Barnacle Blennies - Experiences

[rssjsb]

Anyone keep these guys long-term? I'm looking for experience with tankmates, tank size, etc.

Am considering getting a group of them for my 185. Based on my experiences with a possum wrasse and other oddball fish (filefish), I expect my other fish would ignore them, but then again I was caught off-guard by my Kole tang's hatred for a starry blenny, so I thought I'd ask.

Tank is established 60 x 24 x 30, tank mates include angels, filefish, clowns, watchman goby, foxface and kole tang.

I've got barnacles for the blennies, but there's also a lot of LR with hiding spaces if they prefer that.

 

[TL1000RSquid]

Kept them in 40breeder and 90g with a wide variety of fish(angels, clowns, possum wrasse, watchman never bothered them), mine always preferred barnacles over rock crevices. Pretty cool fish though not all that active other then when feeding they'll shoot out of their barnacles otherwise spend most their time peeking out.

 

[rssjsb]

Thanks!

 

[Wolverine]

Kept them in 40breeder and 90g with a wide variety of fish(angels, clowns, possum wrasse, watchman never bothered them), mine always preferred barnacles over rock crevices. Pretty cool fish though not all that active other then when feeding they'll shoot out of their barnacles otherwise spend most their time peeking out.

My experience was similar with them in a 10g tank. They can fight among themselves for the ideal barnacle or crevice, but it's usually not too bad.

 

[MikeandNicole]

I love mine I have a group of 5 in a 57g tank. They are the most fun fish to watch when they feed. You are correct as in the other fish ignore them and they might scrap a bit among themselves but nothing too bad. They do stay small though and you really can't force them into a burrow as they will find one that they want. In a 185 you might not see them until you feed then you will see them.

 

[eatbreakfast]

I have a group of 7 in a 54 corner with purple tilefish, blue gudgeon gobies, pinkbar gobies, and a sunburst anthias, none of the tankmates care about them at all, although i have seen the barnacle blennies on occassion dart out at one of those guys when they got to close. When dealing with each other there is some vying for spots, but nothing remotely serious.

 

[rssjsb]

Great - thanks for all the input everyone!

 

[namxas]

IME, unless there are no other choices, they won't pay the barnacles much attention. I think they prefer tighter quarters (holes in LR, old snail shells, duster tubes, etc).

We kept a little colony of six in a NC 12 for quite a number of years. After the initial pecking order is established, and homes are staked out, they really quit squabbling altogether. BTW, we kept A. balonorum.

 

[rssjsb]

Great pics, Greg. Thanks for sharing. I think I'll go for it once my QT is free again. I guess my decision now is which tank to put them in.

Sounds like the barnacles may be most useful in QT. Any special advice? Sensitivities Prazi, etc.?

 

[namxas]

IME, these guys are tuff little fish, and not much bothers them. We noticed no sensitivities to the "normal" QT practices.

It was really funny watching them snap up pods that came too close to their lairs...hungry little fish, for sure. Feeding time is like "whack-a-mole"...you never know which fish will pop out or when.