bewildered blenny

[deepbluesea]

Hi there. I just got a lawnmower blenny the other day. For some reason it doesn't seem quite content. I thought it was going to start moving around the bottom of my tank from rock to rock, but instead it seems to be swimming up and down. Is this normal at first or should I be concerned?

Cindy

[Fluff]

I've had mine for about six months and he swims all over the tank. He spends more time cleaning the glass than the rocks. Don't think I've ever seen him on the sand though.

[deepbluesea]

Was he like that from the start?

[Fluff]

Yeah, he's always been that way. He will take a time out and hide in the rocks from time to time or just rest on top of the powerheads. Mine pretty much stays on the move most of the day.

[lukasnca]

I just got one on Tuesday. For the first few days he would mostly hide out but now he seems to swim around more. He doesn't like it when I'm near the tank though -- he'll usually hide between some rocks. This makes it very difficult to feed him.

Anyway, from what I've been able to tell people seem to have a lot of problems with these fish and a lot of them die during the first few months.

[fishman]

For my 2 cents, I really like the LM Blenny and have had 2 of them. Both died. Have had no other fish die on me....unless you have a tremendous amt of algea, would recommend one. And yes mine did the same thing...swam up and down the wall as well as hide when I would come up to the glass...however seems as if most of them in the LFS are so friendly and come TO the glass when I walk up to them...weird.

[deepbluesea]

Did you feed yours Spirulina? Do you think if I don't have enough algae in my tank and the blenny doesn't eat the spirulina, it will die? I've read they are hardy and are good for beginners with saltwater tanks.

[fishman]

Yes I tried to feed him Spirulina and even tried smearing it on a peice of LR but he just didnt want any part of it...I finally took him out of the main tank and put him in the QT with a peice of LR so he wouldnt have to fight anyone else for the food I was trying to give him. I wouldnt give up on your blenny just yet. My first one lived for about 6 months and the second about the same. I wish I had more and better advice...maybe some of the others have something that might help..good luck

[pham34]

Hey folks. I have some great news for those of you having problems feeding your lawnmower blennies.

New Life Products makes New Life SPECTRUM Marine Fish Formula; sinking pellets.

I purchased my first lawnmower over a year ago and soon after realized he wasn't eating and I began to worry. My daughter named him "Little Feller" I desperately searched the internet for an answer. After reading many posts and articles and many failures in trying to get him to eat, I about gave up. I even tried sanitizing some fresh algaes from the nearby fresh water pond placing tufts of the stuff bunched together with rubber bands in the rocks, but nothing would work. I had temporarily ran out of Formula 1, so I was feeding the Spectrum for a few days until I could run out to the fish shop. Within 2 days, the blenny started devouring the stuff. This was after no eating for 2 weeks and I'd just about wrote him off. I felt so guilty that he was suffering. Within a week he was fat as a hog. He recently bought the farm after jumping out of the back of the tank. (SAD) I just purchased a new lawnmower (Little Feller II) about a month ago. I was worried that my previuos success was just a fluke. By the 2nd day in the tank he was eating the Spectrum just like my previous blenny. Just as a test, I tried Formula 1 and Formula 2 and he just spits them out after tasting them. But the Spectrum; He loves it!! I hope this is helpful to anyone having feeding problems.