Another Moorish Idol bites the dust
 

Brad, thanks for reminding all the members of this board that a Moorish Idol is one of those almost impossible to keep species that cannot be kept alive even by an experienced fish keeper like you.
We simply do not know the foods and care required to keep them alive yet. Scientists in our hobby are experimenting with their care but do not have the answer yet.

As difficult as it was for experienced reefers to patiently await the inevitable end to this MI, the result is that newbies will not go to their LFS demanding that they start bringing them in again and it's early demise meant that far fewer newbies took up the same challenge of tring to keep them

A kinder, gentler, Naesco

No, same old Wayne :)

Reviewing the MI thread on RC, many people have successfully kept these, some in excess of 5 years. My last one was almost 2 years in tank, did well until I left town with no notice and forgot I had turned my pumps off.

Ordered a replacement, let's see how that goes.

And now I have a Queen song stuck in my head. thx for that :)

I'm confused with this thread. You haven't posted in months and you come back with this. Is it a dig at Brad or just another reminder of ways to get asked to leave and never come back to our LFS?
Unfortunately most newbies won't listen to experienced reefers and will buy whatever they please cuz it "looks cool and just gotta have it"
Brads thread was useful as there was some good points raised that many of us had never been discussed on this site.

We have to remember that many people have many different views. My view is regardless of what I do or don't do, people will always buy hard to keep fish. And they will often die.
I feel I've learned enough, and from past experience, know these can be kept, and have ordered a replacement net caught MI.

My decision was intentional, Ii didn't happen past a fish at the store and go wow, I want that there purdy fish.

My first MI was in tank for 2 years. Happiest fattest fish ever. When I moved it to my display, I turned off 2 of my 4 pumps, and the remaining were set at 10% flow. 6 hours later my daughter was airlifted to Children's Hospital and I had to leave with no notice and forgot to turn pumps back on. That is exactly what killed a fish that would have spent many more years in my tank, regardless of who wants to argue it. Low O2 killed all my large fish over my absence. Period.
From my recent experience, I have a few lessons learned, and will try again next week.

I will not argue morality with ANYONE that keeps ANY fish in a glass box in their livingroom.

Did you know, in some countries our ornamental fish are their food. ?

http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/d...psxgauw3es.jpg

Tell me the difference. I killed one MI, 2 anthias and 4 halibut this week. The first three had some chance at a partially full life in a box. The last 4 never had a chance.

I agree with your reasoning, Brad. Still, I feel like a criminal every time I lose a fish...

Ya, I feel awful. I don't even think about the money, just aww, poor fish. But that's the hobby we chose. If we really felt that bad, we wouldn't have tanks.

But we have tanks because most critters we put in live. Some even thrive. That's what keeps me going.

Ya, but let's be honest here. It's a selfish endeavor. These fish would be much happier on a reef. Well, until they got eaten by something.

In the end though, everything dies. My MI may have been eaten if the fisherman hadn''t interrupted the food chain. I might have given it another 2 weeks. Maybe. Maybe not.

Keeping anything captive is wrong. It's how much wrong we can live with at the end of the day and still sleep at night.

Gawd thats a terrible picture. But then reality sucks.