The Moorish Idol (Zanclus cornutus) is one of the most iconic fish in the sea. These beautiful fish are known to be very difficult to keep in aquariums due to their lack of eating in captivity. However, we have had a 100% success rate of Moorish Idols eating from our current supplier. In fact, they quickly become pigs eating everything we throw in the tank!

We only purchase Moorish Idols that have been collected from Hawaii by highly reputable collectors. We believe the better collection process and shorter transit time attributes to our success with these beautiful fish.

As with any fish, it is important to feed Moorish Idols a varied diet. At the store, we feed our Idols a mixture of a high quality pellets, flake food, algae strips, and frozen preparations. Most of our clients house these fish in reef aquariums where they can graze as well. Keep in mind that they are not completely reef safe. The diet of a Moorish Idol in the wild consists mainly of sponges, tunicates, algae, and small crustaceans. However, in an aquarium there is a chance they might nip at coral. The most at risk coral would be fleshy LPS such as acans, trachyphyllia, ect.

Moorish Idols are very peaceful fish. They can be housed singly, in pairs, or sometimes in groups. However, it is best to avoid keeping more than one male in an aquarium since males can be aggressive towards each other. Sexing Moorish Idols can be tough. One method used to identify a male is to look for a large eye spike. Males are thought to have significantly larger eye spikes.

Dwarf Moray Golden Eels (gymnothorax melatremus) are awesome additions to a reef tank. They are considered "fish eaters." However, their mouths are too small to eat our common aquarium fish species. The maximum length of these eels is mere 10 inches. At our store we house them with jawfish, gobies, and pipe fish with no problems.

Dwarf Golden Moray Eels should be fed meaty foods approximately 2-3 times a week. They love octopus, shrimp, clam, and other fresh seafood. These eels are escape artists and require an aquarium with a tight fitting lid. A minimum tank size of 30 gallons is recommended.

The Whitetail Bristletooth Tang is an excellent reef dweller that spends the day grazing on a variety of algae. They also appear to be less aggressive than most tangs. The Whitetail Bristletooth Tang in my home aquarium is constantly grazing and does not bother any tank inhabitant. It is one of my favorite fish!

These tangs have only been entering the trade in small numbers. This is attributed to the divers classifying them as "runners." Instead of seeking refuge in a near by coral, these tangs promptly swim away before the divers can even get in the water. Most divers believe their time is better spent catching a Black Tang over a Whitetail Bristletooth Tang. However due to the high demand for these fish, there has been a greater effort to collect these fish for the aquarium market.

We currently have a few nice medium sized (~4") Whitetail Bristletooth Tangs in stock!

However, since ordering the new systems our tank builder has delayed us a number of times and we're now much farther behind schedule than we anticipated. We currently have about 60% of the new displays and are doing everything we can with what we have. Hopefully we will take delivery of the remaining tanks in the next week or so which would allow us to complete our new systems in the first week of November and resume fish orders shortly after. Thank you so much for your patience and support! We will keep you updated and let you know when we have everything up and running.

If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions please feel free to email us at [email protected] and let us know what we can do to help you. Thanks!