cdhappy
Supporting Member
I'm parting with one 3-4" Moorish Idol, Happy, Healthy, QT'd, Free to Good Home.
So the Moorish Idol is one of my grail fish. For me, when I envision an amazing reef, there's Moorish Idol(s) there. There's just something majestic... and weird... about them, their faces have almost human-like features, and I'm often entranced by their long streamer dorsal fin as it whirls and wiggles through the water.
About late October I got two Idol, I wanted three small/tiny ones that I could grow from tiny, though these two were the best and healthiest I found, so I thought I'd try just two. I plan on upgrading my tank in the next year or so, so I'm not too worried about them outgrowing my system. About 3-4" long, for size reference my tank is 20' tall and 24' deep.
I've heard about Tang and Angelfish aggression, though I've been fortunate (or inexperienced
enough never to have experienced any. These two were TTM 5x 3 days each, then QT'd for about three weeks after that. I've read everything I can find on Idols and (beginner's luck) they have been perfectly healthy. Super active always cruising about the tank, not skittish when I walk by the tank and peacefully hangs out in the front corner of the tank (where I feed from) with all the other tankmates when they know it's feeding time. They eat like pigs (they're always hungry/grazing), I feed a combo of frozen mysis, frozen spirulina/brine, PE marine flake, marine S pellets, nori, and every once in a while frozen reef caviar as a treat; I like offering a diversity of foods, I've found that there's something for everyone in the tank and there's never any fighting over food (probably because I overfeed.
Currently housed with juvenile Chocolate Tang, small Flavo' and Blue Eye Anthias, cleaner Wrasse, Filefish, clown gobies, Hammers, Torch, Acans, Digi, Monti, Zoas, Disco and Yuma Mushrooms (and probably some others I'm forgetting)... I've read all the stuff about Idols too, however, they have been nothing but model citizens in my tank... until last week.
The two Idols won't stop picking on each other. Last week they started into each other and won't stop. At first, I thought one was picking on the other, though they are being equally as aggressive towards each other. After a day, I realized they were not going to stop until one or both were dead. Last week I put one in the sump to see if that'd cool it down, after four days in the sump the second I put him back into the display and immediately they were equally back at it. They don't care about and are super peaceful to everyone else in the tank, though left together they are going to kill each other. Maybe they're two males? Maybe a larger group of 5+ would mitigate this same-species aggression? Maybe (and most likely) it's the government shutdown?... whichever, I'm cool having just one happy and healthy Idol.
So one is back in the sump, happy and scarfing every mysis cube I drop in the sump waiting for you to come get him. The one circled in the pictures. I'm In San Jose (Santana Row) and headed to Concord today (Tuesday, Jan. 1) at 11am. Tomorrow (Wednesday, Jan. 2) I'm headed to Hayward in the morning if either of those helps anyone who's farther away.
So the Moorish Idol is one of my grail fish. For me, when I envision an amazing reef, there's Moorish Idol(s) there. There's just something majestic... and weird... about them, their faces have almost human-like features, and I'm often entranced by their long streamer dorsal fin as it whirls and wiggles through the water.
About late October I got two Idol, I wanted three small/tiny ones that I could grow from tiny, though these two were the best and healthiest I found, so I thought I'd try just two. I plan on upgrading my tank in the next year or so, so I'm not too worried about them outgrowing my system. About 3-4" long, for size reference my tank is 20' tall and 24' deep.
I've heard about Tang and Angelfish aggression, though I've been fortunate (or inexperienced
enough never to have experienced any. These two were TTM 5x 3 days each, then QT'd for about three weeks after that. I've read everything I can find on Idols and (beginner's luck) they have been perfectly healthy. Super active always cruising about the tank, not skittish when I walk by the tank and peacefully hangs out in the front corner of the tank (where I feed from) with all the other tankmates when they know it's feeding time. They eat like pigs (they're always hungry/grazing), I feed a combo of frozen mysis, frozen spirulina/brine, PE marine flake, marine S pellets, nori, and every once in a while frozen reef caviar as a treat; I like offering a diversity of foods, I've found that there's something for everyone in the tank and there's never any fighting over food (probably because I overfeed. Currently housed with juvenile Chocolate Tang, small Flavo' and Blue Eye Anthias, cleaner Wrasse, Filefish, clown gobies, Hammers, Torch, Acans, Digi, Monti, Zoas, Disco and Yuma Mushrooms (and probably some others I'm forgetting)... I've read all the stuff about Idols too, however, they have been nothing but model citizens in my tank... until last week.
The two Idols won't stop picking on each other. Last week they started into each other and won't stop. At first, I thought one was picking on the other, though they are being equally as aggressive towards each other. After a day, I realized they were not going to stop until one or both were dead. Last week I put one in the sump to see if that'd cool it down, after four days in the sump the second I put him back into the display and immediately they were equally back at it. They don't care about and are super peaceful to everyone else in the tank, though left together they are going to kill each other. Maybe they're two males? Maybe a larger group of 5+ would mitigate this same-species aggression? Maybe (and most likely) it's the government shutdown?... whichever, I'm cool having just one happy and healthy Idol.
So one is back in the sump, happy and scarfing every mysis cube I drop in the sump waiting for you to come get him. The one circled in the pictures. I'm In San Jose (Santana Row) and headed to Concord today (Tuesday, Jan. 1) at 11am. Tomorrow (Wednesday, Jan. 2) I'm headed to Hayward in the morning if either of those helps anyone who's farther away.
