Arg Algae Blenny...

[Madfronter]

I need to vent to someone who may understand my frustration. I've had my 55 gallon set up since august and my algae blenny was one of the first fish I put in it. He has become more of an a hole since last friday. I now officially hate him and just want him out of my tank. A few months ago he started to attack my green clown gobies whenever he would see them poke their litle heads out of the zoanthid colony they live in. That I got used to and so did the green clown gobies, they adapted and now tease the blenny. Now I have a new flame angel and a red and blue fairy wrasse that he is constantly picking on. He wont even let the wrasse out of the hole its hiding in. Luckily he was able to get out and eat when I fed the fish, but went right back to the hole as soon as it saw the blenny. So I think I am going to have to break down and take all the rocks and coral out of the tank to get him out. He is too hard to get out without removing everything. Ive even tried harpooning him with the feeding spike on my kent sea squirt. He is very fast and aware of me now. So frustrating.

 

[Madfronter]

Anyone have any thoughts on this? Just curious if anyone else has experienced this with their blenny before.Need some opinions on getting it out of the tank. Or do you think removing everything is the best option?

 

[bj32482]

through in a hawk fish...I have one that is constantly after my LMB....on a serious note, re-aquascape the rocks...he is probably being territorial and this will shake things up and let everybody regroup

 

[Madfronter]

thanks for the tip bj32482. I was thinking about making a home made trap out of a 2 liter bottle tonight after work to see if I can catch him. I kinda want him out of the tank anyway. Hes quite large and I don't want to experience this behavior again and again when adding new fish in the future.

Does anyone have experience with catching a fish with the home made bottle trap?

 

[Elysia]

I have read the posts of lots of people who have had problems with algae/lawnmower blennies, especially when they are housed with passive fish (seahorses, pipefish, fairy or flasher wrasses, gobies, dartfish, jawfish, assessors.) Aggression exisits in a continum, and IMO most blennies 3" or larger should only be housed with fish that can hold their own (i.e. will stand up for themselves.) Good luck getting him out.

 

[Madfronter]

well I caught the blenny last night in my home made 2 liter bottle fish trap. It took a few hours but I caught it. Its now in my sump with some live rock. I need to find a new home for him. If anyone in the south jersey area wants an algae blenny for free you are welcome to come pick it up.

 

[Bernie21]

Just for future reference, I dont know how many people have the ability to do this, but I read of someone post a couple of days ago and I thought it was a great way to catch fish w out destroying your tank, he drained enough water until it was easy for him to catch the fish, just thaough I should share. Glad you caught him!!

 

[LisaD]

can you describe your bottle trap?

 

[Madfronter]

I used a two liter bottle from soda cut the top portion of the bottle off at the broadest part of the top then cut the top off (where the cap goes on) to widen the opening so the fish could fit through. I then inverted the top and stuck it inside the opening of the bottle and secured it with scotch tape since it is clear as well. I hope that made sense.

 

[jmaneyapanda]

blennies can be real pains. I had a LMB that wuld harass my male crosshatch trigger. He would swim up, and "scrape" his side. The trigger would turn and give chase, but the blenny would find a hole, and just peer out. I think I even herad him laughing.

 

[Madfronter]

In all my year I never thought I would get ****ed off at a fish before but this fish had me yelling at it. I felt like a douche for yelling at a fish.

 

[Bernie21]

How did you lure him into the trap??

 

[Madfronter]

Oh I put a frozen cube of mysis shrimp in it.