Dead Lawnmower Blenny

[Rlumenator]

Jewel became a family member last Oct.8, 9 months ago. She was good sized, healthy and very animated. She was a real character! She ate well, both what I put in the tank, and any algae on the walls. A few days ago, I noticed she wasn't out much. I was pretty busy, and didn't pay much attention. Yesterday she looked kind of thin, and this morning I couldn't find her anywhere, until I looked down on the sand where she lay dead. She was really thin. Why did she die? How old do they live to be? I don't know how old she was when I bought her. She couldn't have starved - there was too much food.
Feedback from those who have had them is appreciated.

 

[Anonymous]

This seems to be happening more and more frequently with lawnmowers. I had one do the same thing in a thriving tank. Several other members have reported similar experiences with lawnmowers, but I don't know why.

 

[Anonymous]

This seems to be happening more and more frequently with lawnmowers. I had one do the same thing in a thriving tank. Several other members have reported similar experiences with lawnmowers, but I don't know why.

She couldn't have starved - there was too much food.

Quite wrong, she could have, and WAS starved. Eating, and eating enough of the right foods are two different things. The secenio that
you just experienced is, and always has been, quite common. They are obligate algea feeder, and needs a very large tank than can provide enough grazing to prevent starvation. They eat CONSTANTLY in the wild, and while some fish which do the same (some angels, tangs, just to name a few) can adapt to our feeding schedules and limited grazing in between, this species of blennie is in general, not one of them.
Some people get lucky and attain a specimen that eats enough introduced food items to stay healthy, or else they have a large enough (and "dirty" enough) tank. Much of the time though they die after seemingly doing well for a period of weeks.
Scott Michael rates this fish a 4 in his book, one of the VERY few times where his rating is at odds with what I would rate a fish at based on my experience, and it seems, the experience of many. He's usually right on.

Although I've seen them do well from time to time, and I'm sure a few hare might chime in about success, I would steer clear of this species going forward.

Jim

 

[Anonymous]

I have my first lawnmower blenny for 4 1/2 years. Like yours, it was very animated and quite a character. Then, in the span of a week, it stopped eating, got very thin, and died. There were direct or indirect changes to the tank that I could see. Dang, I still get upset thinking about it.

I don't know what happened...maybe some sort of internal parasite or disease, perhaps. I wish I knew.

I just wanted to share my experience, because it seems similar to yours. I'm short on answers, though, as you can see.

 

[Oceans Ferevh]

Sorry to hear about your loss

 

[Rlumenator]

Thank you Bethany! Chrispushka: Did you get another lawnmower after that? I'm not sure if I will or not.

Jim- She had plenty to eat- loved Nori and anything else put in the tank (160) gal. She lasted 9 months, not weeks. Whatever happened, happened rapidly.

 

[Anonymous]

Thank you Bethany! Chrispushka: Did you get another lawnmower after that? I'm not sure if I will or not.

Jim- She had plenty to eat- loved Nori and anything else put in the tank (160) gal. She lasted 9 months, not weeks. Whatever happened, happened rapidly.

Understood, however when a fish starves to death, the symptoms usually often don't show up until rather late, and the fish often "crashes" rapidly and without warning. This can happen after 6 weeks, or 6 years. Because it was eating nori, doesn't mean it was eating enough of it. By the same token, because this fish seemed to like what you fed it doesn't mean it was getting fed ENOUGH of those items. You said yourself that the fish was "thin" yes?
You are talking about a fish that is KNOWN to starve to death in captivity, it's a chronic problem with this species. You had thin, and then DEAD fish on your hands. Open and closed case IMO. I would be willing to bet that the fish's caloric and nutritional requirements were simply not being met, and it finally caught up with him. I'd be willing to bet the same in Chrispy's case.