Scooter Blenny

[img][/img]I have a scooter blenny that wa one of my first fish in my tank, I realized this was not the best purchase and I need to do ALOT more research before I just buy whatever... My tank has not been set up long enough for this guy to find the food that he needs, if anyone is interested in a trade for a diffrent kind of fish I am very willing, he was kind of expensive due to his size, 4.5" or so, maybe alittle bigger even... Please let me know as I feel bad that he spends his whole day hunting for food and is not finding what he needs...

Coldwave21 wrote:Please let me know as I feel bad that he spends his whole day hunting for food and is not finding what he needs...

OK, this is going to sound "stupid", "mean", or "condescending" but it's not meant that way.

Rather than throwing in the towel and trying to pass off what you feel may have been a "mistake", why not try to fix your mistake. Quite simply, if the fish spends his whole day not finding food, why not FEED IT?!?!?!?!?!?

Seriously, I've found Scooter Blennies (Synchiropus ocellatus) to typically be very willing feeders. They typically have no problems transitioning to frozen adult brine shrimp and mysis shrimp right away. In time, they will all learn to eat pellet foods (i.e. specifically Formula 1 and 2 pellets, the small size, by Ocean Nutrition).

The KEY here is that many "reef" tanks are set up for a good amount of "flow". So, maybe 3 times per day (morning before work, evening after work, and later in the evening before lights out) turn off the pumps and feed your Scooter Blenny. Drop in Mysis and Brine Shrimp, let it sink to the bottom and watch. If he eats it all, offer more. Offer it until he's no longer interested in feeding. Eventually, you'll get an idea of how much he eats, and he'll start to put on weight. You can and should try offering pellet foods as well..eventually they do learn.

If this is all too complicated, you can also house the fish in a "Breeder Net", which will contain the fish and keep it in constant proximity to the food you offer. This is in fact the basis for how I train mandarins (S. splendidus) onto frozen foods. You *could* find yourself needing to offer LIVE Adult Brine Shrimp (enriched with Selcon) if your Scooter is "too far gone", but if it's still picking, chances are it will TRY and learn to take frozen Brine and Mysis really quickly.

As a guy who's spawned all 4 commonly available Dragonette Species and has trained every single one onto prepared foods, I speak from experience. You took on the responsibility to care for the fish when you bought it, so make some effort to care for it instead of watching it waste away while you try to find it a new home.

FWIW,

Matt

I would try like Matt said to see if he will take prepared, generally scooters are easier and more willing than mandarins. I don't know if you feed frozen now but pretty much any fish will go for brine, it's not the best diet but will keep him fed and you can transistion to mysis slowly. Try live brine if he doesn't go for frozen at all. I've never had luck getting any fish to eat pellets but a lot of people do, this site has a version of that. You will need to feed him a couple times a day and turn off your flow, they are slow eaters.

http://www.melevsreef.com/mandarin_diner.html

Matt, First off I have tried I have looked online and talked to the pet store many times on ideas, I have bought frozen brine, live brine, copepods, and taget feeding, he does eat but does not seem to be enough... I realize that if you have the time to sit and target feed that it is best, but I do not as I would rather see him go to someone else. I am new to this and trying to learn but I am only comfrotable with so much, I realized it was a mistake and I have done what I can, he is not wasting away or anything severe like that he just isnt eating AS MUCH as my other fish are... I work nights and 13 hr shifts so I am not home right now to do the 3 times a day feeding consistant.

Again, I don't mean to sound rude. But hey, if this fish already eats prepared foods, feed it! There's just not really any excuse here.

If you can only feed twice per day (before and after work) chances are the fish will still do fine (give it 3 or 4 feedings on your day off). Afterall, you set the tank up to enjoy it, right? Not having the time to "target feed" tells me you're really not getting much of a chance to enjoy the tank at all...afterall, we're maybe only talking a couple 5 minute feeding sessions per day.

I certainly respect if you've acknowledged that you simply can't devote the time needed to care for the Scooter, and it's only sad because from my point of view, it means you're not really even getting the chance to enjoy your tank at all - it's probably just a "throw food in" and walk away kind of affair. I've been there, and I can only empathize in that regard.

FWIW,

Matt