Midas Blenny/Health 4/15/09
Hello,
<Hello Rachel>
I have what I think is a pretty simple question but I can't seem to find the answer to. About 3 weeks ago I purchased a pair of True Percula Clownfish. I did not quarantine them but acclimated them dip method for
about 2 hours along with my snails and hermit crabs I purchased the same day. I added them to my 15gal ( I know too small for the clowns but I have an established 45 gal that they would eventually move to). The 15 gal has about 10 lbs of live rock and the only other fish in there was a Midas Blenny and Chocolate Chip Startfish <Starfish> that had been in there for over a month. Everything was fine for 3 weeks. Had some problems keeping my Nitrite at 0 but I was performing 10% <water changes> every other day.
Yesterday I could not locate the smaller clownfish, come to find out he died and my starfish was making a meal out of him. When I woke up early this morning, I noticed my larger clown was covered in white spots and her fins torn up with what looked like slime coming off her fins. While frantically searching your website for answers, she just died, in a matter of maybe 20-30 minutes. Here is my question, Im not sure if the clownfish had Ick, but now I notice little white spots on my Midas. I just fed him and he is eating like a pig, swimming great, and has awesome color, so he doesn't look at all stressed but he probably is. Should I start treating him for Ick? Or do you think it was something else?
<Likely environmental stress leading to the white spots. The clowns should have been quarantined, would have prevented this. I would change 15% of the water and give the blenny a short fresh water dip. See here.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/dips_baths.htm>
I know blennies are sensitive and do not like quarantine and I wouldn't be able to set one up until tonight when I get home. Should I just leave him be and monitor him?
<I would do above, and monitor, being prepared to treat if necessary.>
I don't want to stress him out anymore than he is after watching his 2 tanks mates die in less than 24 hours.
Thanks Rachel
<My name is James, not Rachel, and you're very welcome:).
James (Salty Dog)>

Midas Blenny Problem   2/13/09
Hello WWM Crew,
A couple of weeks ago, my mom purchased a Midas blenny for her tank (which I take care of. I'm only 14.). We don't have a quarantine process, but he had been in the LFS's tank for about 2 months out in the open with no signs
of any problems, internal or external.
<Mmm>
We brought him home and acclimated him slowly, and even while he was acclimating, he didn't breathe heavily or change colors. As soon as we put him into the tank, he found the perfect home, and when I fed the other fish, he ate like a pig.
<Good behaviors>
Since then, he's been out swimming when I get up, when I feed the fish, he eats more than any of the others, he's always a bright orange color, and he hasn't switched hiding spots. So you can imagine my shock when today I
find him, with a very brown face, hiding in a new spot, breathing extremely heavily. Then when I fed the other fish, he didn't even move, even though it was his favorite food (Cyclops-eeze). I tested water, and all of the parameters are normal, and the other fish are breathing normally, eating normally, and acting normal. The blenny won't come out of his rock, so I can't get tell if there's something physically wrong with him. Our tank is a 125 gallon reef, and it's inhabitants include a four inch yellow tang, a 1 inch damsel, a maroon clown, and a false percula clown. We also have a snowflake eel that we're moving to a larger tank soon. The only thing that I can really think of that would have happened to cause such a dramatic turn-around would be that perhaps the eel bit the blenny?
<It may as you speculate... that something, someone spooked the Midas>
But like I said, I can't see the blenny's body; I can only see his head.
Do you have any other ideas of what could happen, and perhaps a plan of action?
Thanks,
Michelle
<I can... this fish might also have scared itself... a reflection in the glass/side, jumping, hitting the top... I would not panic here... Nor would I move this fish, add a "treatment" to the water. Best to exercise patience and careful observation... as you've apparently been doing. Bob Fenner>

Re: Midas Blenny Problem   2/13/09
Unfortunately, just minutes after I finished this email, my blenny stopped breathing. We looked at his body, and there were no visible signs of any ich, bites, or other potential causes of death.
<Ahh, sorry for your loss. Ecsenius are one of the groups of animals I would class as being able to be "scared to death"... I do think this may be a case here. BobF>

Sick Midas Blenny!!
Hi Bob,
Yikes! Just tried to feed the blenny and it was the same deal.
He showed no interest in food, or even in moving. I think this is serious but for the life of me have no idea.
<Mmm, could be "just a phase"... perhaps tired of the same old foods... maybe an aerosol, or bug that fell into the system...>
Yesterday I fed him and he was not so interested in food as usual
(ate the Nori fine, earlier that day).
He is just sitting or lying in rock. Little movement.
He is breathing and responds to stimuli Light, movement, my finger).
<Sometimes this is all that they do... for quite a while>
Other thing I am wondering is if he got some bad food. Both of the fish aren't too hungry but the Kole is eating.
Did some water tests:
Temp 80; SG 1.0235; pH 8.2; Amm 0; Nitrite 0 or trace (did two tests to check the trace); Nitrate <10 Alk 3.5
No scratching or anything. The color on the blenny is off.
(Yesterday or before. No marks on blenny.)
I noticed the color is off, like the tan with dark brown streaks like when I bought him. Yesterday was ok.
<When in doubt, water change... about 20%. Bob Fenner>
--des/Jane

Blenny died :-(
Hi Bob,
<Hello>
I have written you on my Midas blenny-- he was my favorite fish-- last night he appeared in the front of my tank for a few hours.
This is strange as I haven't seen him for ages-- maybe a glimpse here or there. Anyway this morning I saw him being chewed up by some hermits.
I am assuming he died and the hermits were just eating the corpse.
However, last night I noticed he looked quite bad, maybe emaciated. I think perhaps he died of starvation because he was never around to be fed, but as I remember this was one of the better eaters, so I'm sure it wasn't the reason. He has not been doing well since I pulled the Clarkiis, and the Kole died due to injury.
Is it possible the injured Kole could have had an infection that would have carried over to him somehow? Or that the fish died of all the stresses from fish being moved around etc. Or even of loneliness/stress of missing certain fish. I don't suppose we'll ever really know though.
<All possible contributing causes>
BTW, just got a new Coral Beauty and he's in qt now. He's been in the store a month (2 weeks in quarantine). And looks very fat and healthy. A beautiful fish!!
<I hope this fish does well for you. Bob Fenner>
--des/Jane

Sick Bicolour Blenny
Hey Crew,
Sunday night I noticed my blenny did not eat and has not eaten since. Monday night I did a 20% water change (50 gal tank). when I got home tonight he was not poking his head out of his favorite hole like usual. so I moved the rock that he is usually in and he was inside. he was very slow to react then swam away. I noticed that his coloration was pale compared to normal. water parameters are as follows, sg 1.024, temp 26C, ph 8.5, nitrate less that 5, calcium 300, ammonia 0, nitrite 0 to 0.1. I noticed he was breathing hard this evening. everything else in the tank, 2 Percs, cleaner & peppermint shrimps, snails, hermits and corals have no noticeable problems. the cleaner even molted last night. I added some Epsom salt to the tank tonight encase it has a blockage. but other than that I'm at a loss. any ideas?
<the most likely cause is the onset of a parasite that has started in the gills. Remove the fish to QT, FW dip and treat with Formalin if necessary (no copper here for the small scaled fishes) Best regards, Anthony>

Midas Blenny
<<Greetings,>>
I have little experience with this little guy - but you may have seen this before.
We've had him for about 3 weeks - and he seems to "scratch" all the time - but there are no spots on him, or any of the other fish in the tank. <<If this scratching is just against the substrate and not against other decor, then my hunch is that it is a move to reveal (hopefully) some food item in the substrate.>>
He'll fly towards the gravel, and almost "play" in it - kicking up the gravel while he swims. <<Hard to say for certain.>>
Is this normal? Is there anything we should be worried about - I had always read that scratching was a sure sign of ick. <<Well, incessant scratching or visible damage from scratching are usually a sure sign of a parasitic infection. Some fish randomly scratch various items in the aquarium and it's rather difficult to say for certain why they do it. Perhaps they have an itch, perhaps they are trying to uncover some food delight... who knows, but it is certain that not all scratching is bad or abnormal.>>
My fiancé thinks he is just playing in the gravel. Do they do this? <<Play? Again... it's hard to know the motivations of a Midas blenny, but keep an eye on it... make sure it isn't breathing hard in addition to the scratching. Keep an eye on your other fish. If nothing turns up, then it's probably safe to call this a 'behavior' and not a 'condition'.>>
~Bill
<<Cheers, J -- >>

Bicolor blenny - disease id?
Hi everyone at WWM,
<cheers, my friend. Anthony Calfo in your service>
Yesterday I brought home a bicolor blenny. He looked in good shape at the LFS and was very attentive. The guy at the LFS said that he's had him for almost a year. (and to my stupidity thinking that a year in the LFS didn't require a quarantine) 
<ahhh... I understand your logic but it would only had a chance to preclude a QT tank if the fish was in a tank that never saw a new addition (wild fish, rock, coral, etc) for that same past year. Even then, a LFS store has nets, fingers, hands, etc that dip in tanks with new fish and then dip into the blennies display tank as well. Many chances for a disease to be transmitted. And I suspect that this blennies tank had new coral or fish added monthly if not weekly>
tonight while I was watching my aquarium, I noticed that he had some white spots. 
<common Ich?>
upon further observation, the corners of his mouth, his antennas, as well as some spots on his body are white. looks like discolouration of his skin, no lumps or roughness. 
<may just be a fright/stress pattern as new to the tank. Especially if it looks only like a change in pigmentation... not mucous>
he is very alert and poked his head out of his hole all day long. I've never heard of a bicolour blenny changing colours, 
<they have tremendous color change as they age and even day to night with night/fright patterns>
or have his antennae change colour. I haven't seen him eat yet, but he is just new to the system so I didn't think much of this.
<agreed... but do try Mysis shrimp in addition to greens. Actually, Sweetwater Plankton might be even better>
I'm very concerned. is this ich or do they change color like the midas blenny or something else altogether??
<if those spots are not raised like grains of salt, or the fish does not get mucous (from mucus <G>), and you see know rapid gilling, scratching or glancing... then just continue to observe>
Thanks Barry
<best regards, Anthony>

Stressed bi-color blenny?
Hello!
<Hi Marie, PF with you tonight>
This is the first time I have ever written in, but I have been regularly reading questions and answers pertaining to the fish that I do have.  I have a Bi-color Blenny that has been living in my 44 gallon fish tank for about a month and a half now.  Other fish in the tank include a Maroon Clown, Percula Clown (strange that the two Clowns are getting along), a Damselfish (I think it is called a Neon Damselfish?), an Engineer Goby, a Scissortail Dartfish, a Scooter Goby, 5 Turbo snails, a Decorator Crab, and about 10 hermit crabs.  Everybody had been getting along just fine, and my Blenny had found himself a nice home in one of our barnacles.  He rarely left the barnacle (which I was told was normal for Blennies), leaving only to grab food and return to his home to eat it.  He was eating just fine, (eating algae, flakes, Mysis shrimp, and pellets) and I noticed no strange activity until tonight.  I went downstairs, after the tank light had been turned off, and noticed that my Blenny was laying on the bottom of the tank, where he NEVER goes, and was breathing heavily.  He had several thin white vertical stripes across his entire body, and looked as if he had been harassed, which might cause stress stripes?  I am concerned that he may not make it through the night.  He never leaves his barnacle, and is barely moving at the bottom of the tank.  Could he have been harassed by one of my other fish, or is he sick? I hadn't noticed any of the other fish ever harassing him, so I am not sure what is wrong with my Blenny.  Please help! I love my Blenny!
Thanks, Marie
<Someone could have driven him out of his barnacle, or he could have just gotten more comfortable and decided to go exploring. Blennies can and do change color. I would continue to watch him, and if you think he's taking a turn for the worse, move him to a hospital/QT tank. Here's the article on that: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/QuarMarFishes.htm In the meantime, here's some info to read up on about your charge:http://www.google.com/custom?hl=en I hope your little guy is just acting squirrelly, we're pulling for him. Good luck, PF>

Thank you for your help with my Blenny!!
Hello Crew!  I just wanted to write you back and thank you for your quick response to my e-mail.  My Bi-Color Blenny appears to be much better today.  When I went down this morning to check on him, he was back in his usual spot in the barnacle, stress marks gone.  I think that one of the other fish may have just ran him out of his spot, but I am not sure which one it might have been.  I will keep an eye on him for a while, hopefully it was just a one time thing.  Thank you again for your help!  Your site is fantastic! Marie

Bicolor Blenny (weird color)
<Hi, MikeD here>
I have been turning to your sight whenever I noticed something weird in my tank.<Only when something bad happens, eh? **grin**> I have found great info to calm me until now.<Cool. Hopefully now as well> I have a 42gal tank that is about two months old. In the tank I have two Scarlet Skunk Cleaner Shrimp, a Bicolor Blenny, a Radiant Wrasse and 8 Nassarius snails. I have had the Blenny for about three weeks and the wrasse for 4 days.<Uh Oh. No quarantine tank eh?> The Wrasse stays under the sand most of the time. I have seen him out briefly a number of times including this afternoon.<Not a good sign as it should be out and feeding more. They have heavy caloric intake needs when small> The real problem is that I checked on the tank a few minutes ago and my Blenny was acting funny. He was laying on the bottom of the tank on the sand. This is strange for him, he usually stays on or in the rocks. He had his white (somethings up) stripes on and he seemed to be breathing funny.<Good powers of observation, your most valuable tool.> I must have startled him because he swam to the back of the tank in a thrashing fashion.<Another bad sign> (didn't return calmly to one of his two homes inside the live rock). I took a closer look and his cheeks seem to be a funny light pink color and his whole body is lighter then normal. I immediately checked all the stats... everything was normal. The only thing was the nitrate (NO3) was 12.5. The tank is due for a water change is about 7 days.<Do the water change now. no reason to wait 7 days. My suggestion is that whenever you see abnormal behavior, do a partial water change before anything else, often the best solution.> I am not sure what else to do. I have a 10gal QT tank but catching him is going to be hard and I don't want to stress him out anymore if its nothing (but me being a neurotic parent)... I just checked on him and he had moved under a piece of live rock and one of the cleaner shrimps was giving him a bath. This is something new because I have not ever seen him let them do that. If he is having a health problem<Quite possibly. Many blennies are sensitive to high nitrates, which the water change should help, and then once weakened are open to Ick attacks. The reddening of the gills is often the only sign you'll see before losing the fish>, or suffering would the shrimp hurt him?<NO, but it would try to remove parasites> Or be able to make it worse? I don't think the Wrasse could have done anything because he rarely comes out of hiding. Also, I have read that this is normal but he does not come out to eat when I feed the tank. Could he be finding enough food in the sand?<Again, not likely. You're tank is too new for much to have developed that could be of use.  Try the water changes, and if you don't see an improvement in 24 hours, I'd suggest removing both fish to the 10 gal. tank and treating for ick with either hyposalinity or a good ick remedy. DO NOT use medications in your main tank, ever.>
Thank you for all of your help in advance. I don't think I will be sleeping much tonight!<Hope this helps. In the future you want to start using that 10 gal as a Q-tank before adding new fish to your tank, as this can prevent some major fish losses, and, as in your case, worries>
- Elizabeth

Re: Bicolor Blenny (weird color)
MikeD,
<MikeD again, at your service>
Maybe I spoke too soon! This evening (after water change) I noticed that "Imholtep" has some salt like flakes on his body none on the fins though...<don't hit the panic button too fast then. Usually, but not always, the spots will show on the fins before the body, but as stated, sometimes none at all will appear on blennies and can still be fatal. Since there are none on the fins, there's always the chance that it might be debris from the bottom stuck to his slime coat. Look very carefully, and if it's Ick the spots should look almost like grains of salt.>
and I am not sure about the wrasse. (FYI today at the LFS I asked my fish guy (who had been out with back trouble) about the Wrasse. Turns out he is
about two years old and belonged to one of the guys who works at the store. He broke his tank down a month ago to make some changes and the "No Name" Wrasse ended up with me... thus they feel like the hiding is normal and he should snap out of it! ) Back to "Imholtep", I am too tired to do anything
tonight, how can I be sure that it is ich, and then what should be the next step. Should I assume the Wrasse is going to need treatment also...<Usually, but not always. Healthy fish can often fight off ick, and I've seen one fish covered with spots in a tank with all the rest looking just fine.> which
means I get to go hunting! If it is ich both will have to move into the QT.
1.) How long will the tank need to be without fish for this to go away?
2.) What do you recommend as far as treatment is concerned? Should I stop by the LFS and get some FW for dipping? Then what type of chemicals should be used because "Imholtep" is scaleless.<Here's a URL that answers both questions beautifully http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ichartmar.htm
Can the shrimp catch this?<No, it's a fish only thing> When will it all end?  Good thing its a long weekend I have four days to take care of
this problem!<The very best of luck to you. It gets better, honest!>
Thanks for your patience and all of your help!<My pleasure>
-Elizabeth

Re: Bicolor Blenny (weird color)
MikeD,<Got me again. Are you lucky or what?>
Thank you for your help!<You're welcome> This AM "Imholtep"<GOOD name...a thinker!> the blenny was back in his normal spot darker in color but still with his (somethings up stripes). His body looked good and fins were clear (no ick so far). I am going to do a 25% water change when I get home this evening. I will also keep a close eye on him.<Good. They can get Ick easy, show few spots, and IMO don't stand high nitrates well either, no matter what the books say> As far as the Wrasse is concerned... Although the tank is young it cycled in 3weeks... confirmed by LFS. I have already noticed (and been freaked by) copepods, baby snails, small clear shrimp, something that looks like a rolly polly with a black stripe down the back. I ended up with a few hitchhikers on the Worm Rock.<AHA! You put the LR straight in without curing it. That's probably why the cycle went faster as well. Be careful though as it's still unstable and can shift very easily.> The Wrasse is an adult I am sure. He is about 3 inches and pretty hardy. I know he comes out when I am not around. I caught him out yesterday around noon.<Probably having a pod dinner, on the hoof.> I got a chance to get a good look at him and everything seems good, thick body...good color...clear fins. He seems to be fine with the other guys in the tank. Once he noticed me he went back into hiding.<Not unusual. Many wrasses are shy, even some of the big ones> My tank is a 42gal Hexagon. How long should I give him to get comfortable to his new tank?<He may never get actually "bold" but should eventually get less skittish with time.> He was at the LFS for a good while. He was in a display tank separated from the main system, with some other wrasses.<???Wrasses don't usually like other wrasses, worse than tangs and angels.> I will be at the LFS this evening getting the water. I buy their (osmosis) water for water changes it is cheaper and easier then doing it myself. I will try getting some different foods to encourage the Wrasse out of hiding.<try live blood worms as a treat, just to get him out and used to you, if they carry them.>
Thanks again for responding, this can be a tough hobby to get started!<just a little, more addicting than hard though. Welcome to the jungle!>
Elizabeth

Injured bi-color blenny
The other day I noticed a "gouge" for lack of a better term near the dorsal fin of the bicolor blenny.  Not sure where it came from -- the tang or
ocellaris clowns? << No, too peaceful in regards to a bicolor blenny. >> The blenny is about 3 inches long, so twice the size of
the clowns.  Could it have happened when the blenny squeezed in and out of holes in the live rock?
<< Much more likely. >>
My question is whether there is any treatment I can administer, or if natural healing is the only way to go?  The dorsal fin is mostly gone, and
there is an 1/8th to 1/4 inch wound on the back.  The blenny is swimming and feeding fine (normally). << I actually had this happen to some fish before.  My problem came from a powerhead filter mis-hap.  Anyway what I did was increased my iodine supplement.  I basically put the pipette right in the water and tried to squirt the Lugol's right onto the fish.  Then I just kept may water quality as good as I could and let it go.  Believe it or not my fish completely healed and even grew back the dorsal fin. >>
Thanks for maintaining such a great site!
Jim Lee
<<  Blundell  >>

Bicolor Blenny With Internal Parasite?
My bicolor blenny tonight had what I can only call white stringy poop... but this was really different. There were two strings, that were about 1 1/4" long and about 1mm thick. I managed to collect a small sample. Under a magnifying glass, it looks like a portion of a clear tube with many, many eggs inside.
<Hmm...>
The blenny was QT'd and I've had him/her for about 2 months now.  The blenny is plump and appears healthy (good color and appetite, active, and has grown quite a bit) but I can only guess this is some sort of intestinal parasitic infection.
<That is definitely a possibility...>
I was unable to find and collect the rest of the strings, so one way or another, even if this was the first sign, it's in the tank now. Thoughts on treatment, etc?  
Thanks, Nicole
<Well, Nicole, before you jump to a potentially dangerous conclusion and start a course of unnecessary treatment, I'd recommend observing the fish for a while longer. If the fish appears to be in otherwise good health, is eating well, not losing weight, and behaving in a healthy manner, I'd just keep providing a stable, clean environment and good food. If the fish is displaying lack of appetite, weight loss, listlessness or other symptoms, then I'd consider medicated foods, which are available at your local fish store. Patience first, then action if required. Good luck! Regards, Scott F.>

Bicolor Blenny With Internal Parasite? (Pt. 2)
Greetings from Orange County, Scott, and thanks for your reply.  
<Hello again! Glad to be of service!>
His/her poop is back to normal tonight and all fishies look fine.  I am not too worried at this point, just perplexed.  The eggs have not hatched nor rotted.
<Unless this is a regular or semi-regular occurrence for this fish, I usual would not be overly concerned. Could be anything from some parasites to some type of undigested material that the fish passed almost intact...>
Could this be HER eggs?  After the strings fell off, she did have a small tube pointing down and forward for a while.  The tube is not visible today. It looks too small for an ovipositor (compared to a clown's), and I didn't think she was mature yet because she was so small when I got her... But
these sure do look like caviar.  Or cerith eggs.  She was not "laying them," but it was feeding time and she's a pig.  Heck, everything else in my tank spawns, why not her?
<Hmm...I suppose it's an outside possibility, but your second hunch may have been more realistic: The fish may have ingested someone else's eggs. Certainly a possibility>
I know female clowns can sometimes lay eggs without a male around, but can't seem to find anything on bicolor reproductive behavior.
<There isn't much material out there. I'd check fishbase.org for more information and references on this fish and its biology.>
Anyway, just thinking out loud.  Thanks again,
Nicole
<All good thoughts, Nicole. Excellent observations and theories! Keep me posted! BTW, if you are not a member of Southern California Marine Aquarium Society or Marine Aquarium Society of Los Angeles County, do consider hooking up with one of these excellent clubs! Regards, Scott F.>

Bubble-eyed Bicolor Blenny
I have a bicolor blenny that developed a cloudy/clear bubble around one eye sometime within the last 12 hours. I have had 3 other bicolor blennies in the past, and NEVER have seen this before!!!<I sounds like it could be a bacterial infection.> I have had this one for 2 mo., and it is by far the prettiest as far as being so rich in color. This one even has a yellowish golden glittery area on the very tip of its tail. It is very active, swims around and is not nearly as shy as the ones I have had in the past. I tried to feed it flakes, it acted interested and then spit them back out. It has even been "kissing" the rocks/glass for algae. It acts normal. It swims to me when it sees my face, and hears me calling it. It is in a 20 gal. tall tank (in process and final stages of setting up 120 gal.) with only 2 true Percs. We have a 18 gal. sump and a protein skimmer for this tank. 1 week ago I rescued the blenny from the overflow by removing the over flow and dumping/pouring him/her back into the main tank. Could this have injured him? Help!!! Any suggestions or comments? Thanks for your time.  Jill
<Jill, it is possible that the eye may have gotten irritated from the dumping. It could have removed the slime coating from the fish and created a site that could have gotten infected. I think the best thing for you to do is to watch it and if it gets worse put your fish in a quarantine tank and treat it with a medication for bacterial infections. One example of this would be Ampicillin. Good Luck. MikeB.>

Midas Blenny biting its own tail, and Chromis Compatibility success, thanks to SteveA  10/6/05
Dear WWM Crew, firstly a big thank you for the previous advice (from Steve Allen) about dealing with a bullying blue-green Chromis (Murdering Chromis - 6/5/05 - on Damsel Compatibility FAQ's) - we weren't that keen/ able to just "get rid of it" as was his first suggestion, so we took a combination of his other two suggestions. We bought four more reasonably sized blue-green Chromises and quarantined then for 4 weeks. When their quarantine time was up, we removed the bully from the main tank into our very small treatment tank for a few days, and then introduced all of them into the main tank together at the same time. We now have a very happy shoal of Chromises, who seem to get on well together - thanks for the excellent advice.
<Ahh, congratulations. Will send along to Steve>
Sadly, of course, this is not our sole reason for contacting you. We bought a Midas Blenny about 5 weeks ago, and have quarantined him for 4 weeks. He has always remained a bit browner than he was in the shop display, but otherwise seemed pretty happy, and was taking a good amount of flake/ brine shrimp - have got some algae in the tank, and offered him some seaweed as well, but never seemed very interested. We put him in our main tank about 4 days ago, and he seems to have settled in alright, but last night we noticed him scratching against the rear wall of the tank, and also nipping at his own body (not the tailfin itself, but just in front). He is doing the same this morning as well. We have seen the same behaviour in a bicolour blenny we had, who subsequently died, at a time when all our other fish had ich. We thought we had dealt with the ich, by treating all the fish, leaving the tank fallow for 8 weeks, and quarantining new additions at least 4 weeks, and certainly none of the other fish (6 Chromis) have any signs of ich at the moment. The blenny hasn't got any white spots (though by most accounts blennies often don't show spots when they have ich), and appears to be feeding well, though is still brownish-yellow rather than golden,
<"Stress coloration">
so perhaps we shouldn't be too hasty, but this all seems very similar to our previous blenny's pre-terminal behaviour! We've taken him out into the quarantine tank (along with a large piece of live rock in which he was hiding - any suggestions for removing him from this?)
<I would not. Will come out of its own accord>>
. Tank parameters are: Main tank - ammonia 0, nitrite 0.025, nitrate 25, pH 8.2, SG 1.022, temp 26C ; Quarantine tank - ammonia 0, nitrite 0.01, nitrate 10, pH 8.2, SG 1.022, temp 26.
I'm going to do a 20% water change in the quarantine tank today, and we'll need to get the nitrates down in the main tank, but we're worried about losing the blenny if we don't act early and aggressively enough, and so were thinking about treating him with copper. As always your expert advice would be greatly appreciated, Jim+Jo, Norfolk, UK
<I would not treat this fish per se... and not with Copper unless there was obviously some cause. Very likely this "self-nipping" behavior is just "natural"... I would sub-tend the quarantine process with this fish, dip it in a pH-adjusted freshwater bath, and (risk) place/ing it in your main system. Bob Fenner>

Very Stressed Midas Blenny   4/1/06
Hi, <Hi there, Leslie here with you this morning.>
I asked this on WetWebFotos and got no responses.
I got a Midas Blenny from what I think is a reliable source (lots of reviews), also when everything arrived it was beautifully packed. Everything else is fine and in good condition (all inverts). However, the Blenny is not so ok. I don't think it is sick, but it is hiding constantly. I put the Blenny in QT. It is not a stripped down QT, has some rock and sand. Anyway, the Blenny has been hiding and has been seen a couple times, not moving much and very mottled in color.
<These fish spend quite a bit of time perched between rocks usually with their heads peeking out, seeming quite alert and interested in their environment.>I understand that is a stress signal.
<It can be a sign of stress but that is also how they look when they settle in for the night. It is a form of camouflage. He probably is not feeling safe in his new environment just yet.>
(Actually if I didn't know what they really look like I would say it is quite pretty. Oh well.) Anyway, I want to know what I can do (if anything) to help my fish. I added a few more hiding places. Am planning on a water change tomorrow (1-2 gals) and changing the carbon. Also lowering the water level a little-- I am using a power filter so a little lower water level will cause a bit more water movement (I think).
<Yes it should, even better would be a small power head placed at the surface so that the return flows horizontally across the water surface causing a nice ripple effect.>
Anything else I could do for the fish?
<I think you came up with a great plan. If possible limiting the activity around the tank for a while until your fish settles in may help. Your new fish probably just needs little time to adjust to it’s new home.> Should I not do any of the above?
<No. It all sounds just fine.>
My main tank is looking much better btw!!
<That’s great news!!>
Thanks, des
<You’re most welcome, best of luck with your new blenny.  Leslie>