef club. Just a "check this out."
So in this sort of situation, its tought for sure. If you (or anyone reading) faces this situation and the customer is maybe just looking for a moment - not being helped. Say something like "hey, I hear you looking at saltwater fish - this food is really great - or let me show you this book" get them aside, and quietly say something. Even if in the future they make it to a site like this, it will make a difference in the long run

But it is a very difficult situation and sometimes there is not much that can be done without being thrown out of the store.

 

[saltn00b]

who will throw a customer out? LFS' dont have bouncers now do they? if you are working there , then yea that is a touchy situation, but i personally have no shame if i hear them saying something stupid to someone or trying to bag the 4 biggest fish for the newb with too much money that has his new tank right next to him in the store (IE not even set up yet, cycled etc...), for the animal's sake i will be like ' hi are you planning on putting those fish in THIS tank right here? oh they told you you can? these people are jackasses, put it all back and research for a month before buying anything' etc etc etc.... and then when the dumb kid comes by to see whats wrong why his big sale isnt so big anymore i will make him look stupid, and maybe bystanders will also get the hint to not trust (most) LFS or anyone for that matter with everything, and to research everything , themselves, first! / rant

 

[alyssia]

I was actually asked to leave an lfs a few weeks ago b/c someone was buying a blue linckia and the employee (who was also the manager) told them a half hour acclimation is okay. This star was also going into a new tank that was just set up three days before. I spoke up and the manager argued w/me and I was asked to leave, which was fine w/me. It's not like I was going to buy anything from that moron. It was my first visit to that store and my last.

 

[saltn00b]

then go kicking and screaming and shouting 'these guys are buffoons and dont know what they are doing! dont shop here! i will never come back!'
and maybe these irresponsible stores will lose you and a bunch of people as customers, and more through word of mouth and be forced to shut down.
it happens all the time. These guys are usually on the cusp of bankruptcy and profit , so a little bad publicity goes a long way

 

[ophiura]

Oh yes, many will ask you to leave. They are trying to make a buck...whether they deliberately misinform people or not is another question...but they will ask people to leave or ban them altogether.
Don't want to hijack the thread though - but I guess it may happen with Moorish Idol purchases