Help! New Midas Blenny - Thin & Beat up? See pics

[xokarmaxo]

My LFS got a midas blenny in last week and I asked them to hold it for me. When I stopped by today to check on it, I saw that it wasn't in the tank cubicle it was in last week and the LFS owner told me that this blenny had been jumping from tank to tank and ended up in the central display tank, where apparently, another fish has been harrassing it. That poor little blenny. It looked so thin and the top portion of his fin near the front looked dark, or tattered looking. Definately looked like he had been beat up. I couldn't bear to see him stay there and risk getting beat up anymore, so I took him home today.
My other fish are a percula and sixline wrasse. I was a little concerned that the sixline might try to pick on the blenny, being the "new guy" and all, but my sixline hasn't shown any aggression so far, so I tried it out. The blenny found himself a place in the rock real quick, and unbeknownst to him, it's where the wrasse sleeps at night, so the wrasse went to check him out. Do you know that the little blenny actually snarled at the wrasse when it got near???

It was TOO funny!! So I think that the little blenny might be able to hold his own during the night.
My question is this... take a look at the pics. The blenny is very thin, and he swam way too fast for me to get a clear picture of what his top front fin looks like, but you can see the darkish discoloration on it where it looks tattered. Will his fin get better? I know that he will get fatter/healthier because he has a great appetite and ate for me pretty well. It really is a beautiful little fish and I hated to see it stay at the LFS any longer. I'm hoping that with a little bit of time, attention, food and TLC, his fin will look better and he will be happy.
Any thoughts/help/suggestions will be greatly appreciated!

See the top portion of his front fin? Dark discoloration.... almost looks rotten.

What a little cutie!

But oh, so thin!!

 

[sjgsm]

If he eats then he should be fine. Just keep up with routine feeding and you shouldn't have a problem. Give him time to settle in and blennys are so good at hiding im sure he won't have a problem when he is established in your tank

 

[xokarmaxo]

Thank you so much for your quick response!

I will definately be keeping up with routine feeding and as much TLC as he will allow me!

 

[sjgsm]

haha no problem good luck with him/her. BTW he is a very good looking fish

 

[xokarmaxo]

Thank you so much, again!

Yeah, he/she is such a pretty little fish, I'd hate to see what would have happened to him/her if I left them at the LFS any longer! :scared:

 

[sjgsm]

yeah I hate to see the way alot of the fish and corals look at one of my local fish stores. I go in to see if they have anything im interested in and there are dead fish at the bottom of tanks. corals that are either bleaching or rotting... Its quite depressing

 

[xokarmaxo]

I know. It breaks my heart too. Before I got my sixline wrasse, I told them to hold one for me and I already paid for it, just waiting for a while for my percula to get settled into the tank first before I added him. When I checked on it one day, it broke my heart. He was dying and they put him in a cubicle tank with a clean-up crew. I asked them why they did this and they told me that they thought that it was already dead, so they threw it in there for the clean-up crew to "snack on". The fish wasn't even dead yet! :scared:
Poor things... If I worked at a LFS, Lord knows, I would never leave! I can stay in there for hours now, just looking at them all. If it were my responsibility to look after them all and take care of them until someone buys them, I wouldn't be able to go home at night wondering if every fish got something to eat, or is in a tank with a compatible mate, etc... Another reason why I don't work at an animal shelter either. I would take every one of them dogs home to prevent them from being euthanized. *sigh* the love of animals....

 

[sjgsm]

Yeah... My brother worked at a LFS daily. I spent more time there than him and would even help people when there wasnt someone there to help. The manager told me he was gonna give me an apron to wear lol. This was a better LFS though rarely saw stuff die and never saw dead stuff in the tanks.

 

[kmc]

xo
what lfs are you using. I'm in Grayson and always looking for a new lfs to check out.

 

[xokarmaxo]

I love spending time at my LFS, and know that they get overwhelmed at times with customers, so I figure that maybe they don't always know that a fish has died or is dying and to remove them in time.

One of the owners seems to always have a lot of compassion for the fish, and she's always been very helpful to me, so when her hubby put the sixline in the cubicle with the clean-up crew and it wasn't dead yet and I told her about it, she really let him have it! But still... we all can always pay a little more attention to our little babies.

 

[xokarmaxo]

Originally Posted by kmc
what lfs are you using. I'm in Grayson and always looking for a new lfs to check out.
I live in the Jonesboro/Stockbridge area and I go to Blue Planet Aquariums in McDonough. I know that there is also another LFS in McDonough called Aquatic Pets, but haven't been there yet.
My brother lives in Grayson and I often go there to watch my niece. If you find a LFS there, let me know so that when I am up that way I can check it out!

 

[kmc]

Originally Posted by xokarmaxo
I live in the Jonesboro/Stockbridge area and I go to Blue Planet Aquariums in McDonough. I know that there is also another LFS in McDonough called Aquatic Pets, but haven't been there yet.
My brother lives in Grayson and I often go there to watch my niece. If you find a LFS there, let me know so that when I am up that way I can check it out!

I use a place in Loganville called Ocean Treasures. They have a pretty good selection if you catch them on Fridays after their shipment comes in on Thursday evening. They also have a sister store in Athens called Aquarium Outfitters. The kids that work the Loganville store are pretty good and their prices are better than I see at other places around Atlanta. Haven't tried the one in McDonough though.

 

[xokarmaxo]

Originally Posted by kmc
I use a place in Loganville called Ocean Treasures. They have a pretty good selection if you catch them on Fridays after their shipment comes in on Thursday evening. They also have a sister store in Athens called Aquarium Outfitters. The kids that work the Loganville store are pretty good and their prices are better than I see at other places around Atlanta. Haven't tried the one in McDonough though.
Thanks for the info! It's always great to learn about other LFS in the area in case I am just "passing though".....

 

[stanlalee]

He's pretty skinny but no worse for wear if its eating. They need to be fed several times a day like anthias (they join anthias school in the wild and feed off of zooplankton in the current). Midas blenny's dont take any crap from fish of equal size or smaller, its not the blenny you'll have to worry about but the clown and sixline as they can get down right nippy. Looks a little pale but Midas blenny's color change with their mood. Mine is a deep canary yellow but his stress colors are like the colors shown on this site:
stress color

Mine loves to down frozen mysis and sweetwater plankton. Doesn't care for dry food (pellets,flakes). You may want to soak its food in zoecon which is high in fatty acids to bulk him up. Like most blennies they have facinating personalities and are fun to watch. Make sure you feed several times day.

 

[xokarmaxo]

Originally Posted by Stanlalee
He's pretty skinny but no worse for wear if its eating. They need to be fed several times a day like anthias (they join anthias school in the wild and feed off of zooplankton in the current). Midas blenny's dont take any crap from fish of equal size or smaller, its not the blenny you'll have to worry about but the clown and sixline as they can get down right nippy. Looks a little pale but Midas blenny's color change with their mood. Mine is a deep canary yellow but his stress colors are like the colors shown on this site:
stress color
Mine loves to down frozen mysis and sweetwater plankton. Doesn't care for dry food (pellets,flakes). You may want to soak its food in zoecon which is high in fatty acids to bulk him up. Like most blennies they have facinating personalities and are fun to watch. Make sure you feed several times day.
Wow. Thank you so much for all of that information!

It was very informative and helpful.

Yeah, I pretty much see that this blenny is not going to take any crap off of the percula or sixline; it snarls at them when they get a little too close for comfort.

I saw the pic of the midas blenny that they have on this site and I knew that mine was way underweight. Poor thing. Hopefully, with several small feedings a day and lots of TLC, it will fatten up. This morning, I fed my fish a mix of frozen brine and mysis, soaked with zooplex, which they seem to love and saw that the percula and sixline were eating the majority of it up before the blenny had a chance to swim out and get some, so I took a syringe and sucked up some tank water mixed with the food and squirted it out at him/her and he/she literally ate straight from the syringe. It was TOO cute!
And I've noticed that it changes color with mood, stress, etc... too. Pretty cool! :happyfish

 

[kanicky]

Just wanted to say "good luck" with your Midas. We got ours about a week ago, and he has quickly become my favorite fish! What a personality and what stunning colors.
Yours should quickly fatten up; they are voracious eaters

Not sure what to tell you about the tear in the fin. Maybe "Stress Coat" would help?
Definitely keep us updated and give us more pics!!

 

[xokarmaxo]

I will definately keep ya'll posted on the progress with my blenny. Today, he is hosting my magna float, perched right on top of it and will not move from it. It didn't seem like he was getting enough to eat when I fed the tank this morning because the percula and sixline wrasse are quick and voracious eaters, so I fed it today using a syringe with frozen brine and mysis soaked in zooplex and I squirted it towards him and he ate that up and loved it! The next time I did it, he saw the syringe coming in the tank and he perked right up towards it, just waiting!

I have a water change due on Friday and I am so afraid that he is going to jump the tank when I open the hood to remove the water since he's already so close to the surface anyway.

Let's hope not.... though it would be predictable!

 

[kanicky]

LoL, that's funny. My Midas likes to sleep either on the Mag-Float or on top of one of the powerhead's. It's so neat to watch him "blend in."
I don't think he'll jump once you take the canopy off. I had mine off for about ten minutes today while I was testing the parameters and doing some algae scraping, and he just swam around, curious as normal. I'm sure your Midas will be fine.
I think everyone should have a Midas!

 

[xokarmaxo]

I'm glad to hear that your Midas also sleeps on the mag-float! But the thing is... mine doesn't only sleep there, he also STAYS there all day. He swims out every once in awhile, but he is truly spoiled with the feeding. When I stick the syringe in the tank, he swims right up to it and suckles the food from the tip before I have the chance to push it out.

I am falling in love with this little blenny and he still looks SO thin and fragile from his prior neglect and harrassment, but he's looking better and better everyday! I really hope he makes it! I'll keep ya posted!

 

[cjml]

He should do fine now- being in a good tank with places to hide and sleep-and getting a good steady food supply. Hes adorable! I have 3 little blennies who were all very scared and hungry(and skinny)when we got them and now they are very happy fat and healthy. They all have their own little homes in the rocks and are so cute and personable! I see so many of them at the lfs and want to bring all of them home. They do not feed them well at the lfs. And they do not have places to hide. They love places to hide.So I am sure he will be happy in your tank!! :happyfish :happyfish