2 year old Algae Blenny Looking Skinny: Nutrition?

[Zalick]

I've had my algae blenny for about 2 years now. Always pretty active, but skittish. Has its hiding spot in a rock where it goes every night. During the day it will rotate between its perch spots. The tank has plenty of algae as I overfeed a bit on purpose. Its belly is always bulging. I always thought it looked healthy. Its probably 3-3.5".

I never really noticed if it looked skinny or plump as its chosen perches didn't give a great view. You can generally only see it from the side.

I rearranged some rock work the other day and it picked a new place to perch. I can now see it from the front, back and sides. It looks pretty skinny. Its lateral line bone is visible. Its body is somewhat opaque although I can't see any other bones. I would not describe its whole body as round. It looks pretty flat. I brought my wife over and she thought it looked pretty skinny too. Almost unhealthy looking. I've searched this issue and many people seem to have it but no real answers. Ours does not look nearly as skinny as some others.

I've seen plenty of algae blennys in the wild while diving and this one is definitely skinnier than those.


It eats the algae off the glass and the rocks. It will not eat any prepared foods. Nori gets eaten up by my other fish, but I'm going to try nori rubberbanded to a rock placed next to its hideout.


My question is: Does anyone know why an algae blenny that is eating and always has a full belly, might not be maintaining weight? Could the type of algae be an issue?

 

[moondoggy4]

Is it a fantail bleeny? I have two Fiji fantail bleenies one black and one yellow. The black I had for years and he never ate any prepared food and had a huge belly. then I put in some Cobalt flake food and I was shocked to see him eat it, now he will eat flake food. The yellow one has always eats flake food.

So to your question maybe your fish is getting old, have you tried the algae disk they sell for freshwater fish? My tangs love those things, I feed these before my bleeny was taking food.

 

[Zalick]

Is it a fantail bleeny? I have two Fiji fantail bleenies one black and one yellow. The black I had for years and he never ate any prepared food and had a huge belly. then I put in some Cobalt flake food and I was shocked to see him eat it, now he will eat flake food. The yellow one has always eats flake food.

So to your question maybe your fish is getting old, have you tried the algae disk they sell for freshwater fish? My tangs love those things, I feed these before my bleeny was taking food.

Its a sailfin. I'll pick up some Cobalt flake and the discs and give that a shot. A little worried he's not getting a varied enough diet. Could be old age too considering he was the same size when I got him 2 years ago.

Which cobalt flake did you use?

 

[moondoggy4]

Off hand I cannot remember which type of Cobalt food, I think that I got it at a show. I currently use and my fish love the Ocean Nutrition Brine Shrimp Plus flakes (orange container) Dr F&S has the best price so far. But of course he never took to that food until he tried the Cobalt food now eats it like crazey. My PBT and other fish like it as well.

If by chance I find that can of Cobalt food I will let you know.

 

[Zalick]

Off hand I cannot remember which type of Cobalt food, I think that I got it at a show. I currently use and my fish love the Ocean Nutrition Brine Shrimp Plus flakes (orange container) Dr F&S has the best price so far. But of course he never took to that food until he tried the Cobalt food now eats it like crazey. My PBT and other fish like it as well.

If by chance I find that can of Cobalt food I will let you know.

Tried a bunch of different flake and pellets. She didn't eat any of them. She finally died yesterday. She was probably about 4 years old based upon the size when I got her.

She ate the algae off the glass and seemed fine the first two years but clearly something was lacking in that diet.

 

[moondoggy4]

I am sorry for your loss and thank you for the update.

 

[scooter31707]

They usually eat film algae. It will really help if you can get them on Nori, IME.