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FAQs on the Combtooth Blenny Selection
Related Articles: True or Combtooth
Blennies,
Ecsenius Blennies, Sabretooth
Blennies, Family Blenniidae/Tribe Nemophini,
Tube/Pike/Flag Blennies/Chaenopsidae,
Related FAQs: Combtooth Blennies 1,
Combtooth Blennies 2, Blenny
Identification, Blenny Behavior,
Blenny Compatibility, Blenny Systems,
Blenny Feeding, Blenny Disease,
Blenny Reproduction, Ecsenius
Blennies, Saber-Tooth Blennies,
Blennioids & their Relatives,
Tube/Pike/Flag Blennies/Chaenopsidae,
Almost an exclusive corallivore... Exallias brevis, a/the Leopard
Blenny. | 
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Avoiding A Blenny Bummer! (Collection Practices for Blennies)
7/7/07
Dear Crew,
<Scott F. in tonight!>
Does anyone know
how the Brown Combtooth Blenny, Atrosalarias fuscus, is typically
collected? Specifically, whether chemicals are typically employed or
whether these fish are generally subject to stressful transit due to
their collection location? I purchased one on Wednesday and all was
well, but this morning I found him serving as breakfast for my cleanup
crew.
Thanks.
Andy Bulgin
<Interesting question, Andy. This is
one of my absolutely favorite fishes! I did a little checking with a
couple of my contacts at some wholesalers/transhippers here in L.A., and
no one seemed to feel that they are subjected to any unusual collection
practices. Most of them are net-caught, although there are collectors in
parts of Indonesia and The Philippines that utilize chemicals to flush
them from the rocky crevices in the reef where they are usually found.
This practice, although less common than in the past, still occurs,
unfortunately. For the most part, these little fishes do ship pretty
well, although they do often go a long time without eating. Since a
large part of their diet is composed of algae, they may take longer to
adapt to captive life, and could be rather depleted by the time they
reach the hobbyist. However, with careful quarantine and feeding, they
generally adapt quite well. Hard to say what did yours in, but it could
have been one, more-or none of the above-mentioned factors! In the end,
you just need to use your judgment and select your specimen carefully.
Good luck next time around! Regards, Scott F.>
Leopard Blenny fdg., hlth. 1/23/07
Hi Bob, As I see you
are up & on the computer, I wonder if you can help me.
Some
idiot dropped this fish into a friend's tank & he said I could have
it.
What a fantastic-looking fish! Until I read that it only
eats SPS polyps.
What can I offer the lil fella? I saw pics
on WWM of a starving specimen & I certainly don't want him to look
like that. He came out of a guy's 300g tank that had been set up
for 16 years. You suppose he just didn't notice his SPS getting
eaten?
~Jen
<Either that or its just been starving the
whole time... Holey Camoley.
BobF> | 
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Re: Leopard Blenny 1/23/07
Bob, I doubt this fish has been
starving. It looks quite healthy & has a nice thick middle. So you
know of any other foods I can offer it? I'm keeping him in a tank
w/softies.
~Jeni
<The stomach area looks very sunken in
underneath... Only eats live coral polyps as far as I'm aware...
BobF, out where this obligate corallivore is mis-collected... in HI> |
Re: Leopard Blenny 1/23/07
Awwww... poor thing! I
hate when these fish are mis-collected! I never would have
bought it. It was given to me. I wish I could send it to you &
you could release it back to where it came from. I will try to
find someone with a huge SPS tank that won't miss a few polyps.
~Jeni
<Do take a quick look at the years-back mis-ID I
made and Bruce Carlson's corr. re this Blenny... on WWM...
Really should be left in the sea. BobF> |
Magic blenny? 12/11/06
<Hey Gloria and Jay, JustinN
with you today.>
Our tank is about 7 months old, 125 gallons with
100 lbs of live rock, a variety of cleaning crew, 6 maroon clowns, 2
scooter blennies, 1 diamond goby, 1 Kole tang, 1 six-lined wrasse, 1
linckia star, 1 large brittle star (growing like a weed), and a few
corals that are not getting enough light.
<Yee-ikes! SIX maroon
clowns?! That's a bruising waiting to happen! Clowns are typically kept
in pairs, you're setting up for some serious aggression issues down the
line here, and perhaps not as far down the line as you might think...
Also, if you have corals in your tank, but are aware that they are
lacking in light, I would be adding lighting to the setup before adding
more circulation.>
Yesterday, we added a second pump to improve
water movement and a few hours later we discovered a blenny (we think)
that we had not purchased and had never seen before (we're certain)!
<Cool! Blennies are the absolute favorite species for my wife and I! Add
to that the 'ultimate' in unexpected hitchhikers, and that's just too
fun! Tis why I love this hobby *grin*>
It was a deep blue-green with
red spots on the body and red lines along the belly and eyes. At first I
believed it was a small wrasse (its fins, eye placement and coloring
seem to match), but it behaved much more like a blenny and had the
eel-like body and the round nose of a blenny. It hid in rock crevices at
the bottom of the tank during the day and was out during the night a
bit, but today is nowhere to be found.
<Definitely sounds like a
blenny... Beautiful sounding too!>
Our question is: could this
little creature have been in our tank all along, or hitch-hiked on some
purchased coral from 4 moths ago and stayed in hiding that long?
<I
would wager that either is just as likely. Any addition of live rock
could have brought him along>
If so, is there a way to encourage it
to appear more often?
<Reducing your pack of maroon bullies to two
will likely bring him out more, as well as likely change the behavior of
your other fishes in a positive way.>
Third question: since our
brittle star is growing so fast, how do we keep it satisfied food-wise?
Obviously, we don't want it to go on the hunt during the night.
<Is
posted on WWM. The Google search bar is your friend *grin* Hope this
info helps you! -JustinN>
Thank you for your time. I did search for
surprise appearances by fish,
but didn't find anything by other
owners.
Gloria and Jay Midas Blenny - Hardy or not? -
2/4/2006
I realize that people can only speak from
experience, so I'm not trying to criticize... rather, I am seeking
clarification.
On this page
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/blenselfaqs.htm
One person (Cody)
says that the Midas Blennies one of the most hardy blennies, and then
lower Steve says that they are NOT very hardy.
So is this a hardy fish, or not?
-Jeff-
<Not to be (or even
appear) disingenuous, but both statements can be/are correct. Ecsenius
species that have been "well-collected, housed, shipped"... and provided
for (large environment, clean, well-aerated water, lots of healthy live
rock, not crowded, or housed with antagonistic fish tankmates... are
exceedingly hardy, interesting captives. Now, in reality, most are
starved, beat on arrival, stuck in too-new systems with bullies, and
further stressed, starved to death... Get healthy specimen/s (usually
only one to a tank unless it's huge), quarantine briefly (making sure
they're well-fed daily), and place in a proper environment and you'll
see. Bob Fenner>
Blennies (Ecsenius Sp.) 10/19/05
We don't see much written about the tail spot blenny (Ecsenius
stigmatura). <Understandable it’s not such a common offering.> We're
looking for a small fish who will help keep the green hair algae in
check. This is our only concern so far in the few weeks that we've had
the fish in my tank which was first cycled by the live rock. <Care for
the Ecsenius stigmatura is relatively easy care should be very similar
to that of blennies in the Ecsenius Genus such as the Bi-Color Blenny
(Ecsenius bicolor). Provide a tank with plenty of live rock for grazing
accompanied by a varied diet and you should be fine.>
We have a 40
gallon with 30 lbs. live rock, 2 green chromis (Chromis viridis), 1
false percula (Amphiprion ocellaris), 2 cleaner shrimp (Lysmata
amboinensis), 6 blue leg hermit crabs (Clibanarius sp.), 6 Astrea
Conehead snails, and 6 red leg hermit crabs (unsure of genus / species).
Future plans include a royal Gramma and a wrasse (you've helped me
narrow the wrasse choice in a previous message). <Ok.> Also corals
(Fungia sp., Actinodiscus sp, and Sarcophyton sp.) and on the wish list.
I've read your cautions about having the hermit crabs once we more into
the corals. <Risk varies depending on the species.>
Thanks for the
prior advice.
<No problem and good luck. Adam J.>
Blenniidae Recommendations For a 20 Gallon Aquarium 8/21/05
Hi
Bob
<<Ted here>>
I was wondering if there was any member of the
family Blenniidae small enough to fit in a 20 gallon tank?
<<Acanthemblemaria macrospilus (Barnacle Blenny), Ecsenius bimaculatus
(Two Spot Blenny) and Meiacanthus mossambicus (Harptail Blenny) are all
suitable for a 20 gallon aquarium.>>
Thanks
<<Cheers - Ted>>
- Bicolor Blenny a Good Addition? -
Dear Wet Web Media Crew,
I'm thinking about adding a bicolor blenny to my 90 gallon reef tank.
Currently I have three damsels, three bar gobies, a strawberry Basslet,
and a six-line wrasse. I've read that blennies will sometimes not get
along with certain gobies. <I've not heard this... and certainly the
bi-color blennies seem to keep to themselves - generally peaceful.> Do
you think it would fight with any of the bar gobies? <Probably not -
they tend to occupy different spaces in the tank - the bar gobies being
in open water and the bi-color usually on the substrate. Provided there
are plenty of spaces to hide and share, all should be fine.> Almost
everything I've read on the bicolor blenny says that they are reef safe,
however, I have read on your site that they might nip at certain corals
and clam mantles. <Have never seen this personally... have seen numerous
bi-color blennies in fully stocked reef tanks, and never heard anyone
complain about the blenny nipping their invertebrates. Have seen a
bi-color repetitively perch on a clam mantle, but did not nip it.> I
have many LPS, soft corals, and various polyps along with a crocea clam.
Do you think that I should avoid getting the bicolor blenny, and if so,
is there any other blenny that might be a better fit? <I'd think the
bi-color would be a fine match, but you might also look for some
barnacle blennies which I've always found to be entertaining - you
rarely see much more than their head, but this amuses me for reasons I
can't explain. In any case, very peaceful.> Thanks so much.
-Natalie
<Cheers, J -- >
Re: Neat Blenny
Bob:
Here is a picture that you may
enjoy. it sure to inspire those who are struggling with this
addiction we call a hobby. This little blenny has tons of
personality. Sometimes we are so busy working on our tanks that we
don’t take a few minutes to enjoy the habitat that we have created.
<Indeed. Thank you. Bob Fenner>
Enjoy: Dan Sovetsky | 
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Blennies (6/24/03)
<Hey! You got Cody today!>
Hello. Is
there a blenny that is hardier than others?<I like the midas and Redlip
blennies as far as hardiness goes. Cody> Blennies
Hi
I'm thinking of getting a bicolor blenny. I already have 2
percula
clowns in my 26gal bowfront. Do you think this choice would be wise. If
not
can you tell me what blenny I could put in there. <A bicolor
blenny should
be fine in this aquarium, but after this fish I would
not add any more, good luck, IanB>
Thanks
Blennies
9/28/04
I have a 65g, 100#LR, DSB in main tank and 20L
sump/fuge. I like fish so I want to have as many as would thrive in
this environment and also be reef safe as I plan to add leathers,
mushrooms, Ricordea & zoanthids gradually over time. <You mean there is
still room in the tank with all of that rock? Hee hee.>
I've read
and read and read, but haven't found an answer to my specific
question. I love blennies - I have a local caught pair of crested
blennies (Hypleurochilus geminatus) that I've had about a 1 1/2
years. (previously I had a pair for 7 years that I lost in a move). If
I later want to add a mandarin goby or a canary or forktail blenny will
I have compatibility problems? I also plan to have a royal Gramma, 2
pajama cardinals, and a pair of true clown fish. Would this be too many
for my tank? Any suggestions would be appreciated. <The total sounds
like quite a few fish, especially since the Royal Gramma may be a bit
belligerent in such small quarters. The grammas and the forktail and
canary are jumping risks also, especially if things get a bit heated. I
don't know much, nor could I find much info on crested blennies, so I am
sorry that I can't help you there. Best Regards. Adam>
Exallias brevis correction
Bob,
After reading Gregor's message
today with a reference to this site:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/WCMCRepRev.htm, I then went to
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/WCMCRepRev.htm, and from there looked up
information on blennies (I did my thesis research on blennies, hence my
interest).
I was impressed with the amount of information you (or
someone) has made
available, but I should point out one correction.
For several stalwart species that are perennially
offered to
aquarists....Another gorgeous shallow water member
from the same area
is the leopard blenny, Exallias brevis with its beautiful
brown
mottled exterior."
You should be aware that Exallias brevis is an
obligate corallivore and does
not do well in most aquariums. I have
seen them accept foods other than
live coral but they generally do
not survive long in captivity, and of
course they are a disaster in a
live reef tank. You might mention this in
your write-up. The true
leopard blenny (if anything is true about common
names!), is
Cirripectes fuscoguttatus which is another large, spotted blenny
similar to E. brevis. However, E. brevis is much more common and
therefore
more likely imported. BTW, male E. brevis have a pink or
red color and
females are brown (both sexes are spotted). C.
fuscoguttatus is never red
but is spotted so it may be confused with
female E. brevis.
Hope you don't mind a bit of trivia, but in fact
since E. brevis continues
to be collected, even here in Hawaii, I
think aquarists ought to be wary of
purchasing them.
Aloha
Bruce Thanks so
much for writing Bruce... will be checking the file... Do know of
this pesky obligate polyp eater... finally have some decent images
from Maui last month of it "in action"... and am amazed and
embarrassed to find a "plug" for it (yes, those are all my postings
on WWM site)... and will remove post haste... took a look at the
piece in question... and the sentence doesn't make sense to me at
all... the line reads "from the same area"? Exallias is not found in
the Caribbean... except as a nomen nudum according to ICLARM's
FishBase... and they have no other "common name" relational prompt
for "leopard blenny" than the ill-fated Exallias brevis.... mea
culpissima. Will just delete the sentence entirely.
Looked in my
most recent published effort, "A Fishwatcher's Guide... that Dr.
Randall was so kind to lend images for... sent copies for you and
Charles Delbeek (through Ms. Renate) of this work... hope you
received... and I do condemn the collection, use of the Sailfin
Blenny there...
Thank you again,
Bob Fenner |
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Compatibility
I would like to know if a lawnmower blenny would be
compatible with my Niger
trigger and 2 snowflake eels . Trigger is
approx.5 inches and eels roughly 12
to 15 inches in length they are
in a 58 gal reef ready I thought I read
recently in your column
suggesting a blenny was okay with these fish was
wanting to use the
blenny for natural algae control thanks in advance for
your comments
and a very informative and educational column
>>
Worth a try with
a larger (let's say about 4") individual... these are fast, smart
animals... do place it down near the rock when you release it... maybe
feed the trigger and eels at about the same time...
Bob Fenner
Goby/blenny
Bob-
Here is more info on my reef tank that you
requested so that you could fully
reply to my question about
blennies/gobies (original question and reply are
below).
<Ah,
good. Thanks for the info.>
58 gallons with 71 pounds of Manono live
rock
1/2 inch layer of aragonite <Grade? I'll assume this is not
egg-sand or more than 1/8">
water quality and movement is superior
2 96w PC
Currently I have 1 Percula clown and a yellow tailed damsel.
Ideally I would
like to place a Flame Angel, Purple or Desjardin
Tang, Banggai Cardinal,
Lawnmower Blenny, Neon Goby and a substrate
sifter in the form of a blenny
or goby. I am concerned that the tank
might be over populated with this mix
and will be willing to not
place the Banggai Cardinal in the tank.
<Leave out the Desjardin's
Tang. Too big for this size system>
Other concerns are: I like the
lawnmower Blenny for algae purposes and the
Neon Goby for parasite
purposes. Will the Neon Goby and Lawnmower blenny
compete for food
resulting in the loss of one?
<Nope... different foods, niches>
I would like to place a
"substrate sifter" but three blennies/gobies
seems like too much
competition as well.
<Yes, just one sifter
would be best... and the tangs you list will turn the bottom over to an
extent>
Maybe I should drop the Neon Goby and buy a Pacific
Cleaner Shrimp for the purpose of fighting parasites. Any suggestions?
Thanks a million,
Rob
The Lawnmower should only go in when there
is substantial filamentous Green algae (Chlorophyta) to consume... and
start with a small specimen... only one. Maybe a Cryptocentrus,
Atrosalarias, Amblygobius, Valenciennea species after the system has
been up, running a good six months... Suspect we will be "chatting"
between now and then...
Bob Fenner
Blenny Sifter Choice
> Bob-
> Is there a goby or blenny that you could recommend that
stirs substrate aragonite).
> <Many, but need to know how big your
system is, what sort of other
livestock, if/how much live rock
you have... many of these fishes starve, and there may
be other
organisms that would be better to recommend for your circumstances>
> Also, are neon gobies an effective way to partially control parasites?
> <Oh yes, and most would-be predators recognize them as "friends"
versus
> snacks... but once again, need more info.... about what else
you have, intend to place in this system>> Thank you, Rob
> You're welcome,
> Bob Fenner Blenny
Hi Bob,
The
local fish store said a Lawnmower Blenny and Rock Blenny will do
the
same thing: eat hair algae. Is this true?
<Yes>
I went to buy a
Lawnmower Blenny since I had read online about their
appetite for
green hair algae. I trimmed it to where it's a 4th an inch
off the
rock. Will the Rock Blenny eat it?
<Yes>
Also, I bought some
Margarita Snails and some red-legged reef crabs.
However, my Lunar
Wrasse is having a field day picking at them. He
knocks the snails
off the rock and glass and I think he has actually
eaten some of my
crabs. HELP!!
<Yes, they will all be consumed in time>
Thanks in
advance! Barry
>>
<You're welcome, Bob Fenner>
Lawnmower???
I know that the Lawnmower Blenny eats algae but is
it a "sand sifter"?
Also would the Neon gobies from FFexpress be a
good cleaner species. Its
says that if they are captive bred that
they may not clean. Would those?
Thanks, Tim
>>
Lawnmower
Blennies (mainly Salarias fasciatus) are not much in the way of Sand
Sifters.... they spend most all their time in/on the rocks... and Neon
Gobies, tank raised or no will generally learn to be cleaners... if
there are customers to be had.
Bob Fenner, whose Sand Sifter, Blenny,
and Goby articles and more can be found, perused at www.wetwebmedia.com,
including images. Redlip blenny?????
I am assuming these
are reef safe? Are they? Good community fish? Any particular problems?
Thanks Rob
<Please use the search feature on www.WetWebMedia.com
Bob Fenner> Midas Blenny
To Steve Pro or any of you
knowledgeable people - Hi on a Sunday AM. Steve, I was wondering why you
thought a Midas Blenny would not be a good idea for my two tanks.
<Generally not very hardy. They feed very frequent feedings of plankton
substitutes, much like the Anthias they mimic.>
I wanted a small
yellow friendly guy to put in with my two black and white clowns. Bob
gives it a rave review in his book.
<Not in my copy>
Does he grow
too big or what? (The tank is 29 gallons) I was also planning to put one
in my 60 gallon tank. Do you know of other small yellow friendly fellows
who are community-types and are fish?
<Gobiodon citrinus or G.
okinawae>
Thanks for your continued help on stocking my tank. Am
still planning on the fairy wrasse for my 60 gallon tank. Are there
different kinds of fairy wrasses
<Many>
and if so should I beware
of any particular one?
<Please see here
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/fishes/wrasses/cirrhilabrus/index.htm>
The current crew is one clown, one pygmy angel and one royal Gramma.
Still plan to add 3 Chromis and one more clown to that tank.
Fishfully yours, Connie Cavan
<Have a nice weekend. -Steven Pro>
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