A smile on you face :)

[awestruck]

A few weeks ago my midas blenny jumped into the overflow--ugh. I don't think he liked it in there, probably because he wasn't getting enough attention. So, one day my son was standing near the back of the tank, looking at the silly blenny, and the blenny popped his head out of the water and starting spitting water at my son. It was wayyyyy too cute.

[Lorenz725]

haha i love it! i been looking into getting a midas blenny is there anything special they need to eat?

[awestruck]

Yes, from what I know they need meaty diets (unlike other blennies) so I feed mine mysis and brine shrimp in addition to flake food and some green algae. It's my second favorite fish (1st being a longhorn cowfish, which I can't have cuz' my tank is too small). I think they're fun fish and very pretty. The other fun thing is they back into holes, and I have a pogada cup that you could literally drink out of, and at night he curls up in the pagoda to sleep. It's cool!

[gweston]

Spitting? wow. Mine hasn't done that (yet). They do love to swim around skimming their heat/antennae on the water's surface poking their eyes up. I guess this is why they are known jumpers. Always looking for somewhere to jump to.

I feed mine mysis, brine, and flake (formula 1, 2 or spirulina) primarily, but I mix in other stuff for variety. I soak in vitamins (selcon or vitachem + garlic at various intervals).

My midas is a PIG. But super friendly and personable. He 'runs' at me when I come home, sometimes bumping his head on the glass trying to get to me. He sits in his little barnacle hole. Oddly when I say 'come, come here', he usually pops out and swims around in front of me.

They are hardy suckers. I thought I nearly lost mine a bunch of months back as he got a swim bladder infection. It took a few months to recover in totality and he was effectively blind for a while due to a secondary popeye infection due to a weakened immunde system. But because he was such a pig, he ate, ate, ate and recovered completely. Of course, the quarantine and all the meds (maracyn2 and prazipro) helped too. Was tough going. A few months of spot feeding with a feeding stick (right in the face/mouth) really wore on me. I didn't give up though.

[eweinig]

That would make my kids flip!

[eja99]

Great story. I can't wait to add one to my tank.

As a side note, I think blennies are very underrated.

[Crusinjimbo]

Blennies are way cool and I agree they are somewhat underrated. Great story. Thanks.

[travis32]

I had lawnmower blenny that would mainly eat flake and mysis shrimp. He kissed the glass and would tug on norry some, but, he went the most nuts for flake food...
And yes, he too loved to jump into the HOB overflow that I had. He ended up carpet surfing one day. He landed about 2" short of the actual sump. Was close but completely missed the overflow and missed the sump at the same time. Fairly unlucky...

[awestruck]

Glad you guys like the story! It was funny. It kinda seemed like he was reprimanding us although HE's the one who jumped into the overflow My son is 15 and yelled "Mom, come here, the blenny just spit water at me". I agree that blennies are underrated; they're very personable, cute, funny, and interesting to watch. I wish I had a good camera because he curls up in the pagoda at night (it truly is like a fat, squat wine goblet) and thankfully the pagoda doesn't seem too annoyed.

gweston, I'm glad yours made it. And yes, they eat a lot and give you that "look" if you don't give 'em more. Seriously, you know that look?! And, are you sure you're not vodka dosing and that's why he bumped his head on the glass?!

[awestruck]

Travis, lawnmower blennies are cool. Did yours make it (I mean, were you there and able to scoop him up or were you gone and didn't find him till it was too late)?

[gweston]

Originally Posted by awestruck

Glad you guys like the story! It was funny. It kinda seemed like he was reprimanding us although HE's the one who jumped into the overflow My son is 15 and yelled "Mom, come here, the blenny just spit water at me". I agree that blennies are underrated; they're very personable, cute, funny, and interesting to watch. I wish I had a good camera because he curls up in the pagoda at night (it truly is like a fat, squat wine goblet) and thankfully the pagoda doesn't seem too annoyed.

gweston, I'm glad yours made it. And yes, they eat a lot and give you that "look" if you don't give 'em more. Seriously, you know that look?! And, are you sure you're not vodka dosing and that's why he bumped his head on the glass?!

LOL exactly. I know that 'look'. Me! More! Still wants more even if he can't eat anymore and just ends up spitting the food back out. I try to cut him off before he gets satiated like that, but sometimes it is hard to resist a beggar.

Nah no Vodka right now. But kalk/vinegar yes. Dunno.. maybe something is fermenting before dosing?

The other pig of the tank is my darn cleaner shrimp. That sucker practically attacks the food by swimming at it and flailing about. It freaks out of the clowns and midas. Odd that a darn shrimp thinks it has run of the tank. But. he's a softy. He has to sleep snuggled up to the clowns. Makes my wife an I laugh.

[awestruck]

Ooh, that pesky little cleaner shrimp piglet! Critters are so amusing sometimes.

I think something IS fermenting.

I like having a fish that gives me "that look"--it's kinda like having another teenager in the house.

[sasharotty]

Originally Posted by awestruck

A few weeks ago my midas blenny jumped into the overflow--ugh. I don't think he liked it in there, probably because he wasn't getting enough attention. So, one day my son was standing near the back of the tank, looking at the silly blenny, and the blenny popped his head out of the water and starting spitting water at my son. It was wayyyyy too cute.

Never had a blenny but after that story might have to look into it!! That was a very funny story thanks for sharing!

[awestruck]

sasharotty, you're welcome. I'm telling ya, they are FUN and very, very cute. They also swim differently than most fish, almost like an eel swishing through the water. After years of reefing I've found that we don't always have to something totally exotic, uncommon or crazy expensive because, well, just because.

[Moort82]

Oh i got one of these yesterday, always wanted one but never got round to getting one.

[awestruck]

Good for you Moort82, I hope you come to love it! Just remember that they are jumpers...

Do you guys get attached to your critters like I do to mine? I remember being forced to sell a bubble coral because it got HUUUUGE (started out the size of my fist and when I sold it, it was 12-13" in size). Geez, I fretted and called the buyer 2 x to make sure it was doing well. It's like this with my blenny. When he jumped into the overflow I almost was in tears worrying on how to get him out of there. I'm so thankful he didn't perish although he was stressed for a while once back in the tank. Ahh, bird netting is your friend!

And, I still think gweston is secretly giving his blenny vodka just so he'll come running whenever gweston enters the room.