Anyone have experience w/a Forktail Blenny? - Aquarium Advice

**roka64** · 05-15-2006, 10:32 AM

I just bought one and acclimated him for a little over 2 hours. He played "dead" almost the whole process, as soon as he hit the water he perked right up. While he was acclimating, I removed the 2nd, 3rd of CC from my tank and replace w/Carib Sea(SP?) sand. I then re-aquascaped. ONce I turned on the lights, the damsels came to take a look. None of them bothered him much, I think he is a lot faster than all of them. Anyway, he was out an swimming, then I couldn't find him. I finally found him kind of snuggled in along my LR. He was almost totally blended in w/the LR! When I fed the tank, he just sat there and waited for food to come by and would dart out and catch the food. Then would swim around a bit and go back to his place. The next time I looked at him, my pincushion urchin was on top of him!! He didn't move at all. Well the urchin continued on (it's amazing haw fast the truck!), so I checked him out and everything was fine!
Questions:
1. Do they usually just perch and blend in?
2. What, if any experience have you all had with these critters?
3. Can I just feed him what I feed the rest...combo of Formula 1, frozen brine, soaked in ZOE, Garlic and Selcon?
4. I also noticed he would "start" at the LR and then bite at it, is he eating something on the LR?

Thanks All!

**austinsdad** · 05-15-2006, 11:26 AM

I had a canary blenny once. Mine never laid on the bottom. Always swam, but when it stopped, it would perch in the corner of the tank - on the glass - high up and never on the bottom. If he's OK, he should be out front the majority of the time after he gets used to his surroundings.

Sounds weird that it would sit still long enuf for an urchin to lay on top of him.

BTW, you know it's got a venemous bite. It'll protect it from predatory fish. If swallowed he'll bite'm on the lip and get spit out. It won't attack you in the tank, but if you ever net it, do not put the net in your hand.

They love shrimp I've found, but your diet sounds OK. Mix it with vegatable stuff too for even better balance. Formula 2? I get my ones and twos mixed up when I'm not looking right at'm.

**roka64** · 05-15-2006, 12:21 PM

Quote:

BTW, you know it's got a venemous bite. It'll protect it from predatory fish. If swallowed he'll bite'm on the lip and get spit out. It won't attack you in the tank, but if you ever net it, do not put the net in your hand.

Yes, I did know that. I was hoping that would keep the other damsels away. Fortunately, I don't have anything big enough that can swallow him. On that note, if he did bite a fish, in the mouth, would it kill the fish or just hurt it a little/lot?

I'll pick up some formula 2 this weekend. I'll have to see if he eats the formula1, since it sits on the bottom of the tank.

He has a really cool tail. It does look like a fork. All teh pics I have seem of them, you can't really see their tail. The Canary Blenny has exactly the same tail.

**austinsdad** · 05-15-2006, 12:38 PM

i don't believe it'll kill a fish. He won't bother your damsels either.

Got a cleaning crew yet? Reacting to you saying food stays on the bottom.

**roka64** · 05-15-2006, 12:56 PM

Quote:

Got a cleaning crew yet? Reacting to you saying food stays on the bottom.

I just added 1 really big hermit and 5 tiny ones. My cleaner (that doesn't clean) eats the stuff on the bottom.
I have one section left of CC that I am going to remove and then I will go full fledged cleaning crew.

I'll tell you what, those little hermits hide really well, their shells are only about as big as a dime. Ugh...I paid $12.99 for the fieve little hermits, and saw them online for $.89 for 12-24! LOL!!

**austinsdad** · 05-15-2006, 01:19 PM

Try cleaner shrimp too. They'll help a lot with the bottom cleaning.

**roka64** · 05-15-2006, 03:52 PM

I do have one cleaner shrimp. Probably next weekend I will add some snad sifters....Any suggestions for a sand be of about 3-4 inches?

**austinsdad** · 05-15-2006, 04:12 PM

How old is the tank? I've got a similar question posted about that - how soon to add sand sifters.

**roka64** · 05-15-2006, 04:19 PM

[/quote]I've got a similar question posted about that - how soon to add sand sifters.[quote]

LOL, I know, I just read it. Umm it's only about 4 months old

Fluff · 05-15-2006, 04:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by roka64

Any suggestions for a sand be of about 3-4 inches?

Why not some nassarius snails?