Escenius blennies, ‘Reef Safe’?

[i cant think]

Well… I was told these guys were reef safe and a good reef candidate. I’m on my 3rd species of Escenius blenny. All of them refused to live with SPS colonies, Specifically acropora cervicornis (Staghorn Acropora). My three blennies were:
- Escenius lineatus (The current one)
- Escenius bicolor (My 1st ever blenny)
- Escenius tricolor (My favourite of the three)
None of them liked/like acropora and usually went after Monti’s and Cervicornis. I mean, my current Staghorn (My dream coral to have) has what looks like no polyps and white patches on it. Now the white patches aren’t anything to do with chemistry (Everything is correct). However I have witnessed my lineatus happily nipping at the staghorn. And everywhere there is white is where the blenny has nipped.

and the culprit

I have no photos of my other guys I’ve owned or even the coral they’ve nipped but I have seen a pattern with it. They always have white patches in the same spots the blennies nipped but not just that, all of the SPS have had some lovely polyp extension then when the blenny goes at it, the polyps just never come out and vanish. Anyone know if in the wild these are corallivorous? Everywhere you read it says “Reef Safe” and “Algae grazers in the wild”. Not just for linear blennies but for the whole genus, I wanted to grow acros in my Nano for my Clown Goby to then breed on when I find her a partner but the blenny decides to go through it. Luckily I think I have found an SPS the blenny ignores, Montipora spongoides.

Have you guys seen a similar pattern with your Escenius blennies? If so what species were they/is it?

 

[blaxsun]

I had a pair of pictus blennies and they totally ignored my corals.

 

[damsels are not mean]

I'm gonna try some E. Bimaculatus soon I wonder if they are any better. Maybe I should let my new frags grow out before adding them. There is a good amount of algae in the tank for them to graze usually, hopefully that keeps them off the coral.

 

[jda]

Other than Midas, I generally treat all blennies as polyp eaters. Most do, some don't. There are no absolutes, however.

 

[damsels are not mean]

Other than Midas, I generally treat all blennies as polyp eaters. Most do, some don't. There are no absolutes, however.

Yeah although they are usually marked reef safe they seem to be as mixed as dwarf angels just based on forum posts. I think their size makes the munching not so bad. Like, they probably won't kill a healthy colony but an angel certainly could if it was hungry.

 

[Tamberav]

I have kept Ecsenius pictus for years and even in a 5g with SPS. NO damage to corals.

The bicolor nipping doesn't surprise me. Pretty sure that is a known thing... I remember people posting about it on nano-reef frequently enough anyways.

Do you have enough algae in the tank for them to eat?

 

[blaxsun]

Yeah although they are usually marked reef safe they seem to be as mixed as dwarf angels just based on forum posts. I think their size makes the munching not so bad. Like, they probably won't kill a healthy colony but an angel certainly could if it was hungry.

My midnight dwarf angel likes acans. Only acans - leaves everything else alone. The coral beauty dwarf angel could care less about my corals. My midas blenny prefers the fresh stuff and rarely ventures out of his barnacle. The two pictus blennies I had liked calanus. My melanarus wrasse has taken a liking to elegance corals and killed two of them.

 

[damsels are not mean]

My midnight dwarf angel likes acans. Only acans - leaves everything else alone. The coral beauty dwarf angel could care less about my corals. My midas blenny prefers the fresh stuff and rarely ventures out of his barnacle. The two pictus blennies I had liked calanus. My melanarus wrasse has taken a liking to elegance corals and killed two of them.

the wrasse is a bit surprising i must say

 

[i cant think]

I have kept Ecsenius pictus for years and even in a 5g with SPS. NO damage to corals.

The bicolor nipping doesn't surprise me. Pretty sure that is a known thing... I remember people posting about it on nano-reef frequently enough anyways.

Do you have enough algae in the tank for them to eat?

Yep, after reading it seems some sites do say they’re likely to go at SPS coral. Bicolor, Lineatus, Midas, the whole lot are bad with coral. Even salarias are bad with coral, IMO no blenny would be in a reef tank unless you’re willing to lose a few pieces of a coral colony.

 

[blaxsun]

the wrasse is a bit surprising i must say

It was for me too, until my wife caught him casually eating the polyps off one by one afternoon.

 

[Tamberav]

Yep, after reading it seems some sites do say they’re likely to go at SPS coral. Bicolor, Lineatus, Midas, the whole lot are bad with coral. Even salarias are bad with coral, IMO no blenny would be in a reef tank unless you’re willing to lose a few pieces of a coral colony.

well there is always fang blennies

 

[Lyss]

They're not

I'm so mad rn -- my tailspot martian just ruined two beautiful elephant skin coral frags I've had on the sand acclimating for a couple weeks. I cut back his food y'day and again today b/c he was constipated. I guess keeping them extremely well fed helps but these guys are not reef safe.

Edit: I ordered one of these. For now both frags are in an acclimation box -- one is prob a goner, the other looks like it can prob recover -- and once I get this they can go back on the sand under it to recover. Then what, IDK...