Sandsifting Gobie and Algae Blenny compatible?

[rknott]

I am am attempting to build out a very friendly 75G tank. I bought a sandsifting Gobie and Algae blenny yesterday and noticed the Algae blenny being extremely aggressive towards the sand sifter several times. At one point the sand sifter was just sitting in the dark place and the blenny came cruising by, from the other side of the tank, saw him, and attacked. With no where else to go the sand sifter went under the rocks via tunneling a hole through the sand to escape. The bullying doesn't appear to be continuous. More occasional and extreme. Other times they are near each other and no issues.

Is this common?

 

[Big G]

Bump

 

[rknott]

#reefsquad to see if I can get some assitance. I saw my algae blenney attack a couple of times yesterday as well. Possible I will have to remove him from the tank despite I really like watching him in the tank and he is doing an amazing job eating algae.

Yesterday I was looking at my watchman and his buddy "pete" the shrimp when randomly all of the sudden there is a big dust cloud and I am now looking at the algae blenny instead of the watchman and shrimp. Not sure where the other 2 ended up. I couldn't find them afterwards. At another time my midas blenny was cruising by about half way up the tank and the algae blenny decided he didn't want him there and took out after him shooting from the bottom of the tank. The midas blenny wasn't going to have it and he attacked back. I got to watch the 2 go head to head for a couple of seconds and which time the two decided to head back to their neutral corners. Those were the only 2 occurrences over the evening.

 

[Mr Fishface]

I'm surprised honestly. Those are two fish that I would think would do well together in a 75g. In a small tank, I can get fighting but 75g?! I have a sand sifter and want an algae blenny so I am curious what the other reaponses are going to be.

 

[Lasse]

Maybe not this time but next time you will introduce a new fish. If possible and doable - try to have it in a netcage, refugium or in the sump for a week or so. IME - if you have a fish that love to bully others (and a lawn mover does that) it is much better that the new fish smell as the others. Somebody maybe think that this is snake oil but my experiences say that introduction is more smother if the newcommer have been in the same water for a while. Your shrimp and goby will turn up again - they only using their bomb shelter for the moment

Sincerely Lasse