R.I.P. Lawnmower Blenny x2

[Rcpilot]

Yup, killed my SECOND lawnmower blenny today.

I purchased a lawnmower blenny about 6 weeks ago. I bought it because I've got some green algae on my rocks and couldn't seam to get rid of it. Okay, not just a little.... a LOT!! (see my signature line)

I acclimated the fish for a couple hours and introduced it into the tank. Seamed fine for a couple weeks. It was eating food with the other fishys. It was picking at the rocks and I actually saw some slight decrease in hair algae. The fish was grazing regularly and seamed active and happy.

A couple weeks later it goes missing. Searched all around the tank, as I suspected a carpet surfer. Nuthin' Checked nitrates, fearing it may have died and was rotting under a rock. Nuthin' Zip, no nitrates. Either it jumped out and is sitting on the floor somewhere that I can't see it, or the crabs ate it.

So, I forgot about it for a couple weeks. Damn hair algae is growing like a weed in my tank. So, I go to a different LFS and purchase another lawnmower blenny. Acclimate for about 2hrs. It eats prepared food. It grazes on the rocks. It swims and seams happy.

It's been missing for 2 days.

WTF am I doing wrong? This is driving me crazy. It's a damn FISH!! Not like I'm trying to keep a South African Bubble Fart Strawberry Tart anemone here. It's a FISH for gawd sakes!!

I thought I knew how to take care of these things. It's essentially an omnivore but prefers green foods like uuuuuuummmmmmmmmmmm HAIR ALGAE and frozen marine cuisine for algae eaters. Apparently I'm an idiot because I've managed to starve or kill 2 in the last 2 months.

Any ideas? :question:

R.I.P.
Ugly Betty

and

Ugly Betty II

:frustrat:

 

[yote]

Hate to hear about you LMB Rc.
Maybe your ate TOO much?:dunno:

 

[Bifferwine]

Lenny my lawnmower blenny never recovered from his jump into my overflow either. Last time I saw him was a few months ago :(

I'm sorry for your loss. Can't say what's killing them though.

 

[parrotchute]

Well, no answer for what killed them, but I can recommend a great algae eater - the foxface rabbitfish. Mine took care of my algae problem in 2 days. He's a little fat now tho...

 

[Rcpilot]

No rabbit fish for me. My tank is full of LPS and mushrooms. A rabbit fish would destroy my reef.

 

[XxKnuckleheadxX]

what other fish do you have in your tank?

 

[Rcpilot]

what other fish do you have in your tank?

A small 1.25" occelarus clown and a small 3" diamond watchman goby.

 

[yote]

Rc,A rabbit fish shouldnt bother your corals.The one I had never touched any corals that I know of.But he was shore hell on hair algae.

 

[Rcpilot]

Yote everything I read about rabbit fish says they will eat LPS and softies. My tank is loaded with acans and mushrooms. I'm skeered to try a rabbit fish. :shock: You really think it would be okay?

Not sure it would be a long term solution since I only have a 30g tank. I think rabbit fish get pretty big and need a 75g - 100g tank minimum. I could buy a small one, but I've never been an advocate of doing that. I always get on peoples' case for putting tangs in small tanks and hoping they will upgrade to a larger tank later. Life changes and you may not have the $$ for a big enough tank later. I feel like I'd be a hypocrite if I put a fish in my tank knowing it would outgrow the tank in 6 months.

Still pondering it......

 

[yote]

They might nip a coral once to taste it(same as any other fish)but a rabbitfish dont eat corals.We've got em in the softie reef tank at the store and I had one for nearly a year with no problems what so ever.
I highly doubt a rabbitfish would bother any of your corals at all.They'd rather pick algae off the rocks.
And they'll do a number on hair algae.Their eating machines and will clean a tank up quick.I'd recommend one for your tank.

 

[parrotchute]

Mine doesn't seem to want any of my corals or shrooms either.
But with a 30 gal, I wouldn't put one in their either (didn't realize it was a 30 originally). Mine swims the whole length of the tank...

 

[Rcpilot]

They might nip a coral once to taste it(same as any other fish)but a rabbitfish dont eat corals.We've got em in the softie reef tank at the store and I had one for nearly a year with no problems what so ever.
I highly doubt a rabbitfish would bother any of your corals at all.They'd rather pick algae off the rocks.
And they'll do a number on hair algae.Their eating machines and will clean a tank up quick.I'd recommend one for your tank.

Ahhhhhhhhhhh, thanks Yote. I wasn't reading the behavior of the fish right. You are correct that they are said to NIP corals, but nothing about actually chowing down the whole darn coral. If a fish were to nip and have a taste, I'd be fine with that. I was just cornfuzed and had my brain worked up thinking a rabbit fish would EAT the whole damn acan colony.

That would lead to a dead fish. :chair:

I'm gonna be a hypocrite and buy one locally. It's a weeee little baby. Only about 2" long right now and they want $19 for it.

TOTALLY HYPOCRITE:
I need some motivation to set up my 90g tank anyways.

:frustrat:

 

[yote]

It'll take a 2" rabbitfish a while to outgrow your 30.The tend to grow kinda slow.But that will give you time to get the 90 going.If you hurry:mrgreen: