Lawnmower Blenny Won't Eat

Sundog101 · 02/08/2015, 08:09 AM

I bought a lawnmower Blenny the other day at my lfs. I put him in the quarantine tank, now it's been about 4 days and and he still has not eaten. He hides all the time and is not out very much. I've tried to offer him some nori and I also have some dried seaweed strips rubber banded to a rock. Im debating whether to move him to my display where there is some algea growing. The other option im considering is to just take him back to the store. What do you think would help him start eating? Thanks for the help!!

Wangspeed · 02/08/2015, 08:32 AM

Mine never eats anything I put in the tank. Just grazes film algae all day in my 90. Amazes me how he goes from collapsed belly in the morning to bulging belly by night.

andy01748 · 02/08/2015, 10:47 AM

My first lawn mower blenny behaved similarly to yours. Unfortunately, I never saw it eating any food I added, it became skinnier and skinnier and eventually died after about a month to six weeks if I recall. I recently got another one, have had it a month, and it has been eating everything I feed (nori, mysis, flakes, pellets). It started eating within a day.

Considering yours still seems skittish, it may still be adjusting. But, if you have a limited window to return to the LFS, I would probably return it and try another one in the near future. I saw a big difference in eating habits between the two different lawn mower blennies I have had.

gone fishin · 02/08/2015, 10:49 AM

Mine shows no interest in prepared foods. He bounces from rock to rock.

andy01748 · 02/08/2015, 10:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wangspeed

Mine never eats anything I put in the tank. Just grazes film algae all day in my 90. Amazes me how he goes from collapsed belly in the morning to bulging belly by night.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gone fishin

Mine shows no interest in prepared foods. He bounces from rock to rock.

Plenty of people have success with the lawn mower surviving on what they find in the tank. However, I remember researching here at RC when my first one wasn't thriving, and there were other instances where the blenny didn't survive, and was attributed to starvation. My first one did go from rock to rock looking like it was scraping something, but I believe whatever it was looking for wasn't there, and it starved to death. I'll never know for sure, and it may have been due to something else besides starvation, but if I have a choice between one that eats everything and one that has special requirements, it seems to be an easy choice.

gone fishin · 02/08/2015, 11:04 AM

Certainly one that will take whatever is offered is preferable. Another reason to ask to see them eat at the store. Buying online one takes a chance. FWIW mine has been in my tank for about 4 years now.

Neebles · 02/08/2015, 03:50 PM

When I first got mine I dropped in one of those sinking algae wafers...it's like he smelled it or something and came out of hiding to grab it. now he eats anything, film algae, pellets. He even likes the grazer rings that suction cup to the glass.

AdamNC · 02/08/2015, 08:07 PM

Mines always seen with a fat belly and picking off the rocks and walls. Never seems to touch any food I put in the tank, although I haven't tried any nori but if I run outta algae I may have too someday. Until then...

I would say if possible take him back to the LFS or drop a rock from the DT in there that has algae on it.

Sundog101 · 02/09/2015, 07:45 AM

Thanks for the replies! I decided to transfer him to the dt. He seems to be out more and started picking algae off the glass and rocks. Later I might add some nori and see if he takes it.

lespaul339 · 02/09/2015, 09:52 AM

It's hit or miss with lawnmower blennies. In my experience they can be very hard to keep alive in quarantine. I'm on my third one, the first two basically starved to death in my QT. It wasn't that I didn't try. I tried feeding them everything including putting live rock with algae in the QT for them. They just would not eat. I don't know if it's because of the stress from shipping or they just don't do well in a new environment or what. Even though I knew the first two were starving, I couldn't risk putting them in my DT and having them wipe out all my other fish by introducing a disease. Just wasn't a chance I was willing to take over a 16 dollar fish.

Finally this third one is eating like a champ. He eats Nori, flake, mysis and brine shrimp, and he has one of the rocks in his QT tank almost completely cleaned of algae. He's got a couple more weeks to go in QT but I think it's a pretty safe bet that this one is going to make it.

You can see where the bare spot on this rock is that he is munching on. I took this pic when he first started eating. Now the rock is almost completely cleaned off.

o2manyfish · 02/09/2015, 04:32 PM

I have 2 of them that are fat monsters. They don't eat anything but algae they find in the tank. I have had them for several years. They are usually at least 3' apart from one another.

On Friday I caught the 2 of them hanging out together in the surge tank outlet. When one came out of the pipe the other one swam over to it and started shaking and shuttering against it.

For years they have ignored or chased each other out of 'their' respective area. Then on Friday they appeared to be dancing for one another.

Dave B

02/08/2015, 08:09 AM	#1
Sundog101 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Posts: 94	Lawnmower Blenny Won't Eat I bought a lawnmower Blenny the other day at my lfs. I put him in the quarantine tank, now it's been about 4 days and and he still has not eaten. He hides all the time and is not out very much. I've tried to offer him some nori and I also have some dried seaweed strips rubber banded to a rock. Im debating whether to move him to my display where there is some algea growing. The other option im considering is to just take him back to the store. What do you think would help him start eating? Thanks for the help!!

02/08/2015, 10:49 AM	#4
gone fishin Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Wyocena Wi Posts: 6,936	Mine shows no interest in prepared foods. He bounces from rock to rock. __________________ Tony Current Tank Info: 180gal DT, BM NAC77 skimmer,3 Maxspect razors, Maxspect Gyre 150, 30g QT

02/08/2015, 11:04 AM	#6
gone fishin Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Wyocena Wi Posts: 6,936	Certainly one that will take whatever is offered is preferable. Another reason to ask to see them eat at the store. Buying online one takes a chance. FWIW mine has been in my tank for about 4 years now. __________________ Tony Current Tank Info: 180gal DT, BM NAC77 skimmer,3 Maxspect razors, Maxspect Gyre 150, 30g QT

02/09/2015, 09:52 AM	#10
lespaul339 Reefer Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Iowa Posts: 903	It's hit or miss with lawnmower blennies. In my experience they can be very hard to keep alive in quarantine. I'm on my third one, the first two basically starved to death in my QT. It wasn't that I didn't try. I tried feeding them everything including putting live rock with algae in the QT for them. They just would not eat. I don't know if it's because of the stress from shipping or they just don't do well in a new environment or what. Even though I knew the first two were starving, I couldn't risk putting them in my DT and having them wipe out all my other fish by introducing a disease. Just wasn't a chance I was willing to take over a 16 dollar fish. Finally this third one is eating like a champ. He eats Nori, flake, mysis and brine shrimp, and he has one of the rocks in his QT tank almost completely cleaned of algae. He's got a couple more weeks to go in QT but I think it's a pretty safe bet that this one is going to make it. You can see where the bare spot on this rock is that he is munching on. I took this pic when he first started eating. Now the rock is almost completely cleaned off. __________________ Reefer Madness! Current Tank Info: 60x24x24 150 gallon reef, 55 gallon sump.

02/09/2015, 04:32 PM	#11
o2manyfish Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Encino, CA Posts: 6,199	I have 2 of them that are fat monsters. They don't eat anything but algae they find in the tank. I have had them for several years. They are usually at least 3' apart from one another. On Friday I caught the 2 of them hanging out together in the surge tank outlet. When one came out of the pipe the other one swam over to it and started shaking and shuttering against it. For years they have ignored or chased each other out of 'their' respective area. Then on Friday they appeared to be dancing for one another. Dave B __________________ 560g Display. 1500g System Volume. (2) 180g Outdoor Frag Tanks. 340g Sump, 30g 2 story surge tank. Dasatco EXT 9. Bubble King Skimmer. Ozone. UV. 5' Fluidized Sand Filter. Avast Kalk Mixer. Current Tank Info: 560g SPS Dominant Reef / 1500g Total System

02/08/2015, 08:32 AM	#2
Wangspeed Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2013 Posts: 47	Mine never eats anything I put in the tank. Just grazes film algae all day in my 90. Amazes me how he goes from collapsed belly in the morning to bulging belly by night.

02/08/2015, 10:47 AM	#3
andy01748 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Posts: 181	My first lawn mower blenny behaved similarly to yours. Unfortunately, I never saw it eating any food I added, it became skinnier and skinnier and eventually died after about a month to six weeks if I recall. I recently got another one, have had it a month, and it has been eating everything I feed (nori, mysis, flakes, pellets). It started eating within a day. Considering yours still seems skittish, it may still be adjusting. But, if you have a limited window to return to the LFS, I would probably return it and try another one in the near future. I saw a big difference in eating habits between the two different lawn mower blennies I have had.

02/08/2015, 03:50 PM	#7
Neebles Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Posts: 171	When I first got mine I dropped in one of those sinking algae wafers...it's like he smelled it or something and came out of hiding to grab it. now he eats anything, film algae, pellets. He even likes the grazer rings that suction cup to the glass.

02/08/2015, 08:07 PM	#8
AdamNC Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: Winston Salem, NC Posts: 849	Mines always seen with a fat belly and picking off the rocks and walls. Never seems to touch any food I put in the tank, although I haven't tried any nori but if I run outta algae I may have too someday. Until then... I would say if possible take him back to the LFS or drop a rock from the DT in there that has algae on it.

02/09/2015, 07:45 AM	#9
Sundog101 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Posts: 94	Thanks for the replies! I decided to transfer him to the dt. He seems to be out more and started picking algae off the glass and rocks. Later I might add some nori and see if he takes it.