what are the signs of a blenny starving?

[daytonaconnecti]

i have had my blenny for awhile, now, and iam a little worried, i never see him eat, or grazing, he just kinda sits around cking things out, in different parts of the tank, he must be eating something, i would think he wouldnt have made it this long, sometimes i see him out at night....

 

[Detri]

What kind of Blenny?

If it is a Lawnmower Blenny, the stomach area will be sunkin or the same shape as the rest of the body. They tend to get really chubby. Though being the same shape and size as the rest of the body isn't bad at all. Just means there is just enough to keep him healthy.

 

[rudeanduncouth]

I have a few fish I have for 8 months and rarely see it but they all look nice and fat so I figure they must be fine.

 

[daytonaconnecti]

thanks, if he wasnt eating how long would he live, also should i intice him to eat, if so with what....

 

[NaH2O]

Have you tried to entice the fish with some Nori either on a clip or rubber banded to a rock? My blenny would eat off the clip. Their mouths aren't made to really tear at the Nori, but from what I could see, they can scrape it. I believe for a blenny, you'd want to look for typical signs of thinning....the underside of the fish has a concave appearance (I don't know how easy that is to see on a perching fish). Also, the area behind the head will be a lot thinner in a really bad case....kind of like starving models....they look like they have lolly pop heads. But, I think you'd notice an overall thinness starting in the tail region. Maybe Steve-S can shed some more light on this for us...

 

[steve-s]

I believe for a blenny, you'd want to look for typical signs of thinning....the underside of the fish has a concave appearance (I don't know how easy that is to see on a perching fish). Also, the area behind the head will be a lot thinner in a really bad case....kind of like starving models....they look like they have lolly pop heads.

That's pretty much the case. Basically the area between the gill plate and the anus. If the tail section is thinning, it's really in poor shape.

Would need to know the species of blenny and tank size before knowing what might be in the best interest of the fish.

Cheers
Steve

 

[daytonaconnecti]

cool thanks its a lawnmower, about 3'' long, and in my 48 gal cornner tank..

 

[steve-s]

A 48's a little on the small size but should still be able to provide for this guy. One thing that works very very well although a little unsightly, is to leave at least one or two panes of glass uncleaned at all times. You can rotate between them weekly so you don't get a hard to remove build up. This will allow a growing surface for film algaes that the blenny can ingest at will. Their mouth/teeth are not adapted to chew/consume leafy algae but rather film and brittle filamented types. More commonly, they will scrape the surfaces of macro's but will not actually ingest them. Film algaes grow everywhere in the tank, it's just a matter of providing the easiest means for the fish to feed.

Cheers
Steve

 

[WAFalconer]

Steve,

Just curious....Why do you say a 48 is a bit small to house one ?
I know bigger tanks = more algae, but surely a smaller tank can still produce more than enough to supply food for one fish ?
I bought a lawnmower blenny about a year ago for my 46g tank, and have since moved and downsized to a 20g tank. He seems to be doing just fine. I leave both sides of the tank (don't scrape them), although I've never seen him scrape those, but rather pick at the hair algae I have on one rock (reason I got him to begin with.)

 

[steve-s]

I look at it this way. There's conditions a fish will get by, do akay or work very well. I will generally advise the latter. While someone might have success with a smaller tank (depending on species and if it's accepting prepared foods), ideally you want to place the fish in a habitat that it can survive either way if it's prone to not accepting foods. Some fish obviously needing to be fed and will accept them easily enough, others not so much or not at all. It's just a matter of providing the "best" environment.

If someone where to ask me if I would recommend placing this species in a smaller tank, I would automatically say no. Doesn't mean it can't be done. Just that the odds are not in favor of the fish.

Cheers
Steve

 

[daytonaconnecti]

Have you tried to entice the fish with some Nori either on a clip or rubber banded to a rock? My blenny would eat off the clip. Their mouths aren't made to really tear at the Nori, but from what I could see, they can scrape it. I believe for a blenny, you'd want to look for typical signs of thinning....the underside of the fish has a concave appearance (I don't know how easy that is to see on a perching fish). Also, the area behind the head will be a lot thinner in a really bad case....kind of like starving models....they look like they have lolly pop heads. But, I think you'd notice an overall thinness starting in the tail region. Maybe Steve-S can shed some more light on this for us...

are you talking about nori seaweed, the sheets?

 

[daytonaconnecti]

if he isnt eating how long will he last , its been a month...

 

[NaH2O]

Yes, I was talking about Nori seaweed sheets. I guess I should say my blenny wasn't a lawnmower, but a bicolor. He would attack the Nori, but as Steve has pointed out, his mouth would only scrape it (not eat it like a rabbitfish would). I do know he'd eat it, because I'd watch him chase after pieces that were floating off. He also enjoyed mysis. Have you noticed any signs of thinness? I wonder if it has been feeding off of film algaes in the tank, and you aren't aware?

 

[shawn]

I have a Lawmower blenny in a 20 gal and is doing great. I got him to eat some flake food and he is now eating brine shrimp.. It took him awhile to start eating the food I was trying to get him to eat. I tried the Nori sheets he didn't care for it.

 

[daytonaconnecti]

Yes, I was talking about Nori seaweed sheets. I guess I should say my blenny wasn't a lawnmower, but a bicolor. He would attack the Nori, but as Steve has pointed out, his mouth would only scrape it (not eat it like a rabbitfish would). I do know he'd eat it, because I'd watch him chase after pieces that were floating off. He also enjoyed mysis. Have you noticed any signs of thinness? I wonder if it has been feeding off of film algaes in the tank, and you aren't aware?

iam not sur, i havnt seen him eating, i would think that after a month of not eating he would not still be here...

 

[steve-s]

A fish can actually survive quite a stint without food. The longer it goes though the worse the outcome...

Can you post some closeup pics of the blenny from different angles? Might just be your not in the right place at the right time?

Cheers
Steve

 

[liveforphysics]

My lawnmower began to starve a couple years back when I stopped skimming and did chaeto only filtration. I tried nori with him because I liked the personality of the fish so much and wanted to keep him. I couldnt get him to take interest in it, and he kept getting thiner and thiner.

I had to give him away to a friend who used normal reefkeeping methods and had algae growth on things for the poor little guy to eat.

If I ever find one that will eat flake and was tank raised, then I'm going to get one again. I love the entertainment and interaction they provide.

 

[daytonaconnecti]

well i guess he was starving, i had plenty of algea covered glass, for him to eat, i found him dead today, thats two, i guess they are harder to keep than i thought...

 

[Llarian]

Mine has been surviving quite happily for over a year in my 20G tank, eating both film algae and New Life Spectrum Marine Pellets. I've heard several others say that their LMB took well to that food as well.

Mine has absolutely no interest in nori however.

-Dylan

 

[WAFalconer]

Sorry to hear about your LMB.