Evil Lawnmower Blenny

[Turdfergie]

So I've had my tank up and running for about a year now, I've had a few fish die in a move in July, and the only survivor was my CUC and a Lawnmower Blenny. I have since added a Banded Sleeper Goby, Yellow and White Wrasse (Halichoeres leucoxanthus), a Black Sea Cucumber, and a few corals. This past week I added a Pygmy Angel to my tank, because everything I've read about my current inhabitants say they're peaceful fish. The little guy was only about 1.5", but I figured he'd be fine since I had all peaceful fish. He hid away in the rocks, as I though he would, and I noticed I saw him come out of hiding relatively soon. He was out and about after only 30 minutes or so. My wrasse swam past to see what was happening, and my Goby chased at him a litte when he got near his hiding hole. But the big problem in my tank was my Lawnmower Blenny. As soon as he saw my new fish, he immediately charged at him. I though he wanted him away from his cave, but I noticed he would begin searching around the tank for the little angel. The blenny would assult the angel whenever it came out from behind my powerhead, and when I looked in today, my little angel was being blown around by the current. I've been feeding formula two algae flakes and formula one pellets to get him to eat, and I've seen him eat without spitting anything out. I moved quickly moved him into my refugium, but he didn't last another 15 minutes. He sank to the bottom after struggling and didn't get back up.

My big question is: how can I get my sociopathic blenny out of my tank without tearing apart my rock structures? I know exactly where he hides, and he's usually out in the open, but recently, as soon as I come close to the tank, he darts into the rock work. I used to keep him with a trio of firefish and a clown goby, and he never bothered them at all. he could have eaten to clown goby if he wanted, but nothing's ever made him this aggressive before. I there some kind of trick or trap I can get him in, to toss him in my sump before I can take him to my LFS?

Also what would a good algae eating alternative be to him? My tank is a little small for most Tangs, so I'd prefer to steer away from that.

 

[BrickFishHouse]

You're probably looking at having to dismantle at least some of the rock.

Check each one you pull as you pull it. He may be hiding in a crack or hole.


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[Turdfergie]

Any tips on what I can replace him with to keep my algae down in a 70 gallon tank?

 

[CarrieB]

Sea urchin


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[Turdfergie]

I'd rather not get an urchin. I like my rocks and coral where they are, I don't need something remodeling.

 

[Dkuhlmann]

Mexican Turbo snails. I would only get 3 of them. Once they eat down the algae that is there you don't want them to starve. Believe me that these guy's eat tons of algae.

I'm sorry to hear about your Cherub Angel, I've got one but mine is the terrorist of the tank. :hammer: Still a beautiful fish though.

 

[Turdfergie]

I've heard Turbo Snails can get kind of big and knock over loose rocks.

I finally got that monster out of my tank. It took me too long, and I had to dismantle most of my rockwork for him to hide in. He's sitting in my sump right now, so hopefully he won't munch on my chaeto. If he does, he might just not make it to the LFS.

My rockwork doesn't quite look the same...

 

[Turdfergie]

I was thinking of getting a Tomini Tang, think that'll do well in a 70?

 

[Dkuhlmann]

I've heard Turbo Snails can get kind of big and knock over loose rocks.

I finally got that monster out of my tank. It took me too long, and I had to dismantle most of my rockwork for him to hide in. He's sitting in my sump right now, so hopefully he won't munch on my chaeto. If he does, he might just not make it to the LFS.

My rockwork doesn't quite look the same...

I've got two of them in my 40b and only on rare occasions do I find a frag or something knocked over. But, NEVER have I had one move a rock and none of my rocks are attached in any way to each other. Also my rocks are mostly fist size or larger.

I wouldn't have recommended the Mexican Turbo snail if I never had them myself and known first hand they have never destroyed anything in my tank.

Now I had a large Maroon gold stripe clown that would rearrange my tank to suit her. Moved frags and rather large rocks around the tank if she didn't like where it was. Needless to say I traded in my maroon pair on my current Mocha's

 

[mountainraised]

Have you considered an Emerald Crab for the algae?

 

[ssick92]

Another possibility if you have a large algae problem is a lettuce nudibranch. Those things will devour algae until it is completely gone.

But to answer your question about how to trap the blenny, take a 2L bottle and cut off the top, then reverse it and glue it inside of itself. Kind of hard to explain but hopefully the picture below will make sense. Put food (algae flakes in your case) inside, and then your fish will swim in, but won't be smart enough to swim out.

If he is large, you might need to use a gatorade bottle which has a larger hole.

 

[Turdfergie]

I do have one Emerald Crab, but he doesn't like to cross the sand, and stays on one structure. I'll have to try out that bottle trap on my Sleeper Banded Goby as well.