Skinny lawnmower blenny!

[AydenLincoln]

I was always under the impression that lawnmower blennies are easy to care for and their diet consists of algae and meat products. I have had this lawnmower blenny for over a year and a half and ever since moving him into my reef tank he’s gotten thinner and thinner. I feed him a mix of pellets and frozen foods. He didn’t seem interested in nori and unfortunately there’s not a lot of natural algae in the tank since it’s a mature tank and the urchin keeps it clean. What else can I do? Is he doomed? The other tank he was in had a ton of algae but even so I assumed that direct feeding would be enough for him. Anyone else have this happen? Did yours die of starvation?

 

[tbrown]

I was always under the impression that lawnmower blennies are easy to care for and their diet consists of algae and meat products. I have had this lawnmower blenny for over a year and a half and ever since moving him into my reef tank he’s gotten thinner and thinner. I feed him a mix of pellets and frozen foods. He didn’t seem interested in nori and unfortunately there’s not a lot of natural algae in the tank since it’s a mature tank and the urchin keeps it clean. What else can I do? Is he doomed? The other tank he was in had a ton of algae but even so I assumed that direct feeding would be enough for him. Anyone else have this happen? Did your die of starvation?

Unfortunately what my experience has been with Lawnmower Blennies is that they do decent for a while and then slowly starve to death. I had one that was doing really well in my old tank, then I moved him over to my 125 (a bigger tank) and the Tang and other Blenny started chasing him and he stopped coming out. Over the course of 6 months he slowly deteriorated.

Mine liked frozen brine and mysis. You can get nori loaded frozen I believe. You might give that a try?

 

[AydenLincoln]

Unfortunately what my experience has been with Lawnmower Blennies is that they do decent for a while and then slowly starve to death. I had one that was doing really well in my old tank, then I moved him over to my 125 (a bigger tank) and the Tang and other Blenny started chasing him and he stopped coming out. Over the course of 6 months he slowly deteriorated.

Mine liked frozen brine and mysis. You can get nori loaded frozen I believe. You might give that a try?

Yeah nori I have and I have a variety of frozen. He didn’t even touch the nori or the algae wafers I offered.

 

[skey44]

Rarely have I found them take prepared offerings and they most often slowly whither.

 

[tbrown]

Yeah nori I have and I have a variety of frozen. He didn’t even touch the nori or the algae wafers I offered.

Right, I'm saying that's there's also frozen that's algae enriched. San Francisco Frozen foods has one called Emerald something.

 

[tbrown]

I guess it's Spirulina rather than Nori enriched.

Also, I think you probably already know this but soaking in garlic can help entice picky fish to eat.

Frozen Emerald Entree' Fish Food (30 cubes, 3.5 oz) - San Francisco Bay Brand

Shop The Best Saltwater Aquarium Equipment & Supplies at Saltwater Aquarium. We Carry Everything you will Need for your Fish Tank.

www.saltwateraquarium.com

This one has garlic in it already:

Frozen Seaweed Delight Fish Food (30 cubes, 3.5 oz) - San Francisco Bay Brand

Shop The Best Saltwater Aquarium Equipment & Supplies at Saltwater Aquarium. We Carry Everything you will Need for your Fish Tank.

www.saltwateraquarium.com

 

[steveschuerger]

Unfortunately what my experience has been with Lawnmower Blennies is that they do decent for a while and then slowly starve to death. I had one that was doing really well in my old tank, then I moved him over to my 125 (a bigger tank) and the Tang and other Blenny started chasing him and he stopped coming out. Over the course of 6 months he slowly deteriorated.

Mine liked frozen brine and mysis. You can get nori loaded frozen I believe. You might give that a try?

I had a similar experience with my Orange Spot blenny, a cousin to the Lawnmower. Was doing really well in my 60 but for whatever reason,after moving into the larger 90 the bristletooth tang I had relentlessly harassed it . He just disappeared one day, I’m assuming harassed to death finally.

 

[AydenLincoln]

I guess it's Spirulina rather than Nori enriched.

Also, I think you probably already know this but soaking in garlic can help entice picky fish to eat.

Frozen Emerald Entree' Fish Food (30 cubes, 3.5 oz) - San Francisco Bay Brand

Shop The Best Saltwater Aquarium Equipment & Supplies at Saltwater Aquarium. We Carry Everything you will Need for your Fish Tank.

www.saltwateraquarium.com

This one has garlic in it already:

Frozen Seaweed Delight Fish Food (30 cubes, 3.5 oz) - San Francisco Bay Brand

Shop The Best Saltwater Aquarium Equipment & Supplies at Saltwater Aquarium. We Carry Everything you will Need for your Fish Tank.

www.saltwateraquarium.com

Yes I feed that! My tang loves it too!

 

[AydenLincoln]

Rarely have I found them take prepared offerings and they most often slowly whither.

Mine definitely eats everything I offer except nori but I don’t think it’s enough to sustain him! He looks like a poodle someone shaved and just left their head full of hair!

 

[tbrown]

Yes I feed that! My tang loves it too!

It always stinks to watch our fish either away. Sorry you're going through it.

I had a similar experience as well with a Clown Goby. Once I moved him from the 125 to my 70, he fattened up a lot!

I wonder in your case of it's something similar to what I was facing and there's some food aggression?

My Starry Blenny still chases my Foxface when food is involved.

 

[AydenLincoln]

It always stinks to watch our fish either away. Sorry you're going through it.

I had a similar experience as well with a Clown Goby. Once I moved him from the 125 to my 70, he fattened up a lot!

I wonder in your case of it's something similar to what I was facing and there's some food aggression?

My Starry Blenny still chases my Foxface when food is involved.

No I doubt it. There’s only him and two clownfish I watch him eat everything I offer except the nori. In my experience I just have never had any long term success with any blennies or gobies beyond over a year or so. Many seem to have very specific diets we can’t always meet in captivity.

 

[tbrown]

As much as I love Lawnmowers, I've only had one live longer than a year. He went almost a year and a half. My Starry Blenny (way more aggressive in my experience) is going on 3 years now, maybe 4. He's my third or fourth oldest fish. He's been through 3 tank moves.

 

[AydenLincoln]

As much as I love Lawnmowers, I've only had one live longer than a year. He went almost a year and a half. My Starry Blenny (way more aggressive in my experience) is going on 3 years now, maybe 4. He's my third or fourth oldest fish. He's been through 3 tank moves.

Hmmm maybe I’ll look into one. I swear my reef tank has never been destined to have anything else other than my two clownfish longterm. I had lost a damsel a few months ago and he was my first fish I got before my clownfish but I think my clownfish attacked him to death. All my other fish I have tried to put in that tank have died for some reason or another over the years.

 

[tbrown]

Hmmm maybe I’ll look into one. I swear my reef tank has never been destined to have anything else other than my two clownfish longterm. I had lost a damsel a few months ago and he was my first fish I got before my clownfish but I think my clownfish attacked him to death. All my other fish I have tried to put in that tank have died for some reason or another over the years.

Do you have any macros in a Fuge or anything? Maybe see if he'll eat macro algae?

 

[AydenLincoln]

Do you have any macros in a Fuge or anything? Maybe see if he'll eat macro algae?

Hmm I didn’t think about that and no I don’t because none of my tanks have a refugium. But if he didn’t eat the nori I can’t say I’d be the most optimistic about him eating something like sea lettuce or chaeto. Since he does eat any pellet foods maybe I’ll add my automatic feeder and increase the feedings on that tank compared to Hewbie my pufferfish’s tank.

 

[tbrown]

Hmm I didn’t think about that and no I don’t because none of my tanks have a refugium. But if he didn’t eat the nori I can’t say I’d be the most optimistic about him eating something like sea lettuce or chaeto.

Most of my fish won't touch sea lettuce or nori. I was thinking more like Caulerpa or Gracilaria

 

[steveschuerger]

It always stinks to watch our fish either away. Sorry you're going through it.

I had a similar experience as well with a Clown Goby. Once I moved him from the 125 to my 70, he fattened up a lot!

I wonder in your case of it's something similar to what I was facing and there's some food aggression?

My Starry Blenny still chases my Foxface when food is involved.

My Foxy is a fish version of a foodie. Loves the frozen I put in and is a big eater. Interestingly my two other supposed problematic eaters, my Blue Star leaopard wrasse and Copperband butterfly are big eaters of the frozen. CBB only picked at food in the rocks initially but now is a chow hound.
I feed Emeral Entree, Spirulina Brine shrimp and Marine Cuisine

 

[tbrown]

My Foxy is a fish version of a foodie. Loves the frozen I put in and is a big eater. Interestingly my two other supposed problematic eaters, my Blue Star leaopard wrasse and Copperband butterfly are big eaters of the frozen. CBB only picked at food in the rocks initially but now is a chow hound.

My Leopard won't take anything prepared unless I soak frozen in garlic but she LOVES oyster feast. She's always picking at rocks though and looks healthy, just not the fattest fish in my tank. The Foxface is a chonker lately.

 

[AydenLincoln]

My Leopard won't take anything prepared unless I soak frozen in garlic but she LOVES oyster feast. She's always picking at rocks though and looks healthy, just not the fattest fish in my tank. The Foxface is a chonker lately.

That’s my marine betta! He won’t ever let me see him eat but he is fat so he must be eating something when I’m not in the room lol!

 

[steveschuerger]

Here’s the three amigos