Algae and starry blenny experience needed

[Boehmtown]

I've owned a tailspot and a bi color blenny. Both picked at my corals. Mostly encrusters and acros. I want either an algae or starry blenny for my New tank but I just rather not if they are going to bite them too. Has anyone ever had any trouble with them picking at stuff. Or with aggression or anything

 

[Tinnerito]

I've owned a tailspot and a bi color blenny. Both picked at my corals. Mostly encrusters and acros. I want either an algae or starry blenny for my New tank but I just rather not if they are going to bite them too. Has anyone ever had any trouble with them picking at stuff. Or with aggression or anything

Never heard much from starry blennies, but a reefing friend of mine keeps many sailfin algae blennies and they don't pick at anything other than rocks for algae.

 

[56longroof]

My starry is a model citizen. I have never seen it pick at any coral at all.

 

[Oldsman]

Our lawnmower blenny does nothing except eat, and perch on the rocks watching us! He's so well camouflaged, it makes it challenging to spot . Our daughter calls it a tadpole cause it has a large belly

 

[FlyinAg]

My starry is a psychopath. Will not leave my hand alone in the tank, and goes on murder sprees. I didn't think it was him at first but it's undeniable now. 2 mollies, a Pygmy Cherub and flame Angel. I thought the mollies were friendly fire, and thought the pygmy was just an unhealthy fish (never saw it again). But the flame Angel was undeniably the blennies fault from witnessing aggression. He is so good looking, and powers through algae, but apparently they can be very aggressive. Trying to catch him for sump duty.

 

[UncommonSense]

My old starry blenny once took on a goby more than twice his size, both starry and algae blennies exhibit territorial aggression towards conspecifics…

— I have a algae blenny this time around; him and a diamond watchman goby were were added at the same time; there were a few initial quarrels, but they’ve since agreed to disagree and found their own preferred territories!

Best bet is adding it after your more sensitive fish have already established territories!

 

[bjsreefer]

I have starries in both my nano softie heavy and my 90 mixed reef LPS/Just starting SPS. No issues so far at all! And haven’t seen any of the aggression mentioned on here either. If anything, he still just gets bullied like everybody else except the marine betta by the Kole tang

 

[Idech]

Mine is okay but he is being harassed by my bristletooth tang so it stays put.

 

[FlyinAg]

Such a range of personalities just like people. They seemed very intelligent and personable as far as fish go, so maybe something to that.

A friend and hobbyist who works at the LFS, and whom I trust, unlike many others, had a similar experience to me. He was unsurprised. He recommended sending him to the sump for a while, and try to reintroduce as the 'last fish', well after getting something else. His experience is that a sump tour tends to reset their little fish brains as they are introduced to a new place as low man on the totem pole.

TLDR: these guys are awesome and gorgeous but are all over the spectrum so use caution.

 

[FlyinAg]

Pile on:

Mine was really good at cleaning around corals. He was a little too good at cleaning my lace gorgonian. Great service but a little too aggressive with the gorgonian, which caused it to close often.

Also, Ive had super chill tail spot blennies, but also some crackheads. It's just that they are so small no one cares, unless you have nano fish in the tank. Just a data point that shows blennies can be butt heads, though most would say they are peaceful.