Green Canary Blenny help!!

[ag09g]

About a month ago I ordered a pair of green canary blennies off of Divers Den. They were sold as a pair, it wasnt me buying two different ones and hoping for the best. So I assumed that they would get along well since they were being sold together, oh how wrong I was.

For about the first week everything was fine. After the first week I noticed that the slightly smaller blenny(female?) was spending most of her time hiding instead of swimming about like the other. Watching the tank for a while I was able to see clearly that this was because she was violently chased by the larger blenny(male?) any time she ventured out. It would even go so far as him actively seeking her out to chase her around even when she was hiding.

The smaller blenny began voraciously eating frozen food despite the harassment though, so I wasnt horribly concerned, and she never really looked overly beat up.

The past week I thought things were getting better, I was seeing the smaller one swimming out more and things seemed generally more peaceful, though there was still some chasing.

However things have made a complete 180 in the past week. Now it is the larger blenny who is being mercilessly attacked by the smaller one. Its bad, like his fins are torn and he spends most of his day hiding with night/stress coloring. I dont understand why the sudden shift in aggression.

Currently I have the male separated in a small in tank refugium so that hopefully he can heal up. But I have never had a canary blenny before so I dont really know what to do.

Is this normal behavior, in which theyre just sparring for dominance? or do they need to be separated? I have another tank he can go in to, but would like to keep them together if thats at all possible, which granted it doesnt currently appear to be.

If anyone has any input they can offer or experience with a pair of canary blennies that would be greatly appreciated!!

[unclejed2]

Not sure what is happening except they sold them as a pair to get you buy two, which if true, is pretty crappy. I did find this though and did not know it;
"The Green Canary Blenny is considered venomous and should be kept only with caution around children having tank access since it may perceive fingers as an attacker and deliver a similarly painful bite. These fishes only use their bite when ingested by large fishes, as they will bite the inside of the fishes mouth so they are not consumed."

[ag09g]

Yes that's what I wondered too, though I've always had a great experience with LA so if like to think that's not what Happened...

And I knew about their venomous little fangs when I bought them haha.

[Khemul]

That is very strange, especially considering Meiacanthus blennies usually aren't nearly as aggressive to their own kind as others, such as Salarias. And even Salarias blennies usually aren't that rough with each other, unless the tank is in the nano range.

[ag09g]

Ya and this tank is 6ft long, I really would have thought it would be okay. But they are actively seeking each other out. It's very sad...

[Khemul]

That is especially strange. I was able to keep a Lawnmower and a Starry blenny in a 4ft tank with only mild chases back across the border. I would have expected even more then 2 Canaries to be fine in your size tank.

I'd normally say you just got very unlucky and have a overly aggressive one...but the reversal makes it even more bizarre.

[ag09g]

Ya it literally made no sense to me, so Im glad others think its perplexing as well. I just dont know if this is something that will eventually end, or if one of them is going to end up murdered if I leave them together :/

[ag09g]

Any other input?