On the reef, they live within the territories of larger herbivores, such as damsels and surgeonfish.These hefty blennies are not as common in the aquarium trade as some of their smaller cousins.

It is thought that many of these organisms are ingested incidentally as the fish feeds on algae.In captivity, the highfin blenny is sometimes used to help curb filamentous microalgae growth.

In addition to a scattering of live rock for hiding, grazing, and resting. If the tank is larger, it will grow to its maximum length. It also consumes sponges, fish eggs, minute crustaceans, small snails, insects (yes, insects) and small polychaete worms.

You are right about the garlic....my 2 sb's, marine cuisine w/garlic = scooter feeding frenzy. The tank’s temperature should sit at 73-81 degrees Fahrenheit. The tailspot blenny gets its name from a dark spot at the base of its tail. It is thought that many of these organisms are ingested incidentally as the fish feeds on algae. If your tank does not contain this important food source, frequent feeding (at least four or five times a day) is the only other way to keep them fat and “happy.” Unfortunately, the very algae we don’t want in our reef tanks — filamentous forms of microalgae — tend to trap the most detritus.Another major cause of rockskipper death is “carpet surfing.” That is, they jump out of open aquariums or even holes in the tank top, drying to death on the carpet. Of course, the size of the tank is also a function of how many food competitors are housed with the blenny. In smaller tanks, however, they may make a slight difference, but should not be relied upon.Blennies are known to harass fish that look similar to them, so it’s best not to house different types of blennies together, as they all tend to have a similar shape and size. The tank we have listed here is one of our favorites.

I’ve had to move individuals I’ve kept in newly set-up tanks because they would have starved, even though they were ingesting algae-based foods I added to the tank.
If they accept frozen or prepared foods then they may be kept in smaller tanks. This blenny feeds mainly on filamentous microalgae, foraminiferans, detritus and sand.

Like their kin, they have been known to jump out of open tanks or into overflow boxes.Although algae-eating blennies can certainly serve a valuable purpose in reef aquariums, they can also eat themselves out of their aquarium home.

It is best not to house them with other bottom-dwellers or single blennies; unless you plan to keep the blennies in a male-female pair. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent.

Very true.....only problem is, each blenny can be different. Six families are considered "true blennies", all grouped together under the order Blenniiformes; its members are referred to as blenniiformids. They might actually benefit SPS corals by helping to circulate fresh, oxygen-enriched water within the coral colony as the fish moves among the branches.

When this happens, the male will usher the female towards a small, pre-selected cave of his choosing. “Feeding relationships of the teleosteon fishes on coral reefs in Kona.” Fishery Bull. These cookies do not store any personal information. "

Although other fish do this as well, not many spend most of their time with stony coral colonies like the Cirripectes do.It is prudent to keep only one member of the same Cirripectes species per tank, unless you can acquire a heterosexual pair. If your blenny is being underfed, he or she may begin to nip and pick at SPS corals and LPS corals, as well as clam mantles.The tailspot blenny is reef compatible and will do well with other non-aggressive fish. For example, they have been observed tearing hermit crabs out of their shells and eating them.

The tailspot blenny is known to eat a large amount of algae. The order was formerly classified a… These blennies even hang onto rocks out of the water as the waves recede.Rockskippers rasp the substrate, ingesting filamentous microalgae and minute invertebrates that associate with this plant material (including foraminiferans, ostracods, copepods and tiny gastropods). You can attempt to feed these blennies an herbivore diet (e.g., frozen preparations and flake foods that include Spirulina algae), however some individuals are reluctant to eat anything but filamentous microalgae and detritus. However, this behavior is rare in well-fed individuals.If you have a larger aquarium with a good crop of microalgae, it may not be necessary to feed these fish frequently. It helps us pay for the running of this website .