Lawnmower Blenny Lethargic and Skinny

[Coxey81]

So my lawnmower blenny has been hiding under a rock all day with labored breathing. I hadn't seen him eating alot this week, but he usually picks at the rocks during the day when I'm not home. I've never really seen him eat much fish food.

So I finally lifted the rock to take a look and he's super skinny. I usually put nori in there for our tang, but I've never seen him eat any.

All the other fish are fine and they have all been in this tank for over 3 months.

Only recent changes have been adding chaeto from algae barn which has lowered the nitrates and phosphates and I ran the lights for 9 hours each day all week instead of 5 which has cause a small diatom bloom on the sandbed and one rock.

Any ideas what I could do for him?

 

[Coxey81]

Bump

 

[DinoMagnet]

Speaking from experience sounds like starvation, I couldn’t get mine to go to the nori. Until ultimately he passed after all my efforts

 

[Tamberav]

Is there not enough natural algae for him? Tank new?

Will he eat food at all? Spirulina brine?

 

[Coxey81]

Speaking from experience sounds like starvation, I couldn’t get mine to go to the nori. Until ultimately he passed after all my efforts

Yeah, that's what it appears to be.

I just don't know why he stopped eating.

He came with the used tank I purchased and I read that they don't really eat algae, but instead detrital aggregate.

But he had been happy and healthy up until this week. Or at least seemed to be

 

[Coxey81]

Is there not enough natural algae for him? Tank new?

Will he eat food at all? Spirulina brine?

I feed a mix of brine, mysis, fish, blood worms, squid, and nori.

Plus I have nori clipped.

But I've never seen him eat anything except what he picks off the rocks and glass.

There is actually more stuff on the rocks and glass than there was right after the tank move... but I don't know if it's what he was eating.

Tank is about 6 months old.

 

[DinoMagnet]

Try tying a piece of nori in the place he frequents the most

 

[Ryan hirano]

they are prone to parasites. I have some that last a long time but end up skinny.

 

[Tamberav]

I feed a mix of brine, mysis, fish, blood worms, squid, and nori.

Plus I have nori clipped.

But I've never seen him eat anything except what he picks off the rocks and glass.

There is actually more stuff on the rocks and glass than there was right after the tank move... but I don't know if it's what he was eating.

Tank is about 6 months old.

Any actual algae like GHA and such? They eat a lot. Ulva may be worth a try. Sometimes putting garlic juice on nori can help attract them.

 

[Coxey81]

Try tying a piece of nori in the place he frequents the most

I've got some in there. He's just hiding.

 

[Coxey81]

Any actual algae like GHA and such? They eat a lot. Ulva may be worth a try. Sometimes putting garlic juice on nori can help attract them.

That's what all my rocks look like.

I'm afraid he's not going to eat anything at this point. He's having trouble swimming around.

 

[Coxey81]

Well I moved home to my QT tank with some nori and seaweed extreme pellets.

I don't think he's gonna make it, but at least the coral banded shrimp and hermits won't get him.

 

[Coxey81]

Well I moved home to my QT tank with some nori and seaweed extreme pellets.

I don't think he's gonna make it, but at least the coral banded shrimp and hermits won't get him.

He died overnight.