tomini tang being a pest to my new lawnmower blenny

[B3ach]

Just put a lawnmower blenny in my tank and my bristletooth tomini is being a bully to him. Ive read it takes a few days and they will settle down, also taking the tang out for a few days and also going lights out for 2 days.Ive also read about putting a mirror on the side of the tank and another thread about putting a net in the tank for a couple of days. I would love to keep both of them. Will any of this work or does one of them need to hit the road?

 

[snookman88]

I have a Tomini that showed a great deal of aggression to my Starry blenny when I first added it. After a couple of days, though, the aggression mostly subsided. My only questions to you are 1. How big is the blenny and how big is the tang and 2. how big is your tank? If the blenny is tiny compared to the tang than it may end up killed or if the tank is too small than the aggression may never end. Obviously each case is unique, but based off my experience you should be fine in a couple of days.

 

[B3ach]

tomini is about 2", blenny is also around 2", tank is 75 gallon. They have been together for 3 days now. I also added a scooter and the tomini doesnt bother him. I really like the blennies so I know the tang will go if he doesnt settle down. Im trying the net theory now but he has nipped him a couple of times. Might try the lights out for 2 days next.

 

[rssjsb]

These fish compete for food. I had a kole tang and a starry blenny in a 90. The kole chased the blenny into the rocks whenever they saw each other. The aggression lessened after a week or so, but never really went away.

So the bullying may subside and it may not. Most solutions like the mirror trick, putting the dominant fish in time out, rearranging the rocks, and so on are only temporary IMO.

 

[Aslmx]

i think it would be temporary also but im gonna try a couple of things to see if it works. I was on my sons computer when I posted before, by the way.

 

[Aslmx]

double post

 

[rhdoug]

I have a scopas tang and starry blenny in my 58 gal. Oddly enough, they seem to be best buddies and swim and eat together, following each other around grazing on the rock. In the evening they even act...sort of in love. Weird but entertaining. They've been together for a couple of years.

 

[snorvich]

tomini is about 2", blenny is also around 2", tank is 75 gallon. They have been together for 3 days now. I also added a scooter and the tomini doesnt bother him. I really like the blennies so I know the tang will go if he doesnt settle down. Im trying the net theory now but he has nipped him a couple of times. Might try the lights out for 2 days next.

Just FYI, scooter "blennies" are not blennies.

 

[EllieSuz]

This is interesting. My Tomini Tang was the last fish added and he hasn't shown any aggression to my big Starry at all. In fact, the bully of my tank used to be the Flame Angel, but since the Tomini was added, the Flame has settled down a lot.

 

[Dr Colliebreath]

This is interesting. My Tomini Tang was the last fish added and he hasn't shown any aggression to my big Starry at all. In fact, the bully of my tank used to be the Flame Angel, but since the Tomini was added, the Flame has settled down a lot.

The benefit of.adding a tang last. It doesn't have established territory to defend so it doesn't bother the other fish but it is aggressive enough so that the previously dominant fish leaves it alone.

 

[Dr Colliebreath]

Just put a lawnmower blenny in my tank and my bristletooth tomini is being a bully to him. Ive read it takes a few days and they will settle down, also taking the tang out for a few days and also going lights out for 2 days.Ive also read about putting a mirror on the side of the tank and another thread about putting a net in the tank for a couple of days. I would love to keep both of them. Will any of this work or does one of them need to hit the road?

You could build qn acclimation box from eggcrate and put the lawnmowwr in it in the tank for a week. The Tomini might get used to its presence without being able to get to the lawnmower and learn to just ignore it.

 

[Aslmx]

You could build qn acclimation box from eggcrate and put the lawnmowwr in it in the tank for a week. The Tomini might get used to its presence without being able to get to the lawnmower and learn to just ignore it.

Would putting the tomini in the sump for a few days be the same thing? He was charging him pretty hard last night and I'm going to try the lights out for a couple of days and then go to more drastic measures. I'm pretty sure I can catch the tomini in a trap but not sure about the lawn mower blenny..

 

[Aslmx]

Just FYI, scooter "blennies" are not blennies.

(Synchiropus stellatus) Sorry, scooter blenny just sounds cooler then this bigo word.:spin2:

 

[Dr Colliebreath]

Would putting the tomini in the sump for a few days be the same thing? He was charging him pretty hard last night and I'm going to try the lights out for a couple of days and then go to more drastic measures. I'm pretty sure I can catch the tomini in a trap but not sure about the lawn mower blenny..

No, the benefit of the acclimation box is that the two fish are together in the tank but the Tomini cannot get to the lawnmower. Hopefully, the Tomini gets accustomed to seeing the lawnmower and learns to exist with it without bothering it (as it cannot get to the lawnmower in the box).

 

[Aslmx]

I ll try all I can if I can catch him, gonna give the lights another day and see what happens wednesday. Ill keep you posted. thanks

 

[Dr Colliebreath]

Yes, catching can be the hard part. Good luck.

 

[honcho]

My tomini killed two lawnmower blennies. Both had been in my 150 gallon tank for a couple of months before tomini went in. Tried a black sailfin blenny a couple of months later and the tang just pummeled the sailfin till I pulled out the sailfin. Had the tomini about 7 months now and now it is starting to attack my bi-colored foxface. The foxface is much larger than the tang. First time I catch the tang its finding a new home

 

[potterjon]

Use the mirror to catch him and come at him from behind with the net.

 

[Aslmx]

Use the mirror to catch him and come at him from behind with the net.

I built a drop door trap for about $6. I think i'll try that first. I havent fed for a couple of days so maybe it wont be too difficult. I used it to catch this little demon fish.

 

[treylane]

I've had two different Ctenochaetus tangs that HATED lawnmower blennies. I assume (?) that the blennies are recognized as competitors, but this seems to be a relatively common problem. The aggression didn't really go away over time but the blenny got better at avoiding the tang. IMNSHO unless you have a huge tank, it's a good idea to separate them.