[ralphie16]

I saw a pic of your tank somewhere and it looks like you have an idol. I have one also and besides the standard aquarium fare (soaked in vitamins and fats) I have also collected sponge from the ocean and am feeding it to him. Seems to be really fattening up and looking very healthy. In a 125 tank now and moving to a 265 as soon as its finished cycling.

Can you tell me about yours?

[leebca]

Sure. I bought mine from a local LFS I don't particularly like. (That's another story). I saw it eat before I paid the money. They know me as a FOWLR aquarist.

In my quarantine tank it did quite well. Ate my personal formula and almost any food I offered it. Moved it to my 300 display and it competed with some very pushy fishes for food. Ate everything I offered the other fishes. Also eats macro algae I put on the clip for my Tangs.

Then it stopped eating. It seemed to get over its panic for food. That is what I consider a good sign. Then it began to eat again, slowly and methodical. It would sometimes miss meal, but that is rare.

It is very sensitive to water quality and actually, it and another couple fishes 'tell me' when something is going awry. All-in-all a good pet. Keeps in the open and hides rarely, even when I'm cleaning the aquarium. Seems inquisitive and follows me around the room and my cleaning tools in the tank.

If I'm late for a feeding, it is one of the fish that goes to the feeding zone and just hovers, staring at me behind my computer screen as if saying, "Well!" I think it secretly has a watch somewhere hidden in the tank.

[ralphie16]

How long have you had it?

[leebca]

3 years now.

[ralphie16]

Thats a great start. I read your long post about Fish Health Through Better Feeding on ReefCentral and it is very helpful in learning how to feed fish better.

I try to feed the closest diet I can that the fish eat in nature and most observations and stomach analysis have shown a diet concentrated in sponge for the idol. Who knows, maybe they are incidentally eating something else that lives on the sponges that could be the key to their dietary needs.

Anyways, what are the ingredients in this home-made food that you feed him? I may try to incorporate something that I am missing.

Thanks!

[leebca]

I never make the same formula twice. I use a variety of whole foods, including but not limited to: Plankton, krill, squid, shrimp, kelp, spriulina, etc., etc.