Lawnmower starving?

[ac7av]

My lawnmower looks like its starving. I don’t even understand how that’s possible in my tank but it looks like the case. I’ve kind of noticed that it was looking very thin on the tail end of the fish behind the belly. I’ve been watching him closely and it looked like he was eating fine and would have a fat belly from time to time threw the day like it was eating well. Not over eating bloated looking just full. I hadn’t really given it much thought in the last month or so but today it looks very clear that this fish is starving or at least it looks that way. The bone structure is very defined all throughout the body and head and belly looks empty. I feed heavy on the greens side in the tank and there is always a lot floating around the tank after feeding for it to eat but maybe its not enough or not what it needs. A lawnmower seems like a easy, hardy fish and I just can’t believe that it’s starving in my tank. I probably over feed my tank and I always see this fish pecking at the rock work and keeps the power heads clean, I cant see feeding more then I already do. What are the lawnmower blennys suppose to be eating? BTW I have had this fish for 6 months and no new fish in the tank for a couple of months.

 

[ReefLogic]

Just curious....have you tossed some nori on a clip to see if he gets down? Mine goes nuts over that stuff....might be worth a shot to find out.

 

[leebca]

Quantity of food may be part of the issue, along with quality of food. Switch to actual marine algae and use a variety of kinds (colors).

These fishes, if not trained from the start to eat prepared foods, sometimes do die of starvation. A 'normal' marine display tank just doesn't support such a fish and yet they are acquired to 'clean up' the tank and to 'keep it clean' of algae. Hence the need to train the fish to eat prepared foods while they are in quarantine.

 

[ac7av]

Just curious....have you tossed some nori on a clip to see if he gets down? Mine goes nuts over that stuff....might be worth a shot to find out.

I have green, red, and brown algae dried (not baked) sheets in the tank available for fish to eat on the high side of 6 hours a day. I know I’ve seen the lawnmower eating from the clips. Maybe it isn’t actually eating it, just picking at it.

 

[ac7av]

Quantity of food may be part of the issue, along with quality of food. Switch to actual marine algae and use a variety of kinds (colors).

These fishes, if not trained from the start to eat prepared foods, sometimes do die of starvation. A 'normal' marine display tank just doesn't support such a fish and yet they are acquired to 'clean up' the tank and to 'keep it clean' of algae. Hence the need to train the fish to eat prepared foods while they are in quarantine.

I know we have gone over the fish nutrition before. I think that what I’m offering them is a quality food. I will admit I did not ever quarantine this fish since it was with the first batch of fish I purchased to populate this tank. I didn’t really see a need for it since there was nothing in the tank to start with. I will try and get it out of the tank and put it into the QT tank and so it can eat with out being disturbed. Hopefully this will be the ticket.

 

[vimal]

dude,so what food should i feed the blenny if thee no algae grow in the tank??

 

[Emerald525]

I almost wonder if it has an internal parasite particularly as you have seen it eat before. Do you see it eating now? My Algae blenny loves nori but also eats the algae on the glass. I had a baby clown trigger that would eat like a pig but got thin and it ended up being parasites.

Good luck to you!

 

[ac7av]

Actually the last day I saw it was the day I started this thread. I have a feeling its long gone. I wondered that too. I thought at times then I would see the fish thinking it looked like it was eating too much. It looked bloated. Other times it didn’t. but the body kept getting thinner. I know I watched it eating off the clip and constantly cleaning the rock and power heads. Don’t know for sure but a parasite could be possible. I just can't see it starving in this tank that I feed 75% dried algae too. And that’s probably close to 2 square feet of algae sheets a day.

 

[vimal]

havent answer my question??

 

[leebca]

You feed macro algae that you find at your LFS. You'll need to get it to the 'level' of the fish. You will need to tie it to a rock, put it under a rock, or something that like. Put is close to where the fish hangs out.

In addition, obtain food that is listed for herbivores. Train the fish to eat prepared (frozen then thawed) foods for herbivore fishes. Look for foods that contain spirulina, kelp, and marine algae. DO NOT FEED pellets or flakes.

 

[vimal]

ok lee,hmm..any recommendation for food that contain marine algae?

 

[returnofsid]

ok lee,hmm..any recommendation for food that contain marine algae?

As has been mentioned in this thread, dried marine algae sheets.

 

[Emerald525]

Actually the last day I saw it was the day I started this thread. I have a feeling its long gone. I wondered that too. I thought at times then I would see the fish thinking it looked like it was eating too much. It looked bloated. Other times it didn’t. but the body kept getting thinner. I know I watched it eating off the clip and constantly cleaning the rock and power heads. Don’t know for sure but a parasite could be possible. I just can't see it starving in this tank that I feed 75% dried algae too. And that’s probably close to 2 square feet of algae sheets a day.

I would have to agree with you. I wonder if the bloating was just parasites in the abdomen. Was he a relatively new addition to your tank?

 

[ac7av]

I was trying to remember for sure but I seem to have not noted in my log when I got that fish. I’m 99% sure I got that fish back in end of February of this year.

 

[Emerald525]

I was trying to remember for sure but I seem to have not noted in my log when I got that fish. I’m 99% sure I got that fish back in end of February of this year.

Well that's relatively new I guess. It took about a month for one of my fish to show parasites. It's not that unusual so it's possible.