lawnmower blenny untimely death

slipondajimmy · Feb 20, 2009

So I purchased a Lawnmower Blenny on valentines day as a gift to myself(as well as some nice looking blue zoas) from the fine people at WWC. After acclimating my new buddy I set him free into my little ocean. He seemed to love it in there. He looked like his was eating great. Every time I checked him out he was munchining on something.

Well I get out of work today and of course I have to run to the tank to see whats going on. And I could not find him anywhere. Then I noticed a few snails and hermit crabs congragating in the corner. I check it out and they are having a feast on whats left of my algae eating buddy. When I say whats left I mean like a bit o flesh and bone.

So what could have caused this? my nitrates were a bit on the high side yesterday so I did about a 5 gallon WC (24 gallon tank). But they were not through the roof. The only other livestock I have are 2 clowns (been in the tank for over a year) and my cleanup crew.

He was alive this morning...

RIP my little algae eating buddy - 2/14/2009 - 2/20/2009

Kevin34 · Feb 20, 2009

what does your clean up crew consist of?

slipondajimmy · Feb 20, 2009

blue leg hermit crabs and some snails.

mltascp · Feb 20, 2009

We have had poor luck with LM blennies they will be healthy and eating one day and gone the next without any explanation.

Kevin34 · Feb 20, 2009

i doubt it was the hermits. what are your ammonia and nitrite levels?

droblack · Feb 20, 2009

That sounds like a lot of eaten flesh for having died so recently (was alive in the morning). I've had fish die and sit in the tank for a while (days) before I found them, covered with cleanup crew, but relatively little flesh missing. Eyes missing and some flesh eaten, but not down to little bit of flesh and bone. Anything else in there?

slipondajimmy · Feb 20, 2009

Nothing else in there that I am aware of The blenny was alive this morning. He was sitting on my frag rack.

droblack said:
That sounds like a lot of eaten flesh for having died so recently (was alive in the morning). I've had fish die and sit in the tank for a while (days) before I found them, covered with cleanup crew, but relatively little flesh missing. Eyes missing and some flesh eaten, but not down to little bit of flesh and bone. Anything else in there?