hi every body

[GreenPuffers]

HI guys!! Im new and I heard about SCMAS from Russ. I'm in need of some advice. I have a scooter blenny who was doing fine untill today. Hes gotten darker and is VERY lethargic. A few times he looked to be gasping for air. I've only had him a little over a month. Any advice would help. I pretty sure hes going to die. My cloew an jawfish are doing great and all my softies are open.

[COreefer]

Welcome to SCMAS...

As for the scooter...how is his overall appearance? Is he thin, has he been eating?? A 20g tank won't typically offer what these guys need to survive...my guess is he is starving.

[murfman]

Hi and welcome to SCMAS. Scooters are not real Blennies but Dragonetts, just like Mandarin fish. They need lots of pods to keep them fat. I hope he makes it. Maybe see if you can't seed the tank with some pods from someones fuge.

[Freshbrew]

Speaking of seeding, now that I have this mandarin to get my flatworms, I probly need to do the same. Anyone out that can spread some of the pod wealth? Thanks

[Deuce67]

<img src="/images/welcome.gif" width="500" height="62"><br><b><i><big><big>SCMAS</b></i></big></big>

Its about time you got in here!

[reefkoi]

I've never had any luck with scooter blennies either, the ones I've bought were a bit skinny at purchase also. I'm also guessing he's not getting what he needs nutritionally. Does it eat food you feed? If so what are you feeding and how often? How long have you had this fish?
Chris

[normanviking]

This is what this guy does to make sure his dragonettes are fed. (http://www.melevsreef.com/mandarin_diner.html)

[GreenPuffers]

He was eating pretty good. But he did die. So Im not real sure. When I pulled out of the tank he seemed kind of thin.

[COreefer]

probably starved to death...these guys need large populations of their natural food source...copepods particularly. If they are weened to mysis, or something else they still tend to perish. A 20g unfortunately doesn't offer enough natural foods for these guys.


Sorry to hear about the loss of your fish...

[normanviking]

Did you read the link I posted??

[COreefer]

That mandarin can eat those pellets all day long, but it will eventually starve...they need pods to survive.

[Mustang394]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9165256#post9165256 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by COreefer
That mandarin can eat those pellets all day long, but it will eventually starve...they need pods to survive.

Where are you getting this from? It's hard to get them to except prepared foods but I have never read anything that says they will only survive on live pods.

[COreefer]

Anthony Calfo once told me this directly...also I have read it numerous times on the reef fishes forum. Prepared foods help suplement their diet, but they need a steady diet of pods to survive. Similarly mysis will supplement a tangs diet, but they have to have algae in their diet and HUFA's to survive.

[Mustang394]

I got to caught in the will starve with out pods, with out pods he will suffer a nutritional deficiency and eventually die.

Reading some more articles there seems to be some difference of opions beteen Calfo and Fenner on prepared foods, but I think they generally agree that any dragonettes diet must include pods.

[GreenPuffers]

I got a butt load of pods in there, I saw them last night with a flash light, dont know what happened