Will a blenny work in my tank?

[Benoit Martin]

I have never had a blenny and I am a bit concerned because most of them are shown as semi-aggressive on LiveAquaria. Since I don't have any personal experience I cannot tell whether a blenny would be ok with my current and future fish.

I have a 120G with currently:
- 1 clown
- 1 azure damsel
- 1 diamond goby
- 1 purple firefish
- 1 skunk shrimp
- 1 hermit crab

I am about to put in an order for:
- 1 melanurus wrasse
- 1 orchid dottyback

I will be adding:
- 1 flame dwarf angelfish
- 1 yellow tang
- 1 banggai cardinal

The blennies I am considering are:
- Striped Blenny
- Bicolor Blenny
- Forktail Blenny
- Blackline Blenny

I'd be getting only 1 of those with a slight preference for the forktail blenny because it is captive bred

Any advice, warnings or suggestions about this list, especially regarding the blenny?

Thank you

 

[ScottR]

I have never had a blenny and I am a bit concerned because most of them are shown as semi-aggressive on LiveAquaria. Since I don't have any personal experience I cannot tell whether a blenny would be ok with my current and future fish.

I have a 120G with currently:
- 1 clown
- 1 azure damsel
- 1 diamond goby
- 1 purple firefish
- 1 skunk shrimp
- 1 hermit crab

I am about to put in an order for:
- 1 melanurus wrasse
- 1 orchid dottyback

I will be adding:
- 1 flame dwarf angelfish
- 1 yellow tang
- 1 banggai cardinal

The blennies I am considering are:
- Striped Blenny
- Bicolor Blenny
- Forktail Blenny
- Blackline Blenny

I'd be getting only 1 of those with a slight preference for the forktail blenny because it is captive bred

Any advice, warnings or suggestions about this list, especially regarding the blenny?

Thank you

A blenny is perfectly fine. They are only aggressive towards their own kind as far as I’m aware. I have one in a 130g with lots of fish. He gets bullied by tangs but holds his ground. Just make sure your tank has enough algae for it to graze on.

 

[Jilly92]

I have never had a blenny and I am a bit concerned because most of them are shown as semi-aggressive on LiveAquaria. Since I don't have any personal experience I cannot tell whether a blenny would be ok with my current and future fish.

I have a 120G with currently:
- 1 clown
- 1 azure damsel
- 1 diamond goby
- 1 purple firefish
- 1 skunk shrimp
- 1 hermit crab

I am about to put in an order for:
- 1 melanurus wrasse
- 1 orchid dottyback

I will be adding:
- 1 flame dwarf angelfish
- 1 yellow tang
- 1 banggai cardinal

The blennies I am considering are:
- Striped Blenny
- Bicolor Blenny
- Forktail Blenny
- Blackline Blenny

I'd be getting only 1 of those with a slight preference for the forktail blenny because it is captive bred

Any advice, warnings or suggestions about this list, especially regarding the blenny?

Thank you

My starry blenny and lawnmower blenny are peaceful among my 2 firefish and clownfish. Dottyback is in a different tank as theyre aggressive and might not do well with the blennies. Also add the aggressive or territorial fish last.

 

[Jilly92]

My starry blenny and lawnmower blenny are peaceful among my 2 firefish and clownfish. Dottyback is in a different tank as theyre aggressive and might not do well with the blennies. Also add the aggressive or territorial fish last.

Mine is neon dottyback so that might be different than orchid

 

[Jilly92]

Mine is neon dottyback so that might be different than orchid

 

[vlangel]

A striped or forktail are the fanged blennies and I would think they would be alright with current fish although the future dottyback can be a problem with any blenny.

The bicolor is a combtooth I believe and as such is predominantly an algae eater. Tangs do not like competition when it comes to grazers and my tomini tang chases my orange spot blenny constantly even though the orange spot had been in the tank much longer than the tang.

 

[Benoit Martin]

Thank you all for the valuable information. It sounds like I was worried about the blenny when I should have been worried about the dottyback. I think I am going to pass on the orchid dottyback and get a forktail blenny instead. I'll have to figure out another way to get some purple in my tank (the purple dart fish is not that purple )

 

[Pistondog]

Thank you all for the valuable information. It sounds like I was worried about the blenny when I should have been worried about the dottyback. I think I am going to pass on the orchid dottyback and get a forktail blenny instead. I'll have to figure out another way to get some purple in my tank (the purple dart fish is not that purple )

Royal gramma, stunning fish.

 

[Benoit Martin]

Royal gramma, stunning fish.

Which batch should I introduce the Royal gramma with?
Would it be ok to do wrasse and blenny now, then banggai cardinal and royal gramma, and finally the tang and dwarf angel with a couple of months between each?

 

[Pistondog]

Which batch should I introduce the Royal gramma with?
Would it be ok to do wrasse and blenny now, then banggai cardinal and royal gramma, and finally the tang and dwarf angel with a couple of months between each?

They like caves, initially are reclusive
I don't have experience with that, only 1 fish at a time here.

 

[Benoit Martin]

They like caves, initially are reclusive
I don't have experience with that, only 1 fish at a time here.

I always did 1 at a time previously but I am re-populating my tank after velvet took most of my fish and since I am now getting them through TSM Aquatics, I cannot get myself to pay $45 shipping for a $39 fish so I buy more than on at a time.

 

[Clownfish_Boy]

I always did 1 at a time previously but I am re-populating my tank after velvet took most of my fish and since I am now getting them through TSM Aquatics, I cannot get myself to pay $45 shipping for a $39 fish so I buy more than on at a time.

I only buy fish from my LFS in nearby Raleigh, NC. I have considered ordering online what my LFS doesn't have, but just cannot bring myself to spend that additional $40 for shipping !

 

[Benoit Martin]

I only buy fish from my LFS in nearby Raleigh, NC. I have considered ordering online what my LFS doesn't have, but just cannot bring myself to spend that additional $40 for shipping !

I do not want to start another QT thread but I used to buy all my fish from my LFS which claimed to QT all fish and I would also do my own QT but I still managed to get velvet so obviously neither I or my LFS can be trusted with that process. TSM comes in very highly recommended on R2R and my first experience with them has been great so far so even though it significantly adds to the cost of acquiring fish, I find it worth it.

 

[tomb18]

I have two fish currently in quarantine. One is a bicolor blenny and the other is bicolor angel. The blenny is quite the pig, he eats like crazy and will stuff himself on big pieces of Reef frenzy. The Angel is just cruising along but if he gets near the blenny...the blenny opens his mouth really really wide to scare him away. He doesn't bite him but it's pretty scary when it happens. To me it looks like the movie Alien, when it corners it's prey and just opens the mouth right up!

 

[Streetlamp]

Which batch should I introduce the Royal gramma with?
Would it be ok to do wrasse and blenny now, then banggai cardinal and royal gramma, and finally the tang and dwarf angel with a couple of months between each?

All fish are different, so you never know. My royal is the most aggressive fish in my tank. And his greatest dislike is my tailspot blenny.

 

[Zionas]

I’m going to go over your list one by one:

-Melanurus Wrasse: Great, try your best not to get a larger / terminal male as it may be near the end of its life.

-Orchid Dottyback: Great.

-Flame Angel: Great. I heard some people have issues with them nipping corals but awesome fish (wish I could get one) and many have had success with them in reefs.

-Bangaii Cardinal: Great. Get a CB one and only a CB one.

-Yellow Tang: Is your tank 6’? If not (maybe 5’ could be OK too) a Bristletooth like a Kole or Tomini or Squaretail or White Tail could be better.

-Blennies: IMO the Grammistes look the best and ORA breeds them.


I would also add:

Shrimp and goby pair.

You have room for a couple more wrasses too.