Starry blenny and macro display?

[Zorya]

Hi, I will be getting in a bunch of macros (scroll, ulva, flat blade gracilaria, pencil cap, mermaids fan, and I have already dragon’s breath) and I’d like to know if anyone has experience keeping a starry blenny in amongst any of these. I see blennys are a risk for eating display macros, but will he also munch on the calcified ones? 

 

I can can set up a separate tank as a disconnected fuge of sorts to house my macro and put clippings in to see if he will eat them, but any input or advice is accepted! Ideally I want to have the macros in the display (29gal biocube).

[WV Reefer]

23 minutes ago, Zorya said:

Hi, I will be getting in a bunch of macros (scroll, ulva, flat blade gracilaria, pencil cap, mermaids fan, and I have already dragon’s breath) and I’d like to know if anyone has experience keeping a starry blenny in amongst any of these. I see blennys are a risk for eating display macros, but will he also munch on the calcified ones? 

 

I can can set up a separate tank as a disconnected fuge of sorts to house my macro and put clippings in to see if he will eat them, but any input or advice is accepted! Ideally I want to have the macros in the display (29gal biocube).

Mine eats anything and everything so I would be cautious. 

[Oldsalt01]

It'll eat any algea not calcified. And I mean ANYTHING!

[Clown79]

Mine enjoyed dragons breath, all my dragons breath slowly disappeared, he also enjoys chaeto.

[Oldsalt01]

19 minutes ago, Clown79 said:

Mine enjoyed dragons breath, all my dragons breath slowly disappeared, he also enjoys chaeto.

Like I said: ANYTHING! Wish I had a system big enough for another one. They're SOOOOOO fun.

[Subsea]

I have a Sailfin Blenny in my mixed garden with Gracilaria Hayi and Red Grapes.  While he occasionally would get into the macro, the Algae Blennie that I have forages on rocks, substrate and glass.  Looks to me that he eats micro algae and when in the macro, it seems as if he is scraping biofilm off of macro surfaces.

 

Also called Lawnmower Blenny.

https://www.liveaquaria.com/product/94/sailfin-algae-blenny?pcatid=94&c=15+23+94

 

 

[Subsea]

3 hours ago, Clown79 said:

Mine enjoyed dragons breath, all my dragons breath slowly disappeared, he also enjoys chaeto.

Anything that eats chaetomorphy is indiscriminate.

[Subsea]

8 hours ago, Zorya said:

Hi, I will be getting in a bunch of macros (scroll, ulva, flat blade gracilaria, pencil cap, mermaids fan, and I have already dragon’s breath) and I’d like to know if anyone has experience keeping a starry blenny in amongst any of these. I see blennys are a risk for eating display macros, but will he also munch on the calcified ones? 

 

I can can set up a separate tank as a disconnected fuge of sorts to house my macro and put clippings in to see if he will eat them, but any input or advice is accepted! Ideally I want to have the macros in the display (29gal biocube).

Where did you get your Flat Bladed Gracilaria Tikvahiae?

[Zorya]

4 hours ago, Subsea said:

Where did you get your Flat Bladed Gracilaria Tikvahiae?

Got all my macros from Reef Cleaners because I'm also ordering more CUC :)

Thanks for all of the input :)

 

I'll just set up a little fuge for my macros and put a clown goby in or something as a separate system and maybe my blenny will enjoy a snack when I need to trim!

[Zorya]

I'm in it for the eyebrows -wiggles eyebrows- 😏

 

I got a tailspot for my 20gal before I left for vacation and he's super cute with his feelers.  I sprayed some mysis into his "cave" (a very small hole in a rock that he barely fits in, just his head sticks out when he is asleep) and after a few bites, he started to vacuum it up like Kirby and spray it out.  Fortunately, the clownfish was there to eat the food and it looked like the blenny was feeding her :D. 

[Clown79]

14 hours ago, Oldsalt01 said:

Like I said: ANYTHING! Wish I had a system big enough for another one. They're SOOOOOO fun.

They are awesome fish!

[Clown79]

11 hours ago, Subsea said:

Anything that eats chaetomorphy is indiscriminate.

He also eats sand and poops it everywhere.

 

He is definitely not a fussy eater.

[WV Reefer]

I can confirm...... Starry Blennys are major poopers!  In my tank he is second only to my Yellow Tang! 💩

[Subsea]

I must take Live Aquaria with a “grain of s salt”.  I use them as one reference but I don’t take them as a final authority.

 

Life Aquaria description of Starry Blenny says “feeds on micro algae”.  For Lawnmower Blenny, they say “natural algae”.

 

I say, it depends on the individual fish preferences.  Also, a fish can decide to forage on differrent stuff.  Before I moved to Austin, I had an extended system of 1500 gallons which consisted of 150G display connected by 100’ of pvc into garage propagation system.  Two 55G refugiums circulated thru two 4’ by 8’ shallow growout trough tanks.  In one of the 55G tanks I had a Red Grape that was 16” tall and filled 33% of tank.  I had a yellow tang in this tank for 6 months and while I was gone one weekend the tang destroyed the Red Grape.  Fish can change their mind on what they eat

[Zorya]

I’ve been pretty lucky with getting docile fish, but you never know when your luck runs out!

[Zorya]

Update! She hasn't eaten any of my dragon's breath or the other red macro in there, she eats only the nori and my arm hairs.

[Aurortpa]

Yeah I love my macros, had to kick out my urchin for going after my halimeda and wearing my caulerpa...miss the buggar!

 

Glad the blenny is leaving them alone. My tailspot pecks on mine but just for the micro algae on them, as they are never damaged.

[Zorya]

16 hours ago, Aurortpa said:

Yeah I love my macros, had to kick out my urchin for going after my halimeda and wearing my caulerpa...miss the buggar!

 

Glad the blenny is leaving them alone. My tailspot pecks on mine but just for the micro algae on them, as they are never damaged.

I had a tuxedo and he was wearing around the gha (and pulling it up for me for free), but he mysteriously passed away and I figured I could do without the coral rearranging for awhile.