Shy Midas Blenny

[Roy 9121]

Been looking for a Midas Blenny for a couple of months now. The lady at my LFS calls and tells me she has one, so i go take a look. It looks like a good addition, so i make the purchase. Bring it home, put it in my tank, and it just hides in the corner. It's eating, looks healthy, just won't come out of this one corner. Is this normal?

 

[Maritimer]

Pretty normal for a few hours to a day or two, until they get adjusted. Once he settles in, he'll be all over the tank!

~Bruce, who's currently nursing the shyest fish he's ever encountered

 

[jlanger]

Absolutely normal behavior.
Once the fish gets acclimated to its new surroundings and finds a place/hole to call home, it will become one of the more active fish in the tank.

I just added two small Midas Blennies back into my reef and they're the first two fish that come to the front when I approach the tank, they're very personable fish once established.

 

[Roy 9121]

Pretty normal for a few hours to a day or two, until they get adjusted. Once he settles in, he'll be all over the tank!

~Bruce, who's currently nursing the shyest fish he's ever encountered

He's been in there almost a week.

 

[Maritimer]

That does paint a different picture ... what else is in the tank with him? Any fish that might make him nervous? Oddly, no fish at all can make the new guy jittery as well - no fish out on the reef generally means predators in the neighborhood...

~Bruce, assuming your water chemistry is generally good, and that you see no symptoms of disease...

 

[Roy 9121]

That does paint a different picture ... what else is in the tank with him? Any fish that might make him nervous? Oddly, no fish at all can make the new guy jittery as well - no fish out on the reef generally means predators in the neighborhood...

~Bruce, assuming your water chemistry is generally good, and that you see no symptoms of disease...

Actually, as soon as i posted this he started swimming all over and now is very active. He still jets back to his little corner every few minutes, but i think he's going tho be fine.

 

[mtraylor]

good news! They usually like to find a whole or crevice immediately to retreat to before they explore.

 

[Jdgreef24]

Have had a Midas in for a week now in a 25g with a Gramma and two clowns, the larger of the two has been in the tank since day one. He stays in his hole 24/7 and will only come out if food is in his vicinity. Same with the Gramma, they eat and then jet right back in. Can the established clown have that much dominance? She's a very aggressive eater and attacks your hand if it goes in. Any thoughts?

 

[jdemarco]

To OP, do you have porous live rock in your tank. They almost always find a hole and stick their head out and chill....without that they could be yearning s home/hole.

 

[Jdgreef24]

Woops. Didn't even realize I was hijacking lol my bad.