Canary Blenny went psycho, then died!

azbigjohn · Apr 8, 2017

I am so frustrated!

I am in the process of starting a new 210 gallon tank. During the preparation, I decided to QT all of my existing fish in a 45 gallon tank, as I had not QT'd in the past, and am trying my hardest to do everything right this time.

I have (had) 7 long-term fish in the hospital tank. 2 ocellarus Clowns, a huge PJ Cardinal, a Yellow Watchman goby, a bi-color blenny, a firefish and a canary blenny. The newest fish (the firefish) had still been with me almost a year!

All fish did awesome through the Coppersafe treatment; never stopped eating, did fine. Same with two rounds of Prazipro! I am probably two weeks from moving the fish into the tank.

Last night, out of nowhere, the Canary blenny goes psycho! Attacked the firefish, killing it. A few minutes later, I saw it diving at my Yellow watchman Goby. If I had a lid for it, I would have thrown the blenny into my frag tank. Woke up this morning, and the blenny is dead on the bottom of the tank, as it the YWG. Frustrating that everyone did so well through treatment, then BANG, someone went nuts...

I am an ER Nurse by trade, and I know humans have gone on violent rampages from brain tumors or bleeds, but never really equated human brains with fish brains... I wonder if something triggered the murderous rage in my Blenny right before it died, or what happened...

Labridaedicted · Apr 8, 2017

Reef salts, not bath salts in the water changes! Kidding! Canary blennies can be agression sometimes. He may have sustained injuries fighting with the goby. They may have been too similar in appearance and behavior which may have instigated the aggression.

azbigjohn · Apr 8, 2017

Labridaedicted said:
Reef salts, not bath salts in the water changes! Kidding! Canary blennies can be agression sometimes. He may have sustained injuries fighting with the goby. They may have been too similar in appearance and behavior which may have instigated the aggression.

I wondered that, too. They had been in this 45 gallon hospital tank for almost 3 months. granted, the YWG stayed in the PVC pipe mostly, but the firefish and Canary blenny were always out and about... Just frustrating....