Midas blenny change in color/behaviour. why?

[nuro]

first things first; 55 reef tank, params all in check as usual
stock list: poma angel; flasher wrasse, blue chromis, half black mimic tang
I'be had the blenny for just under 6 months now. after his acclimation he swam around normall the top half of the tank staying mostly yellow and shaddign a little darker when in his home(he nestles up in a large piece of tonga that mostly covers him). In the past two weeks his behavious and color have changed radically. he rarely leaves the rock, hell come out and sit on top of it and go aroudn it but wont swim aroudn the tank. His color has been much darker and shades on the blue side now, when in his rock he changes much browner then i have ever seen him. He is still eating but waits for the food to flow by the rock instead of coming out to the feedign spat as he used to do. breathing is normal.
I have made no changes in my cleanign, feeding, or water change schedule. and as i said before the params are all perfect as usual. I have not added any new fish in over 4 months nor changed the tank layout.
any idea on why this might be? it has me a little concerned.

 

[spiderwoman]

Is anybody chasing him or spending their rest time around the same location as the Blenny, especially the Flasher Wrasse?
I've got 2 of those beauties and they seem to change their behavior at times. Maybe he is just not that hungry?
What's your nitrate level?

 

[nuro]

trates are 0, im religious about keeping this thing clean.
the flasher will sometime sleep in the corner bottom of the tank near the blenny but thats only at night. his corner of the tank is pretty inactive during "light -on" time.

 

[stanlalee]

midas blennies change color easily based on "emotional" stress levels. they become very pale and almost pink but deep yellow when comfortable. This has nothing to do with water quality nor is it exclusive to midas blenny's. Anybody who's had a powder brown knows when its being aggressive (like adding a new fish to the tank it doesn't like) it can turn almost black,, sometimes light silver and sometimes the body stripes show. I've had lawnmower and other fish that do this too but midas color change is pronounced and easily noticed.

 

[sepulatian]

From the description it sounds like someone is scaring him. You may not have added anything else but someone is becoming bold enough to chase your little guy. He is stressed.

 

[nuro]

thanks for the info, ill have to keep a sharper eye on the tank and see what's going on.

 

[nuro]

ok, so ive been paying very close attention to the tank the past few days and cant figure anything out. none of the fish are being aggresive twards him, he just seems shyer. so wierd.

 

[nuro]

still no change in behaviour. my levels are still the same, ive started to spot feed him to make sure hes gettig enough food. any idea here guys? im totally lost.

 

[nuro]

bumb?

 

[sepulatian]

They do camouflage. He is likely feeding at night on Copepods in the tank. If he looks good then I wouldn't be too worried.

 

[nuro]

thank you.

 

[nuro]

so on a whim i decided to cover the side of the tank his hole is on with paper. i have a basic background on the back of the aquarium and not on the sides. his whole is on the left side of the aquarium so he faces the glass. Ive had it covered for about 4 days now and ive seen a huge improvement in his behavious. he's yellower, coming out and swimming around for food now, and being much more active.

 

[spiderwoman]

That's great news! He was probably seeing his reflection and considered it a rival.

 

[nuro]

lost him today :-( after everything seeming normal for two days.
This morning i fed the tank and he came out and ate normally, then tonight when i fed he came out got soem food but looked liek he was having trouble swimming. He coulndt swim straight, at some points he was verticle and coulnde seem to get horizontal in the water column, and seemed week. There was no visible damage to him, his eyes were normal, and at no point has he seemed malnourished or thin. He eventually made it back into is hole but when i checked the tank just now he was dead.
Id like soem ideas on what happened here becuase i am completely lost.

 

[fretfreak13]

Maybe he was just old? What are their lifespans? I'm so sorry for your loss though, i just lost both of my clowns. =(

 

[nuro]

im not sure of life spans but i did have that thought, he was about 4" and thats the size i got him. as far as i know that about full size for them. if thats the case i wouldnt feel so bad.