Lawnmower Blenny

[fishman]

I have a question. I have had a LM blenny now for about 4 weeks and he is doing great. However he looks really skinny. I put out seaweed for him on a clip every night before the lights go out and when I get up in the morning, it is always gone. i dont think anyone else in the tank is eating it. I have a yellow tailed damsel, a yellow wrasse (that only comes out from under the CC when the lights are on) and 2 clowns which dont ever go near the seaweed. Other than that I have some turbo snails and dont think they would be eating it so this leads me to beleive the blenny is eating it.
Does any else feed their blenny anything other than seaweed? I even put garlic extract on it for him. He seems to be fine and swimming around but is very shy and appears to only eat from the clip....any suggestions to make sure he is getting enough?

 

[steve-s]

Lawnmowers are primarily herbavors although some have gotten them to eat otherwise. Any one I have cared for has never accepted prepared foods before so supplimental feedings can be rather hit and miss. The blenny is definately not active at night so a strongly doubt it is the one consuming the food from the clip. More likely the snails or some unknown lurker from the rock.

A couple of suggestions would be placing the nori/seaweed on the clip in the morning after the lights come on and then again when you get home in the evening if necessary. When possible try to observe the blenny to guage it's interest in the food to see if it actually eats it or its' simpley dissolving or being eaten by something else. They are primarily film algae grazers so leaving one or two panes of the glass uncleaned is best. I usually alternated which ones I cleaned (except the front) so the blenny would have plenty of grazing surfaces. They will also graze from the rock if you have any.

Does it show any interest when you feed the other fish?

Cheers
Steve

 

[fishman]

Well I try and leave a nearby light on every night so that its not pitch black in the room. He just seems really skinny but I would think that if he were not eating, he would have died by now. I will try placing the seaweed in the tank in the morning. I have observed him picking at it before so I know he eats it. AND I looked at him this morning and his little belly appears to be a little bigger.
And no he doesnt seem to be interested in the mysis shrimp when I am feeding the other fish. I do have the start of algea growing in my glass so im going to leave it on the back and side walls for him as I have about 6 huge turbos.....
and yes I have about 55 lbs of LR in there and appears to have plenty of algea on there as well.... Maybe Im just being to paranoid...