Lawnmower Blenny

[theishkid]

Would anybody recommend me adding a lawnmowever blenny to my reef? Would there be any reason not to? I've heard stories of them nipping at some sps and clams... has anyone ever seen or heard this? I also only have one other fish which is a gold stripped maroon clown that I'm pretty sure he'd get along with right?

Thanks.

 

[dugg]

I have seen them both ways. It's a coin toss if they will be nippers or not IMO. I think they are fine if they have plenty of algae to eat and get nippy if they don't from my experience.

 

[Russ Braaten]

If you are looking for the lawnmower to keep down algae you may be disappointed because from my experiance they do not eat long algaes but they do feed on the tiny microscopic algaes. They will keep new growth down for sure.

If you are looking to add another fish, I would add another Maroon Clown. My pair of clowns has completely changed my tank

 

[theishkid]

I would actually love to add another Maroon Clown... I'm just worried because I have heard so much about the first one being territorial to the new one.

 

[hiflykitty]

Hummmm.... you might poke around for the maroon clown horror stories. Mine was a terror and I got rid of it. I would never fathom putting a pair of maroons in my tank. they will rearrange anything they are big enough to move and they get pretty big. They are also very aggressive.

 

[BigScott]

i love lawnmowerblennys...one kepted my 75g clean till my eel got hungry...

 

[MyMonkey]

I have had a few LMB's as well as a Red lipped blenny. Both ate hair algae. Mostly newer growth as mentioned. They would also eat whatever grew on the glass. Nice fish. They would eat Nori as a supplement as well.

 

[theishkid]

GOT ONE!

 

[BigScott]

I hope you enjoy him...thier fun to watch..

 

[jxr182]

My lawnmower is definately my favorite fish, more than all of my "pretty fish." He's just so fun to watch, and he's fat too lol. Only problem is I rarely get to see him.

 

[captbunzo]

Good call on the lawnmower blenny. I think they are great little fish....

 

[Prater]

I also keep a lmb in my tank. Mine have always eaten formula two marine pellets if the tank does not have any algea growth.

 

[theishkid]

Well... I don't know what happened... but I came home today and my LMB was laying in the sand being picked at (dead). I don't know if he was just too shocked or what when he entered the tank but he did not make it. I didn't see him much since the last few days I had been working late but he never ate when i would try to feed him and my Maroon Clown. He pretty much stayed in his little cave. Anyone have any ideas? I only had him about 4 days.

 

[theishkid]

I gotta say that this is partially the reason that I would rather have corals and clams instead of fish. I never really have any problems with anything except fish. By the way... everything else in my tank seems to be doing fine. No problems with the corals or the maroon clown. I am having a slight problem with cyano lately later on in the evenings but it's always gone in the morning before the lights come back on. I can't figure out where that's coming from. I could always chemi clean it but I want to solve the problem and not just cover it up for a few days.

 

[Serra]

Is the marron clown the only fish in this tank?

 

[jxr182]

I don't think the feeding is a sign of anything. My lmb has never eatten anything i put in the tank. He was a small thin little guy when i first got him, but I see a bulging belly any american would be jealous of now.... never once have i seen him grab anything I've fed the tank.

 

[theishkid]

Yea the maroon clown is the only fish in the tank... but he is not aggresive towards anything I have ever put in the tank. He has never nipped or gone near any other fish I have had over the past two years. So unless he was making verbal threats that I didn't hear which gave the lawnmower a heart attack then I don't know what would have caused it.