What do you feed your Blenny?

[nynikki]

We bought a Tail Spot Blenny last weekend, and it doesn't seem interested in any of the food we put in the tank. It's seems more interested in sucking the micro algae off the back glass panel. I don't really want this to be it's main source of food, because well it's unpredictable. Has anyone had any success feeding them anything else?
Here's a list of what's gone in the tank to feed others in the past week:
Frozen Mysis shrimp
Prawn roe
Frozen Plankton
Emerald Entree
Marine Cuisine
Frozen Brine shrimp
Frozen Blood Worms
Seaweed sheets - alternating between green and red daily.

I don't know that there is even anything else out there that I can offer? I've tried target feeding but nothing interests her. Though she has made a permanent home of an old snail shell and seems content. So adorable!

 

[zreefs]

nothing he eats my algae

 

[Swolek]

My lawnmower blenny is mildly interested in oyster eggs so I guess you could try those. I'm interested to see the responses, too. I've had my blenny for a while and he only eats algae. I'm concerned because I've been battling bryopsis (which he can't eat) and it's out-competed most other algae species.

 

[pktech]

My lawnmower likes the small algae discs. I guess I'm lucky because it eats everything & picks the rocks constantly. It especially goes for the Formula 2 frozen cubes -defrosted of course.

 

[klepto]

In my experience, blennies are primarily herbivorous.
A good staple is unroasted nori. Some blennies will eat nori attached to live rock/ nori clips, others will pick it out of the water column (my tailspot falls into the latter category). I have had success with finely chopped pieces of nori (if the pieces are too big, the nori won't be consumed), PE mysis (it took my tailspot a while to accept the mysis- now it eats even the large ones), and one of my favorites; capelin roe. All of my fish show a great response to the roe, but it seems to be an especially appropriate food for tailspot blennies.
If you have enough quality live rock in your tank, they can often rely on grazing on the rock for the bulk of their food. I have gone weeks, months even without targeting my blennies.

 

[zreefs]

how would i go about geting nori

 

[nynikki]

In my experience, blennies are primarily herbivorous.
A good staple is unroasted nori. Some blennies will eat nori attached to live rock/ nori clips, others will pick it out of the water column (my tailspot falls into the latter category). I have had success with finely chopped pieces of nori (if the pieces are too big, the nori won't be consumed), PE mysis (it took my tailspot a while to accept the mysis- now it eats even the large ones), and one of my favorites; capelin roe. All of my fish show a great response to the roe, but it seems to be an especially appropriate food for tailspot blennies.
If you have enough quality live rock in your tank, they can often rely on grazing on the rock for the bulk of their food. I have gone weeks, months even without targeting my blennies.

Is the seaweed sold for marine fish different than the nori we eat? I wonder this for a couple of reasons. One I assume nori we consume can be purchased in bulk from the Asian markets and at a much smaller price than what we purchase seaweed sheets for at the pet store. And two, if they are prepared differently, maybe they are better for the fish overall. I was concerned that nori we eat could be treated in a way that may not be safe for aquariums also.

But thank you for the info about how your Blennies are doing well without any special dietary attention.

 

[dixiedog]

My tailspot eats anything that falls into the tank.

But I wouldn't worry if there's algae growing in the tank. That's how they make their living. Your tailspot won't starve, and will probably start gobbling prepared food before long.

Great pic BTW. Tailspots are awesome.

 

[dkanka]

My lawnmower blenny eats just about any food that is put into the tank along with snacks of hair algae in between.

 

[jechew2]

My tailspot also eats nothing but algae.

 

[klepto]

Is the seaweed sold for marine fish different than the nori we eat? One I assume nori we consume can be purchased in bulk from the Asian markets and at a much smaller price than what we purchase seaweed sheets for at the pet store. And two, if they are prepared differently, maybe they are better for the fish overall. I was concerned that nori we eat could be treated in a way that may not be safe for aquariums also.

But thank you for the info about how your Blennies are doing well without any special dietary attention.

I doubt it is very different. Human grade foods are going to be more heavily scrutinized than animal foods. Forget paying for nori at the pet store :lol:

Beware of cheapo roasted nori, the common option at asian and super markets. It will work, but the raw algae is much better in my opinion. Depending on your location, it may be easier to find it online. Don't get the wrong idea, I would encourage you to find a variety of foods that suit your blenny. Just don't stress if it opts for the live algae instead.

 

[The Punisher]

My tail spot blenny didn't eat anything I put in the tank for a couple of weeks, then one day he just decided to start eating. He likes flakes and Formula 2.

 

[guppy74]

The only thing that I know my Lawn Mower Blenny eats is algae. He goes crazy on it.

 

[C0rp]

Try some cyclopeeze

 

[klepto]

My tailspot (Ecsenius stigmatura) recently started eating Spectrum's Small Fish Formula. I love spectrum's products and this one is no exception. Finally an easy option for this species!

 

[niter]

Nothing. We bought our starry blenny, like his many lawnmower predecessors, with the intention he would eat algae. He does that very well and to our surprise, as the previous ones did not, he also eats what we feed the other fish.

 

[small alien]

My tailspot also eats nothing but algae.

+1. And not all algae. Just film algae, mostly on the glass and some on the rocks.

 

[jarrod13]

Do they eat the film algae that is dark red/maroon in color?

 

[small alien]

Do you mean cyanobacteria? I don't believe so and, well, I would know.:rolleye1:

 

[lake_effect]

My tailspot (Ecsenius stigmatura) recently started eating Spectrum's Small Fish Formula. I love spectrum's products and this one is no exception. Finally an easy option for this species!

+1

I've had my tailspot for 7 months now, and it loves Spectrum small fish formula too. They are the right size, and stay in the water column for a decent time. Sometimes I mix it up with Formula 2 and spirulina flakes. I've seen it munch on algae on the rocks from time to time, but strangely refuses to touch nori sheets.

To get yours interested in other foods, you could start off with newly hatched / enriched brine shrimp. I love seeing my tailspot hover and try to snatch up as much as it can.