crocea and lawnmower blenny?
- Thread starter raleej337
- Start date
Gary Majchrzak
Team RC
if any clam is small and unattached/wedged into rockwork a Lawnmower Blenny might inadvertently knock it over repeatedly as it cleans the shell of microalgae. This can cause a premature demise of your clam.
IME LMB's don't nip clam mantles the way that Bicolor Blennies do.
IME LMB's don't nip clam mantles the way that Bicolor Blennies do.
jmaneyapanda
Commencing hatred
I am the proof of the exact opposite can be true. I had a large lawnmower in my tank for over a year. It ate every prepared food I could offer and never bothered any inverts. Then, in the matter of week, all the exhalent siphon were bitten off my clams, the mantles had numerous and significant damage, and all the marks were the tell tale little kiss marks. And lawnmowers are not easy to catch. It took about a week of heavy trapping to finally get him. All the clams have or are currently healing, and that was like 6 months or so.
I will not ever add a lawnmower blenny to my tank again.
I will not ever add a lawnmower blenny to my tank again.
Gary Majchrzak
Team RC
interesting. Feeding a LMB prepared foods (especially "meaty" type foods) might help it to develop a taste for clams.
I've seen this happen with other fishes, too. (Copperband Butterflies and certain Angelfish species, for example.)
I've had good luck with LMB's- they've never taken any prepared foods. They've always found enough algae to graze in my system to keep them nice and fat.
jmaneyapanda
Commencing hatred
I certainly dont mean for this be an inflammatory comment, because I respect your experience here Gary, but I feel comment like you made are one of the problematic issues with this hobby.
I think we, as hobbyists, have the obligation to attempt (and succeed) in caring for our livestock. Although I dont think you meant it this way, I am afraid MANY hobbyists, particularly more inexperienced, will read this, and say, "Well, I dont have to feed my LMB. They will just eat algae." This is poor husbandry. I am not saying that our fish should not eat anything aside from what we feed, but I absolutely feel we should not imply that they do not need to be fed.
For what its worth, this problem with LMB is quite frequent and documented. Just like with angels, or tangs, or any other grazer. It is the definition of hit and miss.
I think we, as hobbyists, have the obligation to attempt (and succeed) in caring for our livestock. Although I dont think you meant it this way, I am afraid MANY hobbyists, particularly more inexperienced, will read this, and say, "Well, I dont have to feed my LMB. They will just eat algae." This is poor husbandry. I am not saying that our fish should not eat anything aside from what we feed, but I absolutely feel we should not imply that they do not need to be fed.
For what its worth, this problem with LMB is quite frequent and documented. Just like with angels, or tangs, or any other grazer. It is the definition of hit and miss.
Gary Majchrzak
Team RC
You're right. And I hope anyone reading this thread will come to the conclusion that is the truth: some LMB's will take prepared foods and some will not- no matter what.
If you're running out of algae for your LMB to eat and it won't take prepared foods you need to do something. (Hopefully, trap it out.)
If your system is small and/or not well lit there's a good chance you won't be able to grow enough microalgae fast enough to keep a LMB well fed and you probably shouldn't attempt one.
I see it all the time.
Incidentally- the LFS where I got my LMB swears they don't eat algae
good luck with the fish, raleej337
zuzecawi
Member
My LMB nips at my crocea mantles fairly frequently, but not often enough to do the clams major damage. The clams have gotten really adept at the squirt and clamp maneuvar when a shadow crosses them. Personally, I fully intend to get rid of the blenny, and will NEVER again get another one. The lawnmower blenny I have eats plenty of macros (I supply the tank with 1 lb of gracilaria and 1/2 lb of ulva monthly) in addition to dried seaweeds from the local asian market, but he also has been known to attack everything in my aquarium, myself included. Lawnmower blenny bites are NO JOKE!!! I've suffered several bites from that ornery pig headed dog faced little fish, and I'm absolutely sick of it. For a supposed vegetarian, that lawnmower blenny of mine has killed more anthias than carpet surfing, leaves huge bites on my tomini tang, and even killed a large sally lightfoot crab. It also killed a dusky jawfish, and harassed a six lined wrasse right out of the tank and into the overflow. My LFS is on summer vacation but the moment they're back I forsee a fish trap and good bye blenny.
FWIW I had him for three years and the first 1.5 he was fairly cool. The past 1.5 he's gotten steadily more aggressive.
FWIW I had him for three years and the first 1.5 he was fairly cool. The past 1.5 he's gotten steadily more aggressive.
Charlie Davidson
New member
Fish are like people.. You can"t group certian behavior's.
My lawnmower blenny,,, BIT my clams!! And it took chunks of flesh!!
My lawnmower blenny,,, BIT my clams!! And it took chunks of flesh!!
