Help picking a new fish; blennies, more for FILR       2/16/17
Hi crew! It is time for me to get a new fish! But I am having so much trouble choosing one.
I currently have a female maroon clown and 3 azure damsels, skunk cleaner shrimp, snails and hermits in a 75 gallon. Lots of places to hide, lots of rock, not much sand. Mostly softies as far as corals go. The tank has been established 3 years.
I want something with a lot of personality and am considering a starry blenny. But what I really need to know about these fish is there long term survivability?
<Ones in initially good health are very tough indeed>
Are they similar to an algae/lawnmower blenny in that most of them die untimely deaths? Or is there a better chance of having a starry long term.
<There is>
If starry blennies are something I am better to stay away from, then is there something similar you can recommend that would fit in with my current livestock?
<I'd add something for mid-water here... Perhaps a Ctenochaetus Tang species.... there are MANY other choices. I'd be browsing articles on WWM;
reading and heeding reviews as to hardiness>
I really love blennies and gobies, can you offer an opinion on the hardiest of these?
<Some of the sand sifting gobies are aquarium hardy; most small ones not for this setting>
I get very attached to my fish and can't stand it when one dies :(. I would choose something captive bred if at all possible but living in the boonies in Northern Canada that's rarely an option.
Thanks in advance!
<Welcome. Bob Fenner>
Re: Help picking a new fish. Algae Blennies    2/23/17
Thank you so much for your advice, I felt much more confident purchasing a starry blenny after speaking to you. I managed to find one that had been at the fish store for 2 months and looked very healthy so I got him, he has
been in the tank since Saturday and looking great.
<Ah good>
There was a lot of posturing from one of my male azures at first, and the blenny would lunge at him but as I suspected this completely subsided after a mere few hours. My maroon clown has been unbelievably tolerant of the new addition as well, even when he sits right under her hammer coral.
<Very well>
I do have one more question. Someone has offered me a bubble tip anemone at a very good price. My concern is its compatibility with the blenny. Will he be smart enough to avoid the anemone?
<Mmm; in a seventy five gallon system... I give you good odds that he'll survive; stay out>
I fear him landing on it and getting stung or eaten.
Thanks again
<Cheers, Bob Fenner>

Lawnmower Blenny behavior     1/8/17
First off, thanks for all you do! I find a lot of my answers here, but I haven't been able to find this one. I have a very animated lawnmower blenny that seems to do push ups whenever I approach the tank. He is eating well, is very active and just silly! Is this a normal behavior in these fish?
<Ah yes; have seen Salarias, Atrosalarias et al. blenny species doing this in the wild as well. It seems to be related to the presence of conspecifics; some sort of signaling of their presence (as blenny territories are at times, right adjacent to each other); perhaps territorial or sexual in nature>
Have a blessed day!
<Always. Bob Fenner>