Midas Blenny - Potential Damaged Dorsal Fin

[WatchBrowns]

I bought a Midas Blenny 2 days as the newest addition to my 75 gallon reef tank and it has been swimming/perching in the upper corners of the tank since its introduction and often upside down or wrapping itself around suction cups for the heaters or pumps.

Initially, I thought it was just nervous about its new surroundings and new tank mates (2 small clownfish added about 2-3 weeks prior), but I noticed late yesterday that it appears he may have a damaged dorsal fin.

I did not notice it at the LFS since it was perched inside of the rock work and I did not examine it that closely in the bag on the way home. I am unsure where the injury may have occurred or even if it is an injury that happened a while back that it has already recovered from.

It currently eats fine when I put a piece of mysis in a pipet near its corner or if a piece float by then it will lunge out and grab it, but it will not swim around the tank or near the rock work at all even for food.

The clowns have about 0 interest in the blenny so I know it was not a bullying situations and I am thinking it may just need a few more days to get comfortable, but the apparently damaged dorsal fin worries me a bit.

Is swimming up into the corners of the tank like this a normal behavior for a Midas Blenny?

 

[cdemoss01]

I bought a Midas Blenny 2 days as the newest addition to my 75 gallon reef tank and it has been swimming/perching in the upper corners of the tank since its introduction and often upside down or wrapping itself around suction cups for the heaters or pumps.

Initially, I thought it was just nervous about its new surroundings and new tank mates (2 small clownfish added about 2-3 weeks prior), but I noticed late yesterday that it appears he may have a damaged dorsal fin.

I did not notice it at the LFS since it was perched inside of the rock work and I did not examine it that closely in the bag on the way home. I am unsure where the injury may have occurred or even if it is an injury that happened a while back that it has already recovered from.

It currently eats fine when I put a piece of mysis in a pipet near its corner or if a piece float by then it will lunge out and grab it, but it will not swim around the tank or near the rock work at all even for food.

The clowns have about 0 interest in the blenny so I know it was not a bullying situations and I am thinking it may just need a few more days to get comfortable, but the apparently damaged dorsal fin worries me a bit.

Is swimming up into the corners of the tank like this a normal behavior for a Midas Blenny?

Could you possibly get a closer look at it?

 

[Arkayology]

IME they do like to perch, though usually on rocks. I don't think this is entirely unusual for this fish in a new tank. Better pics of the fin would help.

 

[WatchBrowns]

It has been making progress with the appearance of the damaged fin and looks to be almost completely healed.

I noticed it starting to perch on top of my gyre pump so I ended up setting set up my glass scraper in the corner and it has been perching/resting on that consistently for about a week.

It darts out and to grab food and will venture out to the top front of the tank briefly for a swim once in a while but always shoots back to that top left corner.

I have always heard they are very active swimmers and like to perch on the rocks but I don’t think this one has gone over half way deep into the tank since introducing it.

Seems much more active so I am holding out hope it was/is recovering but it pretty much exclusively swims at the top surface of the water looking for a place to jump or perches on the glass scraper.

Here are some before and after shots.

Before:




After: