Starry Blenny eating sand? Food questions?

[ReeferReefer]

Just got a Starry Blenny a week ago and it seems to have settled in but it seems to be eating sand. It's stomach gets bloated with all the sand it's eating. Is this normal? It seems to be accepting some Mysis and a little bit of flake but one touch my GHA. What is your experience with these guys?

 

[JJ1796]

Mine picks algae of the rocks. Doesn't mess with the sand, maybe because I have the black stuff. Mine has a bloated stomach because he the first one in line for any food I put in the tank. Eats everything.

 

[ReeferReefer]

Mine picks algae of the rocks. Doesn't mess with the sand, maybe because I have the black stuff. Mine has a bloated stomach because he the first one in line for any food I put in the tank. Eats everything.

Thanks. Mine still won't touch Nori but at least he is taking prepared food. Just hope that eating sand doesn't hurt him

 

[eatbreakfast]

I haven't had one eat sand before, but he must be doing it for a reason.

 

[ReeferReefer]

I haven't had one eat sand before, but he must be doing it for a reason.

Yeah, odd behavior for sure. Never heard of these guys doing it before.

 

[joro]

I've had a rather large one in QT for about 5 weeks now and interestingly enough he's started to chow down on what I'm feeding everyone else (including live blackworms, mysis, brine, etc). I do put a sheet of nori in each day for the FoxFace who is also in QT and he doesn't seem to touch it. As with everything, YMMV

 

[ReeferReefer]

I've had a rather large one in QT for about 5 weeks now and interestingly enough he's started to chow down on what I'm feeding everyone else (including live blackworms, mysis, brine, etc). I do put a sheet of nori in each day for the FoxFace who is also in QT and he doesn't seem to touch it. As with everything, YMMV

Yeah, he is pretty big and eats flake and Reef Frenzy with the other fish which is good. He gets sand all over the place with his flashing though. I see no signs of disease so he must just be showing off

 

[thisoldfish]

I just found this thread when I was searching for an explanation of same behavior in my starry blenny.. has been doing great for months- eating whatever everyone else is. But in last week I’ve noticed him/her eating sand with a very full abdomen. Pooping sand all over the corals! Maybe someone knows the answer to this? Some dietary deficiency?

 

[Baldguy]

Mine eats sand along with nori, pellets, flake and any frozen food I put in the tank. He'll go after microalgae but unfortunately won't touch hair algae. The pooped sand doesn't cause much concern except when it collects in my chalice. I figure he's after whatever's on or in the sand. Seems very healthy to me.

 

[thisoldfish]

Interesting. Odd behavior but maybe just a species specific thing (only time I’ve heard of this is w starry). Mine too also seems otherwise perfectly happy- though the abdomen full of sand makes him look 9 months pregnant

Thanks

 

[Newb73]

I think they can ingest sand and their system digests what is in the sand.

Slightly off topic but my picasso trigger gets mouth fulls of sand and ejects it through his gills or just chews and spits it. I think he can get pods out of it this way.

He is fond of spitting it onto fish swimming below him, specifically the domino damsels he lives with. I have seen him spit rocks and sand onto my spini box puffer and the puffer will get mad and puff up. Pretty funny actually.

 

[Tinfoil_Anemone]

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