Lawnmower blenny

[hhlhhl92]

I have this Lawnmower blenny for a week now. I haven't seen it grazing or nibbling on the rocks or glass. Or I should say I have never seen it eating anything. Will it starve to death? What shall I feed it with?
Btw, I have green hairy algae on the rocks, could that be the reason? :confused:

[Randall_James]

About the only thing they do eat is algae. He may be feeding when you are not around. Watch for a "pinched" look around his belly where he will begin to lose fat if he is not eating.

[Blown 346]

They love hair algae, it isnt uncommon for a new arrival to not eat for a week or so. He will eat, like said above you might not see him pecking. Look for lipstick type marks on your glass for proof.
Dried seaweed is one of there favorites as well as other fish.

[ChunksInClemson]

I've had mine for 3 days and was wondering the same thing. I dont have any hair algae but I do have a veggie clip for my tang. I know loose pieces of the seaweed salad gets pinched off and I see it floating around the tank so I am hoping he finds that to eat. He just sits in an open clam shell and chills all day.

[onecrzyboi4u]

If hes newly introduced.. he could be feeding at nights.. i thought the same thing.. once he gets used to his new home he will eat anytime.. he will even get brave and come to the front of the glass and watch ya.. also look on ur tank walls for lil circles.. that tells you hes pickin at the algae. ..i often feed mine a lil strip of seaweed just as a lil snack.

[austin552]

Mine even eats flakes and frozen shrimp.

[Blown 346]

They will eat almost anything you throw into the tank, but there diet mainly consists of different types of algae.

[yoboyjdizz]

Just give it time it took mine 5 months before it started eating prepared foods.. I would let my my side glass feel up with algae and i eventually started seeing lip marks all over it so i knew he was in good shape..

[ohioreef]

The first LMB wouldn't touch my HA, or anything for that matter, and ended up starving. :( The one I have now is a big pig!!

[newbiebob]

my lmb is the nuts what a pig his is at it all day long from day one and im very pleased i got my lfs to get the one inch long one out of a display tank as the one he wanted to give me was getting on for 4 inches mine is now 2 inches in just a few weeks greedy sod

[marinenewbie]

Had my lmb for about a week, and even saw him pecking around at one point. Had lots for him to eat. One morning he was up perched on the rocks as usual, and by afternoon, he was being munched on by one of my hermit crabs. :( Obviously I did something wrong.

I'm afraid to try again...

[reefchiquita]

I inherited a lmb earlier than expected from a friend just as my LR finished curing. I thought he was going to starve to death without any algae in my tank. He hid for the first week and didn't eat, but then when the algae started to grow on my sides, he was having an all you can eat buffet. Now he is always perched in open view, leaving lipstick marks everywhere! I'd give him a few days, he'll start munching away...

[JENnKerry]

Mine eats everything I put in the tank except hair algae :)

[Randall_James]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7346487#post7346487 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by JENnKerry
Mine eats everything I put in the tank except hair algae :) Well the only thing that proves is that "You got him to help solve a hair algae problem" :lol:

[JENnKerry]

Exactly. That's usually how it goes. He's a trip too. He'll perch up on a rock that has the hair algae and just look at me :D
I am grateful that he eats everything I feed knowing that alot of people have problems getting theirs to eat.

[kmgriff72]

This is my question??

I want to eventually get a lawnmower blenny but, how long do I need to wait. My tank has been up since March 17th. I presently have 3 chromis and 2 reef crabs and 1 turbo snail. I am planning on adding 2 FP clowns next. How much algae do you need in your tank before you get one? All I have is brown algae and it is clearing up (it was all over the CC). I think they are neat but I don't want to get one if it might starve from lack of algae (if there is such a thing). :confused:

[hhlhhl92]

This is my second lmb. The first one did not eat anything neither and it died after three weeks. I could actually see that it got thinner and thinner. I hope this one would start eating soon.

[MBuck]

My LMB eats the small spectrum pellets....I always throw a few extra in, and he picks them off the sand...
HTH!

[ChunksInClemson]

KMGRIFF72, My tank is only a month older than yours and I just got one. You should be ok IMO. He mostly eats off the rocks but he does eat off of my overflow and back glass. Algae that you cant see, they can. If you have any type of algae you should be good. Could you post a pic?

HTH,
Chris

[kmgriff72]

Thanks for the info ChuckInClemson, I do not have any way of posting a picture (no digital camera) but, I appreciate the info. My only concern also is that I only have about 10 lbs of LR right now (I know I need more and I will work on that) and I don't want the Lawnmower blenny and the crabs/snail fighting over who gets the algae...lol. I am going to add the clownfish tomorrow and probably wait 2-4 weeks before getting one. Hopefully by then my tank will be a little better established with what he will need.

Kim

[Randall_James]

I have no idea about the blennie but the snails will go bonkers over seaweed selects (nori) If I hang it out, my snails mob the clip so I had to suspend it from a cross bar. Sort of like squirrels and the bird feeder thing

[kmgriff72]

May have to try that.

[tkeracer619]

I dont know how skittish your lawnmower blenny is. When I had mine he would let me feed him by hand. I found this out when he looked under the weather. I just ripped a piece of dried seaweed in my had and held it in front of his mouth. After a few seconds he nipped at it. Then ate it. I fed him like this for a week then he was back to his normal self---- for a few months.

[Randall_James]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7353874#post7353874 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tkeracer619
I dont know how skittish your lawnmower blenny is. When I had mine he would let me feed him by hand. I found this out when he looked under the weather. I just ripped a piece of dried seaweed in my had and held it in front of his mouth. After a few seconds he nipped at it. Then ate it. I fed him like this for a week then he was back to his normal self---- for a few months. Well that is encouraging

[NCreefwannabe]

First be sure he is actually a lawnmower lol. I thought thats what I bought, but he's actually a combtooth blenny. He didnt eat for a day or so, but now he's a pig.

[hhlhhl92]

Mine died last night. I noticed that its mouth was always opened the day before, and last night I found it lying on the sand with its mouth wide opened. Don't know why? The other fishes are fine.

[kmgriff72]

Sorry for your loss. Maybe it was sick when you bought it. Sometimes you just never know the reason why.

[LazyD]

I read on liveaquaria that lawn mower blennies will be aggressive towards fish that look that same as they do, I have a diamond goby, just wondering if they would have...issues, anyone have any experienec with that?