Lawnmower blenny (apparently) won't eat

[Maurice2]

I got a lawnmower blenny 5 days ago. He's about 8cm long and very timid. On the first day I saw him nibbling the LR a bit but that only lasted a day. I've tried frozen food, flakes and nori, he doesn't seem to touch anything.

He stays immobile when I'm watching, but seems to move around slyly when my back's turned, he's rarely in the same place for more than 20 minutes.

He's sharing a 480L tank with just an Orangespot goby, 4 shrimps, smails and hermits. Water parameters are all OK.

Could he be eating at night or only when it's quiet?

Any suggestions what food I could try to entice him to eat?

 

[steve-s]

You may never get it to eat. It's actually more common for them not to accept prepared foods. You'll find a few people who have had success but it's not the norm. You have a good tank size for this species of fish, you may just need to help it out a bit. They primarily scrape their foods off surfaces for film alage and brittle filamented alages. They will not consume typical macro algaes though.

The best way to "aid" the fish, is allow one or two panes of the glass to accumulate with green film algae for a few days. The blenny will then be able to scrape off the surface rather easily. It may be a little unsightly but it generally works well. Don't be surprised if the blenny is not all that active while you're around. Might try watching it from a distance at first. It can take some time for them to adjust.

Cheers
Steve

 

[Maurice2]

You may never get it to eat. It's actually more common for them not to accept prepared foods. You'll find a few people who have had success but it's not the norm. You have a good tank size for this species of fish, you may just need to help it out a bit. They primarily scrape their foods off surfaces for film alage and brittle filamented alages. They will not consume typical macro algaes though.

The best way to "aid" the fish, is allow one or two panes of the glass to accumulate with green film algae for a few days. The blenny will then be able to scrape off the surface rather easily. It may be a little unsightly but it generally works well. Don't be surprised if the blenny is not all that active while you're around. Might try watching it from a distance at first. It can take some time for them to adjust.

Cheers
Steve

and there's me, foolishly cleaning off all that green gunge every evening with my magnet. I *have* noticed however, since he's been there that there are traces in the algae on the glass, narrow squiggles a few mm wide. Presumably that's him, to narrow for a snail and too wiggly.

I'll let the algae grow and see how he gets along.
P.S. I've noticed that leaving the lights on 24hrs/day makes algae grow MUCH faster. Should I do this for a while to provide him with a bit more food?

Thanks, once again, for all your great advice

 

[got bait?]

My lawn mower blenny will devour anything I put in the tank. Maybe try some plankton with cyclop-eze.

 

[Maurice2]

plankton with cyclop-eze.

Erm, I don't know what that is (well I know what plankton is, but I haven't the faintest where I could procure it. Cyclops brings Polyphemus to mind but your're surely not talking about Greek mythology, right?). Do you buy this at your LFS?

He seems a little better disposed this evening and didn't flinch at the flash. Is it really a lawnmower blenny (Salarias fasciatus)? Sorry about the big file, I've left the photo un-resized, straight off the camera, hoping it'll make it easier if someone could help me to identify him:

(For scale, that photo is about 5cm wide)

 

[Brenden]

Presumably that's him, to narrow for a snail and too wiggly

Actually that sounds exactly like a snail eats. Narrow back and forth zig-zag. Cyclopeeze info http://www.cyclop-eeze.com/product_info.php I do not know if it will do the blenny any good. Fish in general love it. Not sure what kind of plankton got bait? is referring to.

 

[got bait?]

I do not know if it will do the blenny any good. Fish in general love it. Not sure what kind of plankton got bait? is referring to

My Blenny goes nuts for protein. I also feed red/green/brown nori. Various other forms of algae. He is a true omnivore. As far as the plankton, it just the frozes mysis witha few other smaller crustaceans thrown in the mix. Loves rotifers too, problem is he eats the whole cube, and those things aren't cheap.

 

[Maurice2]

Cyclopeeze info http://www.cyclop-eeze.com/product_info.php I do not know if it will do the blenny any good. Fish in general love it.

Minimum mailorder is 24 cans which comes to US$216. Shipping to Switzerland is another US$127, I love my fish but there are limits.

Cyclop-eeze consists of microscopic crustaceans. But isn't a blenny a herbivore? Given that it ignores nori, shouldn't I be looking for vegetable rather than animal foodstuff?

 

[got bait?]

But isn't a blenny a herbivore

Mine would much rather eat Mysis. He really like the Hikari frozen Ocean Plankton. Pure cyclop-eeze is expensive, but there are a few frozen foods out there thau have it in it as an appetite stimulant and a natural color enhancement. Found below for $24 US
http://www.coraldynamics.com/foods.htm

interesting thread
http://fragexchange.com/forums/showthread.php?s=c20bb53b098167d03fd293ebecd48cc6&postid=40441

this should be available in Switzerland, I think?
http://www.thatpetplace.com/FrozenF...ss/Liquid+Life/T1/F29EX+0492+0005/Detail.aspx

 

[got bait?]

regarding my above message. They do still need plenty of plant matter. He also likes the Sally's brand omnivore cubes, best of both worlds.

 

[steve-s]

The blenny pics posted above are two seperate species. While a fish may take to prepared foods, I can assure you it is not the norm. They are not omnivors by nature but by need. I can assure you they are herbavors. Some adapt, most don't. You have no idea how many posts I've answered where the fish starves simpley from this missunderstanding. While it's great they may be trainable but it should definately not be relied upon as a certainty.

http://wetwebmedia.com/algaeblensart.htm

Cheers
Steve

 

[Maurice2]

Point taken, the info at wetwebmedia is instructive, thanks.
There's loads of kiss marks on my glass, can only be him, he's a little less timid now and looks in fine fettle, I'm figuring that he if he looks happy and bolder after a week there's hope yet.
He's a cute guy and I'd hate him to starve; has anyone any suggestions as to what I might tempt him with, if there's not enough natural algae?

 

[got bait?]

I thought Maurice2's looked like a sailfin, wondered if since it was a juvenile it just looked different. Steve, am I correct?

 

[steve-s]

Not sure, they are the same genus but could be different species. Your's (got bait) I'm not too sure on, I would need to see a better full profile shot. Maurice2 is a Salarias fasciatus.

Cheers
Steve