I bought a lawnmower Blenny the other day at my lfs. I put him in the quarantine tank, now it's been about 4 days and and he still has not eaten. He hides all the time and is not out very much. I've tried to offer him some nori and I also have some dried seaweed strips rubber banded to a rock. Im debating whether to move him to my display where there is some algea growing. The other option im considering is to just take him back to the store. What do you think would help him start eating? Thanks for the help!!
Lawnmower Blenny Won't Eat
- Thread starter Sundog101
- Start date
My first lawn mower blenny behaved similarly to yours. Unfortunately, I never saw it eating any food I added, it became skinnier and skinnier and eventually died after about a month to six weeks if I recall. I recently got another one, have had it a month, and it has been eating everything I feed (nori, mysis, flakes, pellets). It started eating within a day.
Considering yours still seems skittish, it may still be adjusting. But, if you have a limited window to return to the LFS, I would probably return it and try another one in the near future. I saw a big difference in eating habits between the two different lawn mower blennies I have had.
Considering yours still seems skittish, it may still be adjusting. But, if you have a limited window to return to the LFS, I would probably return it and try another one in the near future. I saw a big difference in eating habits between the two different lawn mower blennies I have had.
gone fishin
New member
Mine shows no interest in prepared foods. He bounces from rock to rock.
Plenty of people have success with the lawn mower surviving on what they find in the tank. However, I remember researching here at RC when my first one wasn't thriving, and there were other instances where the blenny didn't survive, and was attributed to starvation. My first one did go from rock to rock looking like it was scraping something, but I believe whatever it was looking for wasn't there, and it starved to death. I'll never know for sure, and it may have been due to something else besides starvation, but if I have a choice between one that eats everything and one that has special requirements, it seems to be an easy choice.
gone fishin
New member
Certainly one that will take whatever is offered is preferable. Another reason to ask to see them eat at the store. Buying online one takes a chance. FWIW mine has been in my tank for about 4 years now.
AdamNC
New member
Mines always seen with a fat belly and picking off the rocks and walls. Never seems to touch any food I put in the tank, although I haven't tried any nori but if I run outta algae I may have too someday. Until then...
I would say if possible take him back to the LFS or drop a rock from the DT in there that has algae on it.
I would say if possible take him back to the LFS or drop a rock from the DT in there that has algae on it.
lespaul339
Reefer
It's hit or miss with lawnmower blennies. In my experience they can be very hard to keep alive in quarantine. I'm on my third one, the first two basically starved to death in my QT. It wasn't that I didn't try. I tried feeding them everything including putting live rock with algae in the QT for them. They just would not eat. I don't know if it's because of the stress from shipping or they just don't do well in a new environment or what. Even though I knew the first two were starving, I couldn't risk putting them in my DT and having them wipe out all my other fish by introducing a disease. Just wasn't a chance I was willing to take over a 16 dollar fish.
Finally this third one is eating like a champ. He eats Nori, flake, mysis and brine shrimp, and he has one of the rocks in his QT tank almost completely cleaned of algae. He's got a couple more weeks to go in QT but I think it's a pretty safe bet that this one is going to make it.
You can see where the bare spot on this rock is that he is munching on. I took this pic when he first started eating. Now the rock is almost completely cleaned off.
Finally this third one is eating like a champ. He eats Nori, flake, mysis and brine shrimp, and he has one of the rocks in his QT tank almost completely cleaned of algae. He's got a couple more weeks to go in QT but I think it's a pretty safe bet that this one is going to make it.
You can see where the bare spot on this rock is that he is munching on. I took this pic when he first started eating. Now the rock is almost completely cleaned off.
o2manyfish
o2manyfish
I have 2 of them that are fat monsters. They don't eat anything but algae they find in the tank. I have had them for several years. They are usually at least 3' apart from one another.
On Friday I caught the 2 of them hanging out together in the surge tank outlet. When one came out of the pipe the other one swam over to it and started shaking and shuttering against it.
For years they have ignored or chased each other out of 'their' respective area. Then on Friday they appeared to be dancing for one another.
Dave B
On Friday I caught the 2 of them hanging out together in the surge tank outlet. When one came out of the pipe the other one swam over to it and started shaking and shuttering against it.
For years they have ignored or chased each other out of 'their' respective area. Then on Friday they appeared to be dancing for one another.
Dave B
