Midas blenny behavior

[blaxsun]

Mine turned blue/purple permanently. We sometimes miss his original colors, but he's fairly unique now.

 

[Wyvern]

Mine turned blue/purple permanently. We sometimes miss his original colors, but he's fairly unique now.

 

[rhostam]

I came to this thread hoping to find some answers. But all I have are more questions!

I picked up a Midas blenny about a month ago. It was super yellow gold in the store. When I brought him home and opened the bag, he was a very purple deep purple hue. I called the LFS because I wasn't sure they actually caught the one I wanted, though they only had one in stock at the time - I'm not sure what else it could have been.

Anyhow, I brought him home. I acclimated him. No QT setup. He has been super active the entire time I've cared for him. He occupied the top of the water column almost exclusively except when the lights are out. He is always swimming against the current and in the strongest part of the flow (which is where food comes from).

When it comes to feeding time, he eats everything that comes his way and I have observed zero aggression from him towards others or from the others towards him.

But he never turned pure yellow gold again. At best, he would be about 30-50% yellow and then transition to pink.

I have a camera on the tank and I watch it from my office desk. I see him swimming all over the tank sometimes with the other fish, as well. He almost feeds from my hand directly when I offer manual feedings. My hippo Gloria is shyer than Glendale was.

Today I went to pluck out some GHA from the rock work and also scrape coralline algae off the glass and he went into his evening hiding spot. I didn't think anything of it. But I noticed he was as purple as the rock he was hiding in. I assumed the cleaning stressed him out and that he'd return to "normal" once I was done.

30 minutes later I was done.

I went to pick up some dinner and came back and noticed my large emeralds and hermit congregated. They were eating something. I didn't think anything of that since the feeder had come on only a few minutes prior.

But then I got close and saw ... the emerald had the midas in his claws and he and the hermit along with smaller hermits were eating him.

I think now based on reading this and other experiences that the midas was, in fact, stressed this whole time.

So now I'm wondering did he die that suddenly from the stress? Or was he caught by the crabs as he was hiding? During lights-on he would definitely always be out swimming so I can't imagine he went to his cave during feeding time.

My guess is that he died in between my cleaning and my return from getting dinner.

I'm really bummed. It's never easy to lose a creature.

I'm not really asking any questions I guess. I am just seriously sad and needed to share my experience. But if any of you have thoughts on the matter, I'm happy to read them.

 

[i cant think]

I came to this thread hoping to find some answers. But all I have are more questions!

I picked up a Midas blenny about a month ago. It was super yellow gold in the store. When I brought him home and opened the bag, he was a very purple deep purple hue. I called the LFS because I wasn't sure they actually caught the one I wanted, though they only had one in stock at the time - I'm not sure what else it could have been.

Anyhow, I brought him home. I acclimated him. No QT setup. He has been super active the entire time I've cared for him. He occupied the top of the water column almost exclusively except when the lights are out. He is always swimming against the current and in the strongest part of the flow (which is where food comes from).

When it comes to feeding time, he eats everything that comes his way and I have observed zero aggression from him towards others or from the others towards him.

But he never turned pure yellow gold again. At best, he would be about 30-50% yellow and then transition to pink.

I have a camera on the tank and I watch it from my office desk. I see him swimming all over the tank sometimes with the other fish, as well. He almost feeds from my hand directly when I offer manual feedings. My hippo Gloria is shyer than Glendale was.

Today I went to pluck out some GHA from the rock work and also scrape coralline algae off the glass and he went into his evening hiding spot. I didn't think anything of it. But I noticed he was as purple as the rock he was hiding in. I assumed the cleaning stressed him out and that he'd return to "normal" once I was done.

30 minutes later I was done.

I went to pick up some dinner and came back and noticed my large emeralds and hermit congregated. They were eating something. I didn't think anything of that since the feeder had come on only a few minutes prior.

But then I got close and saw ... the emerald had the midas in his claws and he and the hermit along with smaller hermits were eating him.

I think now based on reading this and other experiences that the midas was, in fact, stressed this whole time.

So now I'm wondering did he die that suddenly from the stress? Or was he caught by the crabs as he was hiding? During lights-on he would definitely always be out swimming so I can't imagine he went to his cave during feeding time.

My guess is that he died in between my cleaning and my return from getting dinner.

I'm really bummed. It's never easy to lose a creature.

I'm not really asking any questions I guess. I am just seriously sad and needed to share my experience. But if any of you have thoughts on the matter, I'm happy to read them.

Midas blennys have actually been known to stay blue/purple and thrive like that. Yes it can be stress but I’ve never seen a Midas blenny that’s yellow go deep blue even when stressed. My LFS has a beautiful blue Midas and even that guy isn’t stressed and swims quite happily with the other fish.

 

[rhostam]

Midas blennys have actually been known to stay blue/purple and thrive like that. Yes it can be stress but I’ve never seen a Midas blenny that’s yellow go deep blue even when stressed. My LFS has a beautiful blue Midas and even that guy isn’t stressed and swims quite happily with the other fish.

Indeed. Aside from colors I had no reason to assume he was stressed. Hindsight.

 

[Calm Blue Ocean]

I don't believe color is always a sign of stress in midas blennies. According to fishbase.de they can rapidly change color to match the fish they swim with and will even mimic swimming behavior. I've seen elsewhere that individuals will school with anthias and engage in what they refer to as "social mimicry". So perhaps some of our off color midas blennies are just blending with the crowd.

 

[Andresnyc93]

A darker midas blenny color will always resemble stress. I’ve had 3 of them in different set ups and systems and they’ve all always just turned darker because they are stressed out. Midas blenny is an active and curious fish so they should be perching somewhere and swimming out in the open here and there if they don’t come out then something is definitely stressing them out. Here’s how they should look-

 

[i cant think]

A darker midas blenny color will always resemble stress. I’ve had 3 of them in different set ups and systems and they’ve all always just turned darker because they are stressed out. Midas blenny is an active and curious fish so they should be perching somewhere and swimming out in the open here and there if they don’t come out then something is definitely stressing them out. Here’s how they should look-

You can find blue ones that don’t change back but are quite happily thriving in a reef. I have also seen some that go bright red in some cases. They use the change of colour to mimic the environment they’re in and lighting they’re under.

 

[rhostam]

A darker midas blenny color will always resemble stress. I’ve had 3 of them in different set ups and systems and they’ve all always just turned darker because they are stressed out. Midas blenny is an active and curious fish so they should be perching somewhere and swimming out in the open here and there if they don’t come out then something is definitely stressing them out. Here’s how they should look-

Mine never looked like that. Except at the LFS.

He swam along side the other fish, he was always out on the open, and he ate well. Up until that day I did maintenance (not the first time I’ve done maintenance in the tank) I haven’t seen him hiding during the day.

I guess it was too much.

 

[Andresnyc93]

Mine never looked like that. Except at the LFS.

He swam along side the other fish, he was always out on the open, and he ate well. Up until that day I did maintenance (not the first time I’ve done maintenance in the tank) I haven’t seen him hiding during the day.

I guess it was too much.

What size tank do you have? I’ve seen my midas blenny be stressed but it was only during acclimation to his new home. Also most fish will outrun a hermit so the fact that they got on him could indicate he was already dead when they did. Did you add anything differently? Or perhaps took a while scraping off the rocks and the oxygenation in the tank could’ve gotten low. What tank mates did he have

 

[Jubei2006]

I came to this thread hoping to find some answers. But all I have are more questions!

I picked up a Midas blenny about a month ago. It was super yellow gold in the store. When I brought him home and opened the bag, he was a very purple deep purple hue. I called the LFS because I wasn't sure they actually caught the one I wanted, though they only had one in stock at the time - I'm not sure what else it could have been.

Anyhow, I brought him home. I acclimated him. No QT setup. He has been super active the entire time I've cared for him. He occupied the top of the water column almost exclusively except when the lights are out. He is always swimming against the current and in the strongest part of the flow (which is where food comes from).

When it comes to feeding time, he eats everything that comes his way and I have observed zero aggression from him towards others or from the others towards him.

But he never turned pure yellow gold again. At best, he would be about 30-50% yellow and then transition to pink.

I have a camera on the tank and I watch it from my office desk. I see him swimming all over the tank sometimes with the other fish, as well. He almost feeds from my hand directly when I offer manual feedings. My hippo Gloria is shyer than Glendale was.

Today I went to pluck out some GHA from the rock work and also scrape coralline algae off the glass and he went into his evening hiding spot. I didn't think anything of it. But I noticed he was as purple as the rock he was hiding in. I assumed the cleaning stressed him out and that he'd return to "normal" once I was done.

30 minutes later I was done.

I went to pick up some dinner and came back and noticed my large emeralds and hermit congregated. They were eating something. I didn't think anything of that since the feeder had come on only a few minutes prior.

But then I got close and saw ... the emerald had the midas in his claws and he and the hermit along with smaller hermits were eating him.

I think now based on reading this and other experiences that the midas was, in fact, stressed this whole time.

So now I'm wondering did he die that suddenly from the stress? Or was he caught by the crabs as he was hiding? During lights-on he would definitely always be out swimming so I can't imagine he went to his cave during feeding time.

My guess is that he died in between my cleaning and my return from getting dinner.

I'm really bummed. It's never easy to lose a creature.

I'm not really asking any questions I guess. I am just seriously sad and needed to share my experience. But if any of you have thoughts on the matter, I'm happy to read them.

Sorry to hear that, they are entertaining fish. Mine schools in the water with the anthias and wrasses during the day, and goes to his hideyhole late afternoon and night. While schooling, he's brilliant canary yellow. When hiding, he's more muted and gets a mottled appearance that is somewhat blue. He also took that appearance in quarantine, and up until he had buddies to hang with. In your case it was probably a case of stress and underlying disease unfortunately.

 

[rhostam]

What size tank do you have? I’ve seen my midas blenny be stressed but it was only during acclimation to his new home. Also most fish will outrun a hermit so the fact that they got on him could indicate he was already dead when they did. Did you add anything differently? Or perhaps took a while scraping off the rocks and the oxygenation in the tank could’ve gotten low. What tank mates did he have

Waterbox Peninsula 7225. Glendale was an inhabitant for just over a month.

There a few chromies, couple clowns, lawnmower, cardinal, white tail bristletooth, yellow, hippo and naso tang.

All of the fish swim together regularly through out the day. The chromies can chase with each other and the lawnmower, but I have never observed them harassing any other fish or vice versa.

Aside from the color, I didn’t have any reason to suspect anything was wrong. He has never hidden from me hand in tank or wandering about. He always swam out in the open against the current. He ate well.

I don’t scrape coralline that often. Perhaps twice a month. This would have been the second time he has experienced that. It would have been the first time he experienced me plucking tufts of GHA.

I also very rarely completely turn off flow and did not do it in this case, either.

 

[Andresnyc93]

Waterbox Peninsula 7225. Glendale was an inhabitant for just over a month.

There a few chromies, couple clowns, lawnmower, cardinal, white tail bristletooth, yellow, hippo and naso tang.

All of the fish swim together regularly through out the day. The chromies can chase with each other and the lawnmower, but I have never observed them harassing any other fish or vice versa.

Aside from the color, I didn’t have any reason to suspect anything was wrong. He has never hidden from me hand in tank or wandering about. He always swam out in the open against the current. He ate well.

I don’t scrape coralline that often. Perhaps twice a month. This would have been the second time he has experienced that. It would have been the first time he experienced me plucking tufts of GHA.

I also very rarely completely turn off flow and did not do it in this case, either.

Maybe it was where you got the fish from, sometimes I don’t notice aggression but I know my yellow tang is the king of the tank and he could be a little more aggressive than the rest of the fish.