Moorish idol feeding behavior

[Lionfish hunter]

I have read all over the internet that moorish idols will not do well with aggressive fish because they are slow feeders and cannot compete. Many others speak about how most idols waste away because they either won't eat enough or are missing something in their diet.

Watch the video below and make your own conclusions. My idol has gained a lot of mass since I got him 4 months ago. He has never refused any kind of food. He eats from the top of the water, from the water, and from the sand. If anything I have to feed more so the rest of the fish get enough. And I have 5 tangs and a super aggressive queen angel that has killed 2 fish in the past.

I believe some idols do not adapt well to captivity, this I will not deny. I would also caution anybody from keeping these that do not have large tanks and years of experience. But I hardly think mine is the exception to food competition and ability to gain weight on a normal diet.

For those that are interested I feed nls and seaweed pellets 16 times a day with a auto feeder. I feed various frozen and seaweed sheets a few times a week. 235 gallon tank with more swimming areas than most tanks.

 

[Doctorgori]

I’ve had 6, got 2 now, only lost 1 due to murder. IMO once you get them to eat, they are pigs.
I started mine with mussels and gut loaded live bbs, in days they were on frozen Formula Two, then later NLS & Hikari pellets… I feed 2x day (no choice) but yes, recommend auto feeder and more frequency
Agree with larger tank, lots of similarities to tangs, they grow fast.
Don’t know about tankmate aggression as my alpha male is a jerk