midas blenny question

K

kilroy217

Member
I recently purchased a midas blenny, and it is in QT. It hides behind the intake of the HOB filter all the time, and I have never seen it eat. It has been in the tank for over a week now, and I'm wondering if midas blennies are nocturnal eaters? Like I said, I haven't seen it eat all week, but it does not seem to be thinning out or breathing heavy or any other signs of stress other than it hiding behind the filter intake all day. I'm just wondering if I should be concerned with this behavior, or if this is normal?

thanks for any advice!
 
Does it have anywhere else to "perch"? Mine have always wanted somewhere to sit and watch what is going on. If there isn't any other structure in the QT, that might be why he stays by the intake.

They are not nocturnal eaters in my experience. Mine have always been pigs and swim around out in the open a lot. If he is alone in the QT he may just not be comfortable yet.

Hopefully he'll start to eat soon. I love midas blennies - one of my favorite fish.
 
there is a ceramic coffee mug and some pvc pipe spread around the bottom of the tank. there are two other fish (not blennies) in the QT as well, all added at the same time.
 
Yes, they are not nocturnal. They do like to feed in the water column. And as stated above, they perch until food is offered then they swim up to eat. Are the other fish getting to the food before the blenny?
 
I tried using a turkey baster and dropped PE Mysis right by it and it ignored the food and let it drop to the floor of the tank. I also soaked food in Selcon to entice it to eat, and nothing. I placed food with the turkey baster on the other side of the tank for the other two fish, and they were busy eating when I tried feeding the blenny. Both of the other fish started eating same day that I added them to the QT.
 
I doubt seriously the MB will eat nori.

I agree with the others they're pigs and will eat most anything. They are not nocturnal and are like was said swimming about and like to see what's going on in the tank. If I were you I'd get a nice piece of LR that has a deep hole in it. Mine loves to sit in his LR hole with head out looking at what's going on. When I approach the tank he comes out ready to eat. Fun to watch him back into his hole :D

Give him time, he's probably still freaked out about being snatched from his home in the ocean and flown half way around the world and being stuffed in bags and tossed around.
 
Echoing the statement that they're pigs. Mine likes to perch in various holes in my LR. His head is always sticking out of one of a dozen or so holes. Internal parasite maybe?
 
I would see if you can put something in there that he can perch higher in the tank. Mine always stuck to the top half of the tank and as stated above was a pig. He would typically go from grabbing food to perching to scarf it down then back out to eat. If you give him something higher up to perch on that may help. The other question is what else is in the tank. Could the other fish be scaring him enough that he won't come out to eat?
 
It is a baby purple tang and a potters angel. there is a vertical piece of egg crate between the blenny and those two (blenny can fit through the egg crate and other two can't), so I don't think it would feel threatened. the coffee mug and pvc are on the other side of the egg crate with the other two fish (egg crate is in there to keep mechanical equipment away from the livestock, but it doesn't always work if the fish can fit through the egg crate).
 
Love my Midas Blenny :love2: He took about a week to start eating and really helped soaking his food in garlic. Once he found the place to perch on the blower he seemed happier but I always felt it was a bit of touch and go in QT and would wait anxiously to make sure he ate. (going thru the same thing with my goby in QT now)

Once he made it to the DT he's thriving and the first to swim up and beg for food. So much personality!
 
He might not realize he's safe on the other side of the egg crate, just a thought. Those two fish would be worrisome in a small space to a Midas I would think. Once established he should be fine, but it might take him some time to get there with those two in the same tank.
 
Well, he finally realized that there is more to the tank than just the one spot behind the HOB filter intake. He has moved to a spot inside one of the PVC pipes. I actually spied him eating today. Looks like time was all the medicine I needed. Hoping as time goes on, it will spend more time out and about in the tank. Now, more QT observation. Hate the waiting part of this hobby! haha. Thanks all for your advice!
 
yep, he'll be out and about in no time. They're great fish with wonderful personalities. Mine will eat out of my hand along with my McCosker's wrasse and my Mocha Clowns.

If a snail or hermit gets too close to their sleeping place they will pick it up with their mouth and move it away and drop it on the sand :D Love these guys'. My favorite thing they do is to swim backwards into their hole.
 
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