Do blennies get along with other Blennies? Anyone have 2 in a tank?

fishisfun7

Member
55 gallon tank, 50+ pounds of LR and I have one small lawnmower blenny. I LOVE the bicolor that is in my LFS and he seems to be very social. jumping all over the tank! The lawnmower doesn't pester anyone (a very peaceful tank that includes 2 percs, a Yellow Tang and a Coral Beauty) and I was wondering if they would get along? Anyone have any experience with two small blennies in a tank? Thanks!
 

fedukeford

Active Member
they would probley get along, also id get that tang out of there unless your upgrading or putting it into a bigger tank
 

fishisfun7

Member
The tang is fairly small and HE'LL STAY in the 55 until he gets a bit bigger. Then I'll upgrade to a bigger tank or...worst case scenario...put him in my buddy's 120 or return him to my LFS and get another small one and start the process all over again. Thanks for the input on the blennies!
 

Chasmodes

Member
I had a molly miller and a bicolor blenny in the same 55g years ago and they got along. Most of the time fish that are this similar will fight. IMO mine got along because they filled different niches. The molly miller is an omnivore but this particular one preferred meaty foods and rarely ate algae. The bicolor ate mostly algae and on rare occasion ate meaty foods. Hence, I think that is why they got along. I think that there is always a risk when putting more than one blenny along with another, but it depends on the species and the "personality" of your particular fish. If the water quality is good, food is plentiful, then more times that not things will be OK. But then again, it could go wrong too the minute you move your new blenny from quarantine to your tank. It might be a good idea to rearrange things a bit that day especially you lawnmower's favorite perching spots.
Now, this is really a generalization. I did a google search on "blennies" and saw one pic with three tompot blennies hiding in the same hole. Also, the more peaceful fanged blennies get along with their own kind and often similar other species as well.
Also, in large oyster reef ecosystems in my home waters, there is one species of blenny (the striped blenny, Chasmodes bosquianus, carnivorous species) that basically colonizes the area. Males and females differ quite a bit in appearance and you may see more than one blenny hiding in an oyster shell. That doesn't mean that there are threatening encounters by rivals over a territory, but in a larger system (duplicated in aquaria) the encounters often don't result in injury or stress...they eventually go about their own way. I posted a link to a movie in another blenny thread.
Good luck. If it works out for you then you'll have twice the fun!
 

Chasmodes

Member
Also, on the oyster reef example, sometimes there is another species present which is also carnivorous, Hypsoblennius hentzi. So, similar niches and they seem to get along. I'm not so sure that this would happen in a small aquarium, but a bigger system like maybe 120g and up would probably work.
In my own aquariums in the past, having a lot of hiding spaces and places to perch seemed to be the key to keeping multiple species happy.
 

fishguy83

Member
Originally Posted by sufunk
You're really gonna add more fish to that grossly overstocked tank???????

First let me say I'm a newbie, but have been reading ALOT about my new hobby...
I don't know if I'd call it GROSSLY overstocked.. but pushing it with the Tang and Beauty from what I've read... If it is a well established tank, and you added the fish overtime and there aren't any problems, I would think it sounds alright - but I would stop now, and definately remove tang which needs plenty of swimming space when he gets larger (and even, now)...
Just some thoughts about what I have read about people keeping smaller fish in a tank and saying they'll take them out when they get larger --- these fish go through a lot of stress to make it to pet stores, and finally in our aquariums, why increase the stress it will have by keeping a fish you know you'll have to move, sell, return,or whatever?? Just my opinion...
 

salty444

Member
I have a 55 also that has been up for 7 yrs.
I have many more fish than you so do not think for 1 minute that your tank is overstocked and is too small for a tang... A large tang maybe but not a small one.. I have a purple in my tank it is just fine. I had a yellow tang for 7 yrs in my 55 and it was the largest tang I have ever seen. I also have 2 dwarf angels, a puffer, sandshifting goby a mandarin and a lawnmower blenny.. not to mention the 8 hermits and 10 snails 2 anenomes and 80 pounds of rock... My fish swim in and out of the caves all day long
 

salty444

Member
Originally Posted by salty444
I have a 55 also that has been up for 7 yrs.
I have many more fish than you so do not think for 1 minute that your tank is overstocked and is too small for a tang... A large tang maybe but not a small one.. I have a purple in my tank it is just fine. I had a yellow tang for 7 yrs in my 55 and it was the largest tang I have ever seen. I also have 2 dwarf angels, a puffer, sandshifting goby a mandarin and a lawnmower blenny.. not to mention the 8 hermits and 10 snails 2 anenomes and 80 pounds of rock... My fish swim in and out of the caves all day long

almost forgot my large cinnamon clownfish
 

sufunk

Member
Fishguy, ask him for his full fish list or check his last thread about if he's overstocked. He has over 19 inches of fish in that tank. I dont think there is 1 "expert" on here that would look at his stock list and say he isnt WAY overstocked . And certainly, noone would advise to add more fish to the total.
P.s.- salty, he didnt list his full fish list, if you have more than him id be amazed, he only listed half his fish. He has 10 fish in that tank already
 

tangy-tang

Member
FISHISFUN7 i disagree that your tank is overstocked. IMO thats what adaptation is all about. Fish adapt to what they got and I believe they are just as happy as long as the water is good. From what I have read, most blennies do get along so I say go for it!
 

sufunk

Member
Originally Posted by Tangy-Tang
FISHISFUN7 i disagree that your tank is overstocked. IMO thats what adaptation is all about. Fish adapt to what they got and I believe they are just as happy as long as the water is good. From what I have read, most blennies do get along so I say go for it!
Great advice coming from someone who has 8 fish including 4TANGS in a 55g and is planning on adding 4 more to his ich factory of death

Dont listen to me, ask the mods on here what they think about both your tanks stock list and their chances to thrive!
 

sufunk

Member
By the way tangy, if i lock you in a closet with no lights you'll eventually adapt to it. Is that how you want to live though
 

tangy-tang

Member
Well I guess if YOU were actually ABLE to lock me in a closet I would have no other choice. My house is less than 1000 square feet and I am still happy with it. The difference is that I can tell you what works for me and a fish cant. Just have to trust your gut feeling sometimes. Dont forget just because something works doesnt mean its the right or only way. IMO :)
 

sufunk

Member
Look out, we got a tough guy here

Yeah, put 7 more of you in that shoebox and see how happy you are
 

sufunk

Member
Then see how happy you are when the owner puts 4 more in there on top of the 8 of you. Sounds like fun to me! :scared:
 

tangy-tang

Member
LOL@tough guy. Nah. Just giving my opions. I say if you got the money just try different stuff and see if it works. Thats the best way to learn. BTW my yellow tang, kole tang, blue hippo, powder brown, and 4 clowns just had a meeting and reinsure me that they are happy in my 55 gallon
 

sufunk

Member
Wow , thats irresponsible thinking when talking about living creatures

Hope you at least listen to the people in the know on here when all your fish start dying of ich
 

tangy-tang

Member
I hope they dont get ich. Wow, I hate to have to buy them over again. They were really expensive. IMO if people didnt formulate different thoughts things would not get better. We never really know what works best.
 

sufunk

Member
You know what your right, invite 11 homeless people to live with you permanently. You never know, the 12 of you may be very happy living together in that 1000 sq. ft home never leaving the house. Never know til you try
 
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