Moorish Idol

jo moorish

New Member
Ok i am a pretty experienced reef keeper and now the moorish idol is not recommened for reef tanks nor tanks smaller than 100 gals. but iv talked to many people who have had great succees with them in smaller reef tanks so i was just wanted some other points of view and would really like any info i can get from past or current keepers of this beautiful creature
thanks
 

nm reef

Active Member
I really don't know much about them first hand(nothing actually)...and I do not know personally any hobbyists that keep one....but this much I do know...
They are listed as very difficult to keep...they have problems adapting to captivity...they can sometimes not be induced to eat in captivity....and I have no intentions of attempting one.
...but I have seen reports on-line of people claiming success with them...far more failures than successes...but I have heard of successes.
 

jlm

Member
The reef store here had one for about 2 weeks. Before it died. I really wouldn't try it. They are so pretty and I feel so bad for them. I'm hoping he doesn't get another one.
 

harlequin

Member
Extremely tough species to keep alive, to the point where my LFS, which is kind of unscrupulous in general, even refuses to order them or even special order them by request. If you want one, just pick up a heni or two, look very similar but much easier to keep alive. You can even tell people it is a Moorish Idal and most people wont be able to tell the difference.
 

otradnoje

Member

Originally posted by ViPeR_930
No butterflies are reefsafe.

Not true. The Thompsons Butterfly (Hemitauricthys thompsoni)and the Pyramid Butterfly (not sure of the scientific name) are R-S.
The Bank Buttefly along with the Copperband (of course) and a few others are among some of the 'safer' choices for a reef tank.
 

trisha

Member
Moorish Idols aren't butterfly fish nor a tang, they belong to their own class. They are the only species in that class of fish. I have one in the fish store that we just opened. (I am attatching a picture of it.) They are reef safe for the most part, but i would keep an eye on it, as with any other reef safe fish. Every fish has their own personality.
Everyone says that they are very difficult to keep. I had a time with mine for about a week, and then found out that the best way to get them to feed is to attach some dried algae , or blend up some squid, mussels, ect. add some food enhancer, and place it in a mussel shell in the bottom of the tank. They are used to eating mussels, sponges, and small crustaceans in the ocean, so if you decide to get one, try feeding it that way. If you see one in your LFS, ask them to feed it or what they are feeding it. If it will not eat anything at the store, it must not be eating at all because these creatures will eat all day long if you let them. If you need any other questions answered about him let me know!
Here's the pick of my beautiful Morish Idol:
 

trisha

Member

Gorgeous fish Trisha, glad you were able to get yours to eat!

Thanks! It's my favorite fish in the store! If any one decides to buy one, try the method that i mentioned above and see if yours will eat. Mine didn't eat for a week, like I said before, but as soon as I tried the mussel shell, it swam around it for about an hour and then pigged out! Now I'll put a couple in there for it to feed on all day. It now eats all the time.
 

cincyreefer

Active Member
Make sure it gets alot of hufa's trisha. One of the biggest problems with moorish idols is to get them to live long term with some of the cheap foods we try to make them live on. But it sounds like you are off to a good start and keep us updated!
 

stevebk

Member
Reefers, PLEASE don't buy these fish. 2 of the LFS in Tucson get them here all the time. They come out of Hawaii and retail for about 30 bucks, and I once got cocky and thought I could keep a little one in 75 gallons. It was eating in the store, and it ate when I got it home for like 3 weeks. But it wasn't getting it to eat or keep eating that was the problem. Anyone who's been diving with these fish in their natural habitat will tell you that they don't really observe territory- they cruise around the reef eating stuff all day long, and I once swam with one for about an hour and it must have travelled half a mile in that time. Hence, it didn't take long in 75 gallons until claustrophobia set in and mine died a slow, agonizing death. These are, in my opinion, the most beautiful fish in the world, and if we could keep them happy, I'd be the first in line to buy one. But I've known MANY people personally, all over the country, that have tried to keep them- people whose tanks I respect, and are much bigger than any I've ever had- and nobody seems able to keep them longer than a few months. Furthermore, ***** stopped carrying them in 2000, because their mortality rate was so high not even a corporate entity could turn a profit on the species. Even public aquariums and theme parks like SeaWorld, with display tanks at thousands of gallons, rarely attempt to keep this fish, and those that do have not had long-term success (as far as my research has found). Sorry for the rant, but this is one beautiful fish we just don't have the ability to keep yet, if ever. Res Ipsa Loquitur.
 
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