Starry Blenny is a murderer?

kikimers13 · 02/27/2012, 11:36 PM

I think I failed to do enough research about the starry blenny. The little guy is super active, loves my algae, and leaves my clown pair completely alone (they leave him alone as well). However my Royal Gramma did not fare as well. I caught the starry blenny chasing the Royal Gramma out of a little cave a couple times but never saw a bunch of aggression. As soon as the RG swam to another hiding spot the blenny would back off. However this morning I found the Royal Gramma with no tail fin and the starry blenny still trying to kill it. At first I thought maybe he was just picking at him because he was already dead but the second the RG moved again the blenny went crazy on him. Sadly it was clearly too late for the RG, and I like my blenny too much to get rid of him. Is it possible the blenny just thought the RG looked too much like his own kind and attacked because of that or did I miss something besides that (I didn't know about that possibility until today) in my research? The lfs suggested doing a green chromis such as this, and from what I've read they are a peaceful fish unlike the rest of their family. However my worry is that they're too peaceful and my possibly murderous blenny will kill it too. Should I just get rid of the blenny and get another RG with something else or would I be okay to just keep the blenny and get something besides the RG (don't want to risk that again). Thanks for any input!

Swip · 02/28/2012, 06:26 AM

I've heard about starry blennys getting aggressive against a certain species. Maybe yours just can't stand basslets.

OodleyBoodely · 02/28/2012, 06:28 AM

algae blennies like the starry and lawnmowers tend to be quite territorial towards any fish they see as competing for food/shelter and this tendency is going to be even more pronounced in small tanks like your 29g. If you keep the blennie I would stay away from any fish that live in the rockwork or graze on algae, or, are shaped similar to blennies, like the grammas, firefish, most gobies, basslets like assessors, hawkfish, ect. Your best bet for tank mates will likely be the open water swimmers like chromis, flasher/fairy wrasses. HTH!

mdeleon1 · 02/28/2012, 06:45 AM

I had similar experience when I introduced Starry to DT. It chased RG from residence but that was it. They have been in my DT for over 6 months without incidents.

Sk8r · 02/28/2012, 09:52 AM

I fear it's your tank size. I have a starry and a tailspot blenny and a royal gramma in a 54 with absolutely no trouble, not even a fishy argument. Fish panic when they're in too small a place and an ordinarily mild-mannered species will fight to drive out what he sees as a fish crowding his space. Unfortunately, in this case, the gramma had nowhere to go. I wouldn't advise replacing him so long as you're at that size tank.

ah_notty · 02/28/2012, 12:17 PM

I actually have a RG and a Starry Blenny in my 29 and they don't bother each other. In fact, they share the same cave at night.

71jeep · 02/28/2012, 12:52 PM

I have a Starry Blenny and tailspot blenny in a 120g. they are great together. When I add new long slim fish like gobys the aggressive is on. new Wrsses, Anthias and Chromis no problem

rovster · 02/28/2012, 03:15 PM

I think Sk8r hit the nail on the head. I have a Starry that terrorizes my blue tang, and beats the crap out of her. It comes in cycles. They are horribly overcrowded in my small biocube. I'm hoping that will go away when they move to the bigger tank I'm having built.

FWIW, my Starry came as a hitch hiker on a rock so I did not intend to add him. He is a great personality though. Most of the people that look in my tank are most curious about the "ugly one", LOL! I think the minimum tank size for a starry is 30+.

ssick92 · 10/12/2012, 12:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rovster

I think Sk8r hit the nail on the head. I have a Starry that terrorizes my blue tang, and beats the crap out of her. It comes in cycles. They are horribly overcrowded in my small biocube. I'm hoping that will go away when they move to the bigger tank I'm having built.

FWIW, my Starry came as a hitch hiker on a rock so I did not intend to add him. He is a great personality though. Most of the people that look in my tank are most curious about the "ugly one", LOL! I think the minimum tank size for a starry is 30+.

You have a blue tang and a starry in a biocube? I would get rid of 1 or both of those... My starry has outgrown my 30g and it's about time I get a fish trap in there and trade him in for either a smaller one or a Tailspot Blenny...

EllieSuz · 10/12/2012, 03:27 PM

My Starry Blenny is not the least bit aggressive and gets along with every other fish in the tank. I have a Flame Angel, Tomini Tang, Oscellarus Clown, Randall's Goby, Green Mandarin and Clown Goby. So, maybe it depends on the individual fish.

immortl · 10/12/2012, 04:23 PM

My starry blenny got along fine with my royal gramma in a Biocube 29, however it promptly killed the orange diamond goby I tried to add to the tank. I was quite bummed about that.

rovster · 10/12/2012, 09:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ssick92

You have a blue tang and a starry in a biocube? I would get rid of 1 or both of those... My starry has outgrown my 30g and it's about time I get a fish trap in there and trade him in for either a smaller one or a Tailspot Blenny...

Tang was removed a while ago. Starry and clown have some words every now and then, but for the most part, stay out of each others way. No where near as bad as the fighting when the tang was in there.

02/27/2012, 11:36 PM	#1
kikimers13 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Bend, OR Posts: 91	Starry Blenny is a murderer? I think I failed to do enough research about the starry blenny. The little guy is super active, loves my algae, and leaves my clown pair completely alone (they leave him alone as well). However my Royal Gramma did not fare as well. I caught the starry blenny chasing the Royal Gramma out of a little cave a couple times but never saw a bunch of aggression. As soon as the RG swam to another hiding spot the blenny would back off. However this morning I found the Royal Gramma with no tail fin and the starry blenny still trying to kill it. At first I thought maybe he was just picking at him because he was already dead but the second the RG moved again the blenny went crazy on him. Sadly it was clearly too late for the RG, and I like my blenny too much to get rid of him. Is it possible the blenny just thought the RG looked too much like his own kind and attacked because of that or did I miss something besides that (I didn't know about that possibility until today) in my research? The lfs suggested doing a green chromis such as this, and from what I've read they are a peaceful fish unlike the rest of their family. However my worry is that they're too peaceful and my possibly murderous blenny will kill it too. Should I just get rid of the blenny and get another RG with something else or would I be okay to just keep the blenny and get something besides the RG (don't want to risk that again). Thanks for any input! __________________ [20gL nano tank cycling...] Current Tank Info: Brand new 20L nano reef in progress

02/28/2012, 06:28 AM	#3
OodleyBoodely Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Azle, Tx Posts: 754	algae blennies like the starry and lawnmowers tend to be quite territorial towards any fish they see as competing for food/shelter and this tendency is going to be even more pronounced in small tanks like your 29g. If you keep the blennie I would stay away from any fish that live in the rockwork or graze on algae, or, are shaped similar to blennies, like the grammas, firefish, most gobies, basslets like assessors, hawkfish, ect. Your best bet for tank mates will likely be the open water swimmers like chromis, flasher/fairy wrasses. HTH! __________________ 37gal w/LED lighting with cement/oystershell/perlite background, DSB, 20l sump with 30lbs lr, biopellets in reactor, Reef Octo skimmer, 1 pajama cardinal No corals at this time. -

02/28/2012, 06:45 AM	#4
mdeleon1 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Posts: 424	I had similar experience when I introduced Starry to DT. It chased RG from residence but that was it. They have been in my DT for over 6 months without incidents. __________________ Starting over!

02/28/2012, 09:52 AM	#5
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	I fear it's your tank size. I have a starry and a tailspot blenny and a royal gramma in a 54 with absolutely no trouble, not even a fishy argument. Fish panic when they're in too small a place and an ordinarily mild-mannered species will fight to drive out what he sees as a fish crowding his space. Unfortunately, in this case, the gramma had nowhere to go. I wouldn't advise replacing him so long as you're at that size tank. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

10/12/2012, 03:27 PM	#10
EllieSuz Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Rochester, NY Posts: 3,858	My Starry Blenny is not the least bit aggressive and gets along with every other fish in the tank. I have a Flame Angel, Tomini Tang, Oscellarus Clown, Randall's Goby, Green Mandarin and Clown Goby. So, maybe it depends on the individual fish. __________________ "You can't learn this hobby one question at a time." (Mr. Tuskfish) Eileen Current Tank Info: I'm out of the hobby, but used to have a60 gal. reef, refugium in sump, Internal Mag 9 return, SC 302 skimmer, two Maxi-Jet 1200's modded, four bulb T5 Lighting, Reefkeeper Lite Controller with three PC4's, Little Fishes GFO reactor.

02/28/2012, 06:26 AM	#2
Swip Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Munich, Germany Posts: 139	I've heard about starry blennys getting aggressive against a certain species. Maybe yours just can't stand basslets.

02/28/2012, 12:17 PM	#6
ah_notty Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Phx,Az Posts: 74	I actually have a RG and a Starry Blenny in my 29 and they don't bother each other. In fact, they share the same cave at night.

02/28/2012, 12:52 PM	#7
71jeep Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 22	I have a Starry Blenny and tailspot blenny in a 120g. they are great together. When I add new long slim fish like gobys the aggressive is on. new Wrsses, Anthias and Chromis no problem

02/28/2012, 03:15 PM	#8
rovster Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Miramar, FL Posts: 7,518	I think Sk8r hit the nail on the head. I have a Starry that terrorizes my blue tang, and beats the crap out of her. It comes in cycles. They are horribly overcrowded in my small biocube. I'm hoping that will go away when they move to the bigger tank I'm having built. FWIW, my Starry came as a hitch hiker on a rock so I did not intend to add him. He is a great personality though. Most of the people that look in my tank are most curious about the "ugly one", LOL! I think the minimum tank size for a starry is 30+.

10/12/2012, 04:23 PM	#11
immortl Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 114	My starry blenny got along fine with my royal gramma in a Biocube 29, however it promptly killed the orange diamond goby I tried to add to the tank. I was quite bummed about that.