Feather Blenny, sys.   5/7/09
WWM Crew,
<Trina>
Thank you in advance...
<Welcome in time>
My question is regarding a "feather" blenny that I recently collected off of the NC coast (been in my quarantine for about 4 weeks).
<Mmm, Hypsoblennius hentzi?>
My tank is 70g w/ a 20g sump. I try to keep the salinity at 1.025 and the temp at about 78*. I do weekly water changes and provide fresh algae that I collect. I have 2 percula clowns and a scopas tang.
I would like to know if it is okay to introduce a feather blenny (collected) into a reef tank(although I have really been considering putting him in the sump)??
I have tried to research but have found little info to answer my question. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Trina
<Well... this is largely a temperate species (though found into S. Florida)... but I suspect it will get along with the species you list, in the size/type system you have. There should be enough space for all to co-exist here, and with your good care, I suspect this will be a long-term intelligent and amusing addition. Do take care to NOT return this fish to the wild... as it may pick up a pathogen mixed with the non-indigenous
tropicals, or just as potentially disastrous, a bit of algae, snail eggs et al. might be introduced to the Atlantic. Bob Fenner>

Re: Feather Blenny 5/28/2009
Thank you for your response. I added the blenny (yes it is Hypsoblennius hentzi) to the tank after hearing from you. For the first couple of weeks, it hid most of the time.
<Very typical behavior>
I even thought it might be dead for a few days. A couple of days ago, the blenny started coming out and now stays out and does not hide when I go up to the tank. He even posed for a few pictures which was pretty cool.
<Neat!>
He is eating well and does not seem to be picking on or get picked on by the other fish. Thank you for your help.
Trina
<Thank you for this follow-up. Bob Fenner>

Lawnmower Blenny as Biological Algae Control/Compatibility  9/24/05 Hi, <Hi Chris, Adam J with you.> I've written to you a few times now, and always have obtained great help from you guys.....Cheers. I'd just like to run this one past you. I have a 30 gal tank, with a fair amount of green hair algae but it actually looks more like a very delicate Caulerpa variety. If I leave it unchecked, it takes over some regions of the tank. As fish, I have a maroon clown, six-line wrasse, blue damsel and a midas blenny. A few corals too. All have been in the tank about a year now. I know mixing blennies is not wise, but my midas swims around a fair amount and has only one home in the tank, so would it be safe to add a lawnmower blenny to keep the algae in check, or will there be war? <To be honest your tank has a heavy stocking load already so I can't recommend adding any more fish to your tank.  Also you are right to be nervous about the introduction of one blenny to another that is already established.> <<And a thirty is just too small for this species. RMF>> Before the midas I had a bicolor blenny, but he started chewing on my Turbinaria, so he flew out. Will a lawnmower blenny develop a taste for coral tissue? <I have seen reports of aquarists claiming that lawnmower started nipping at polyps but personal observation tells me it's the algae in-between the coral rather than the coral itself.  To compensate for your algae problems look into means of nutrient export such as water changes, protein skimmers and refugiums.> Cheers for your ideas, <Anytime.> Chris <Adam J.>

Bicolor blenny gone AWOL on me... 8/4/05 Hi Bob or crew,... <Dimitri> I was just wondering if you're ever heard of bicolor blennies disappearing in a reef system like Houdini? <Yes... all the time. Either jump out (and dry up or are consumed by a pet), or die and dissolve or are consumed quickly> I had this bicolor blenny for quite sometime and seemed happy, however, a few days ago he decided to go AWOL on me and has not been seen since then... I mostly have leathers,1 plate coral, 2 acros, pagoda cups, with some Ricordea mushrooms being the only coral that has a mouth.. <Mmm, could be these...> I also have some button polyps but none of them would be capable of eating it? <Not likely... unless it died, fell on them> I have 4 tangs, 1 six line wrasse, 1 clarki clown, 1 orange Anthias and 1 mandarin. The system is 157 g, custom acrylic tank with a refugium. I checked all places, wet-dry filter, refugium, overflow area but he's nowhere to be found. I only have 1 red legged hermit crab, and the only thing I can think of is, either he got stuck in a crevice and died he loved spending time in a tight crevice of a rock) or he died of old age) and the hermit crab picked him up for food. I haven't seen the hermit for a while. No clicking sounds in the tank to assume that I have a mantis shrimp either. This is a 3 year old established system with no water issues. I did notice the past months though that the tissue on my pagoda cups started receding so I ended up removing all of my blue legged hermits plus 2 peppermint shrimp that I did see picking on them. From what I read in the WWM archives, there have been other aquarists that had those blennies disappear in an unexplained way. Any ideas what might have happened, or are the red legged hermit crabs reef safe? Could it be they are the culprit? <Could be... or might still be hiding... I'd check on the floor again, and for a smiling cat. Bob Fenner> Thanks in advance, D. Blenny Blunder? (Moving a Blenny Into A Nano Tank) My Lawnmower Blenny was doing very well in my 125 g until I "rescued" a black-tipped grouper from a LFS that was going out of business.  After about a week of what seemed to be peaceful co-habitation between the current tank occupants, the blenny was obviously worse for the wear (no damage, but was so exhausted that I scooped him out of the corner of the tank without a fight). <Good move!> By the way, the tank parameters are:  1.021; amm=0; nitrate=0; nitrite=0; phos=undetectable;  calcium=380;  pH=8.2; temp=79-81; it's an All-Glass 125 FOWLR with 122# of LR and 150# of LS;  lighting is 2 X 10,000 96W and 2 X 420 Actinic 96W. <Sounds good!> Anyway, I removed the blenny to my HOB refugium where he is eating and recovering nicely.  Now the question (usually that's the reason for these notes, eh?)....I'm considering relocating the blenny from the refuge to my 12g nano...parameters the same as above with the noticeable exception of lighting and 1.023 salinity.  The nano has 13# of LR and houses Xenia, Yellow Star Polyps, a couple of small colonies of Zoos, and 3 small hermits.  The only occupant, fish-wise is a Yellow-head Jawfish, who has built a considerable underground village under the LR which is supported by pvc.  As the blenny is not the world's smallest (about 3.5"), I wonder would he be comfortable, for about 5 months, in the nano considering the current, happily running environment.  I'm adding a reef tank after Christmas of 90 gallon size to which he would later re-locate.  I don't want the blenny or jaw (or corals for that matter) to suffer during this time period.  I'd rather give the blenny to another hobbyist if we can anticipate problems in the nano. <Well, the main problem might be that the two inhabit similar "niches" (i.e.; towards the bottom). You also don't want to push the bioload to far in such a small tank. Fish, with their greedy appetites and copious metabolic waste products can tax water quality quickly. I'd say go for it, but be prepared to move someone if things get out of hand.> Thanks and sorry for the length of the note. Grunfeld in Detroit <No problem on the length. Your accurate descriptions help us do a better job of helping you! Good luck! Regards, Scott F>

Algae Blennies Hello, I currently have a 20 gal. tank with about 19 lbs. of live rock, a coral banded shrimp, tomato or cinnamon (not sure which one) clownfish, a Banggai cardinal, 2 hermit crabs and some snails. My tank is about 2 years old. I had some trouble until I put in all the live rock. Lately I have been trying to keep an alga blennies but have failed twice. Could they have starved to death?  <Likely yes... take a look at the "Blennies" and FAQs section on our site: a Salarias will definitely not be sustained in a twenty gallon system... but there are some other (pictured) species that might (don't get as big, aren't as active), like members of the genus Atrosalarias...> I fed green marine algae in the dried sheet form. I also fed brine shrimp and formula 1 for the other folks. I am not planning on putting another one in but would like to figure out what happened. Thanks much! <Well done my friend. Bob Fenner>

Salarias fasciatus Dear Mr. Fenner, I sent you an e-mail yesterday but I have a feeling Yahoo messed up because I did not see it posted in my Sent folder. If you get this letter twice I am very sorry. <No worries> I wrote to you not too long ago. I was worrying about how to set up my PC lighting, hood or canopy. I went with the canopy with the Mylar material you described covering the inside. I am very pleased with this set up. Now that the lights are on full blast I am battling an algae bloom. Diatom being the major player. My water reading are great Amm. 0, NO2 0, NO3 0, Ph 8.4, 79 degrees, Phosphate 0, Alk. and Cal. on the lower side of the actable range. I have good water motion and I thought the best natural helper for this situation would be the lawnmower blenny. I have two questions. 1) I do hope I word this correctly. If when I do my weekly water change I would find algae on the front of my glass (I do get this and clean it every week,) should I leave it be and not care about the outward appearance for now because the blenny would get to it in time? <Do remove the film from the viewing panels... the blennies can't clean it as well as you will like> 2) My LFS has many 20 gallon tanks set up for display. Each tank receives 80 watts PC lighting. I know when I get him home I would only have room lighting on for that day. Should I slowly acclimate him to my lighting? Or is it safe because of the larger system and he would not "feel" any harm therefore? <Likely no problem. I would just keep with the regular day/light cycle. These species... Salarias, Atrosalarias are very adaptable.> I do thank you for your time and advice in advance once again. It means a great deal to me! Josie <As do your well-thought out queries. Bob Fenner>

Algae Blenny I have a 20gal. with lots of algae on my rocks (mostly green hair). I bought an algae blenny but I don't think he is getting enough to eat. I see him pick at the rocks all day but still seems under fed. <<The chances are that you just don't have enough... these fish typically need about a 60g tank to keep them healthy.>> Is there any other food I can feed him? <<Not really besides live rock with algae on it. Please do read the following URL and FAQs beyond: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/trublennies.htm>> Shaun Nelson
<<Cheers, J -- >>