Best algae for a lawnmower blenny?

[reefofart]

Hi! I would like to keep a lawnmower blenny, but have read that in some tanks they don't get enough algae to sustain themselves. I am still in the set-up/equipment gathering stage and would like to put together a refugium with some type of macroalgae for filtration/pod home/nutrient export. I thought I could periodically harvest some of the algae and place it in the main tank as a supplemental food source for the blenny. What would be the best algae choice for a lawnmower?

 

My first choice is Gracilaria (sp?) the red algae, but I don't know if lawnmowers would chow down on it. Just want to make sure I know how to keep one of these cute little guys alive before I buy one. Any help would be much appreciated!

[Duke13]

Lawnmowers don't actually eat macro alage, nor do they eat hair algae (which is one of the biggest misconceptions). The best thing you can offer him is probably some sort of seaweed select. You can also try meaty foods like mysid shrimp or blood worms. Some Lawnmowers are real picky.

 

Since you don't have a lot of micro algae, your best bet is to observe the blennie you want to buy and make sure it accepts other foods before purchasing him.

[reefofart]

Wow, kind of makes me wonder how they get a common name like "lawnmower" if they don't eat a lot of common algae. I have several reef books and a Foster & Smith catalog that all say that they are herbivorous- no mention of them eating meaty foods.

 

The advice about observing them eating something before the purchase is what I guess I will have to go on. At least that will give me something to sustain it at first while I try out other offerings to see what my particular lawnmower will take.

 

My only disappointment is I was hoping to have an algae filter that had the added benefit of feeding some of my fish. Anyone else want to offer some info about what their lawnmowers like to eat? Or any fish that would crave macroalgae?