Moorish Idol

[taylorab85]

This questions is for anyone with experience and not hearsay answers.I am setting up a 100(135 with sump)and I was really looking into this fish for the future, probably about a year after the end of the cycle.Anywho,can anyone tell if they are as hard to keep as everyone makes them out to be,and what they feed on>

[icereefer]

Marine fishes by scott w. michael

zanclus cornutus (moorish idol)
max length 6.3 in. (16 cm.)
min aqua size 100 gal

foods & feeding: very difficult to feed. varied diet,including finely chopped table shrimp,squid,clams,mysid shrimp,vitamins-enriched live brine shrimp, live black worms,as well as vegetable matter. also offer foods with spirulina and various marine algae. feed serveral times a day. reluctant feeders may require live rock with rich coralline algae and sponge growth (there natural fare) to survive acclimation.

aquarium suitability index: Most individuals of thiese species do not acclimate to the home aquarium, often refusing to feed and wasting away in captivity.

reef aquarium compatibilty: An occasional individual will nip large-polyped stoney coral as well as certain soft corals.

captive care: this glorious fish has been on the want list of most marine aquarists at one time or another. unfortunately, it is difficult to keep. in most case it will refuse to eat or will never take food with gusto and will slowly starve or decline in health.several can be kept together, needs plently of unobstructed swimming space as well as holes or crevices into which it can dive when threatened.

PS I saw a post to on a guy that raises them to if I can fined it I'll post it. hope this helps a little.