Lawnmower Blenny has lost his mind

stainlessdonkey · 04/10/2006, 01:32 AM

My lawnmower blenny has gone mad. I have a 55 with him, he is about 4 maybe 5 inches long, along with a quite happy pair of clowns, a yellow tang, a corral banded shrimp, some leathers, etc. They have all been living together fine for almost a year. Then a week ago, I notice the clowns aren't sleeping together, in their spot. They are swimming constantly at the surface. Of course the yellow tang I always wrote off as a crack head, skittish as could be. But the difference in the clowns is what caught my eye so I started watching alot more after the lights went out. Turns out the blenny is chasing them, biting their fins. I also caught him nipping corals, and knocking snails and hermits over. How should I go about catching a fish in an established reef? He just did it again! He is on a war path for those clowns! I am worried they are a mating pair, I added one a long time ago, then the second 5 months ago. They paired right away, always swim together and always slept together until a week or 2 ago.

cardgenius · 04/10/2006, 02:00 AM

lawnmower blennys can be very territorial. He might be getting to big for the tank. I had one for about a year. I added a spotted hawkfish and he terrorized him and my clown fish for about two weeks, then out of no where he died.

waterfaller1 · 04/10/2006, 03:20 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by stainlessdonkey
How should I go about catching a fish in an established reef?

I just did this and took 5 fish out of my tank. First get water made up for a good sized water change. Get a large tub..rubbermaid..whatever, and drain down the water to about 1/2 way{more may be necessary}. In my case I took out all of the top rocks..leaving only one layer of rocks. Do this carefully,as not to disturb the substrate. Remove fish and then replace rocks and water. It may help to have several nets on hand. Also..I have heard of people using the blue filter media to stuff in certain holes of the LR. Having someone to help on hand will make it go smooth and quick. Good luck.

stainlessdonkey · 04/10/2006, 12:35 PM

Thank god I am home right now. Heard a splash, look over, only one clown and the blenny is chasing him all over the tank. I get up, go look, the small clown is ON THE FLOOR!!!! He's ok, got him back in the tank. I always feed in the same place so blenny is used to coming to the top. Swoosh, one quick swoop with the net and got him. Lets see how happy he is living in seclusion in the sump for a few days until I figure out what to do with him. He has alot of personality and seems to be everyones favorite fish when they come over. So, do I setup another basic salt tank for him, or trade him in at the LFS? I already have a boa, a turtle, the reef, and a cat to deal with so I am not sure I need another salt tank, BUT I would like to have some semi-aggressive fish. You guys think a trigger would be ok with this blenny? I miss my Picaso.

waterfaller1 · 04/10/2006, 12:55 PM

I keep a starry blenny and sandhopper blenny{he is semi-aggressive} with a bluespot puffer, orchid dottyback, and tiger jawfish. Not overly aggressive, but definately a semi-aggressive tank. It has noxious corals too..such as frogspawn,torches,shrooms, leathers. The tough part is finding a clean-up crew that won't be eaten. So I chose a pair of CBS, a few humongous snails{they are gigantic zebra turbos} a diadema urchin, and mexican red-legged hermits. The hermits have learned to hide in the day. Good luck with whatever you decide and congrats on getting him out of the tank.

smatter · 04/10/2006, 01:21 PM

Sooner or later it seems like all blennies start nipping things you don't want them to. My steenei killed mine--problem solved.

MyMonkey · 04/10/2006, 01:48 PM

Darn, I never heard any of this before I got the LMB. Wish I knew that. He is still very young. I will watch him.

stainlessdonkey · 04/10/2006, 05:06 PM

The thing that was wierd is this guy is old, he was already big at the LFS and I don't think he has grown much, if any in the past 2 years. Just went crazy. He was always cool with the clowns and the damsels I had before, but now that I think about it, the damsels did disapear 6 months ago.

04/10/2006, 01:32 AM	#1
stainlessdonkey Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Denver Posts: 133	Lawnmower Blenny has lost his mind My lawnmower blenny has gone mad. I have a 55 with him, he is about 4 maybe 5 inches long, along with a quite happy pair of clowns, a yellow tang, a corral banded shrimp, some leathers, etc. They have all been living together fine for almost a year. Then a week ago, I notice the clowns aren't sleeping together, in their spot. They are swimming constantly at the surface. Of course the yellow tang I always wrote off as a crack head, skittish as could be. But the difference in the clowns is what caught my eye so I started watching alot more after the lights went out. Turns out the blenny is chasing them, biting their fins. I also caught him nipping corals, and knocking snails and hermits over. How should I go about catching a fish in an established reef? He just did it again! He is on a war path for those clowns! I am worried they are a mating pair, I added one a long time ago, then the second 5 months ago. They paired right away, always swim together and always slept together until a week or 2 ago.

04/10/2006, 02:00 AM	#2
cardgenius Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Denver, Colorado Posts: 527	lawnmower blennys can be very territorial. He might be getting to big for the tank. I had one for about a year. I added a spotted hawkfish and he terrorized him and my clown fish for about two weeks, then out of no where he died. __________________ I'm no hero...never was. I'm just an old killer hired to do some wet work.

04/10/2006, 12:35 PM	#4
stainlessdonkey Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Denver Posts: 133	Thank god I was home Thank god I am home right now. Heard a splash, look over, only one clown and the blenny is chasing him all over the tank. I get up, go look, the small clown is ON THE FLOOR!!!! He's ok, got him back in the tank. I always feed in the same place so blenny is used to coming to the top. Swoosh, one quick swoop with the net and got him. Lets see how happy he is living in seclusion in the sump for a few days until I figure out what to do with him. He has alot of personality and seems to be everyones favorite fish when they come over. So, do I setup another basic salt tank for him, or trade him in at the LFS? I already have a boa, a turtle, the reef, and a cat to deal with so I am not sure I need another salt tank, BUT I would like to have some semi-aggressive fish. You guys think a trigger would be ok with this blenny? I miss my Picaso.

04/10/2006, 01:48 PM	#7
MyMonkey Persona Non Grata Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Oklahoma City Posts: 2,106	Darn, I never heard any of this before I got the LMB. Wish I knew that. He is still very young. I will watch him. __________________ The worst thing about an unwritten law is that you don't know where to go to erase it. Current Tank Info: 20 Long.10 months to my 240 In wall with Fish Room.

04/10/2006, 12:55 PM	#5
waterfaller1 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Florida Posts: 3,343	I keep a starry blenny and sandhopper blenny{he is semi-aggressive} with a bluespot puffer, orchid dottyback, and tiger jawfish. Not overly aggressive, but definately a semi-aggressive tank. It has noxious corals too..such as frogspawn,torches,shrooms, leathers. The tough part is finding a clean-up crew that won't be eaten. So I chose a pair of CBS, a few humongous snails{they are gigantic zebra turbos} a diadema urchin, and mexican red-legged hermits. The hermits have learned to hide in the day. Good luck with whatever you decide and congrats on getting him out of the tank.

04/10/2006, 01:21 PM	#6
smatter Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Madison, WI Posts: 2,055	Sooner or later it seems like all blennies start nipping things you don't want them to. My steenei killed mine--problem solved.

04/10/2006, 05:06 PM	#8
stainlessdonkey Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Denver Posts: 133	The thing that was wierd is this guy is old, he was already big at the LFS and I don't think he has grown much, if any in the past 2 years. Just went crazy. He was always cool with the clowns and the damsels I had before, but now that I think about it, the damsels did disapear 6 months ago.