LadySaber Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 So this time I have a new record of 3 1/2hrs keeping a new lawnmower blenny alive. Last time I got one I kept it alive 24hrs. On the good side my hermit crab had it down to just a head. I was looking for the blenny and wondered what the hell the hermit crab was eating and sure enough my ex alive blenny. I love them but for some reason they just drop dead in my tank. I just dont understand. I know he was very stressed out as I was floating the bag. I was very worried about him. Any thoughts on how I can manage to get one and keep it alive longer than 24 hrs? I really would love to have one.... Im pretty bummed out right now. Maybe I will go to CnC and look there for one Saturday. I dont know Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pledosophy Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 Where did you get it? Did you QT it first? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadySaber Posted February 26, 2016 Author Share Posted February 26, 2016 OIB I dont have a QT setup. But Im going to get a little 5 gal. is weekend to make one. I just cant believe it a whole 3 1/2 hrs. It was really stressed out even before it made it in the tank.. sigh.. well y hermit is happy.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Higher Thinking Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 To be completely honest, I would stop buying fish if you don't know why they are dying. Test your paramters, examine how you are acclimating, and consider your source. Were the fish brand new arrivals to the shop or had they been in the shop for a while. Assuming the fish were in the shop for a few weeks, I'd definitely be inclined to thing the issue is on your end. However, if both of these fish were brand new to the shop, then it may be them, but it also may still be you. How have your other fish additions gone? 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssappington Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 Um.... lawnmower blennys are pretty bullet proof IME... something is up with your system... sry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadySaber Posted February 26, 2016 Author Share Posted February 26, 2016 everyone in my system is fine and growing. will retest everything this weekend and see whats up. Have had my other fish for sometime with no issues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveHash-fish20 Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 What other fish do you have in the tank? Have you noticed any of your other fish picking on newer additions to the tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Exodus Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 Why are you floating bags? That has got to be a massive stress causer in itself. If I get a delicate specimen, I will pop open the bag put it in a bucket on the floor with some thing to ensure it stays propped up in the bucket and I will drip acclimate it for 45min - 1hr. But as Brandon said I would definitely start looking on your end, then try acclimating differently. I would stop buying lawnmower blennys for sure though. Also test the salinity of the water in the bag you bring it home in and compare that to your tank water, might be a massive swing there if they are keeping the water 1.020 & your doing 1.026. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pledosophy Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 everyone in my system is fine and growing. will retest everything this weekend and see whats up. Have had my other fish for sometime with no issues. Sometimes there can be a gradual accumulation of a toxin in the tank that the other fish can be come accustomed to, but a new fish not so much. Carbon is helpful with that. It can happen with parameters as well which is why some people do a water change before adding a new fish. Checking salinity is always a good thing. I do float bags, always have. I open the bag immediately, fold the tops over so they float, turn the lights off and let it chill for 10-15 minutes or so. Seems to work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadySaber Posted February 26, 2016 Author Share Posted February 26, 2016 Yeah I do the same as you pledosophy on the bag float. I already had carbon running put it in 3 days ago. Yeah might of been salinity. Dang it...well tested everything all looks good. So I have no idea but hey my hermit it really happy. I'm going pick up a little QT tank after work and a hob temp filter so I can do QT first from now on. And check salinity! Normally I do but for some reason I didn't this time. I calling it all on me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dlp6899 Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 I have always done bag float as well. If I am concerned about the fish being picked on I release the new fish in the tank when the lights are off and all the fish are sleeping. I would get a tail spot blenny. They are small, eat well and seem to get along with everyone. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PowderBlue Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 +1 for floating bags, it seems like it works well for me, helps acclimate to temp for about 20 minutes then I start the water transfer. I've never lost a fish super fast expect for a stupid powderblue tang that caught ich. I've always had good luck with the bag float, but everyone has their own way Sent from my SM-G928V using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lexinverts Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 I almost always drip acclimate into a bucket, but this is usually because the water the fish is in comes from a system with copper in it. I never want to risk getting that into my system with corals! As for Lawn Mower Blennies, yes, I have had less success with this fish too. For some reason, I have better success with Starry Blennies, which are very similar fish. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emerald525 Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 Floating bags isn't a problem for most fish. The only fish I drop acclimate are some of the more sensitive wrasses. To me to see a fish die that quickly particularly as the other fish are doing well, it sounds like you are just getting bad fish. Please know I'm not saying that oiab is a bad place to go because I have gotten fish from Jason and they have done well. However there may be something wrong with the blennies he is getting in that he just doesn't know about. I had some baby hippo tangs from seahorse years ago and both died within 3 days. Woody was great about replacing them and thought he may have gotten a batch of cyanide caught fish because he lost most of those. He got a different supply and I had those tangs for years until I booted them out for eating my acans. Again please know I'm not saying that they are cyanide caught but just to see them die that quickly sounds more like they came to you unhealthy in some way. Algae blennies are typically pretty hardy. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadySaber Posted February 26, 2016 Author Share Posted February 26, 2016 Yeah it was fast. I know it was really stressed and just not acting right just in the bag before I even did anything. Well I will just wait and try a different blenny when I'm not bummed out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Z Reef Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 I'd consider a different blenny when you find the issue source. This may just be my experience with lawnmowers but I'd usually get one for a hair algae issue, they would eat it pretty quickly, then not eat anything else and die. Definitely look for one that a shop has eating frozen or pellet first. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadySaber Posted February 26, 2016 Author Share Posted February 26, 2016 Will do yeah I will be looking at a tailspot or bicolored along those lines Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snyderjd Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 Sorry to hear about your Blenny. I had one for a hair algae problem a while back, was able to get him to eat pellet food... Moved a couple of hours cross town and he did not do well with the move, got stressed and then fell victim to a larger hermit. I've never had issue with floating bags in the past. but have since moved on to use the drip method using the AccliMate from http://www.reefgently.com/ I would agree with others, to make sure your blenny will eat pellet food or other. some are stubborn and wont causing them to slowly starve after the food source is gone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadySaber Posted February 26, 2016 Author Share Posted February 26, 2016 (edited) Yep that's exactly what happened to mine. That hermit is a bulldoze he is huge. How do you like that? I was looking at it but was not happy about them using suction cups to hold it Edited February 26, 2016 by LadySaber Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Exodus Posted February 27, 2016 Share Posted February 27, 2016 I almost always drip acclimate into a bucket, but this is usually because the water the fish is in comes from a system with copper in it. I never want to risk getting that into my system with corals! As for Lawn Mower Blennies, yes, I have had less success with this fish too. For some reason, I have better success with Starry Blennies, which are very similar fish. Nailed it! The water is not only treated with copper it is typically from what I have seen kept at a lower salinity for several reasons. We typically keep our Reefs at 1.026 for the Corals benefit, when floating bags the acclimation you are doing is bringing them to the same temperature. In the meantime they are stressed, they cant hide anywhere, there are other fish coming to the bag looking at them etc. In a nice dark bucket you are slowly acclimating the Temperature, and all of the water parameters including salinity while giving them a stress free zone. I know floating bags will work we were doing it 20 years ago, though this isn't an object I simply add to "spruce" up a tank, it's my pet and as it's life depends on me, I go out of my way to ensure my new friend has the most accommodating transition into its new home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TaylorW Posted February 28, 2016 Share Posted February 28, 2016 You might want to check your peramiters. Try a quarantine tank, super easy and cheap to set up and definitely worth it, it's nice to be able to keep an eye on things to make sure they're healthy before putting them in your display tank. I have an empty 10 gallon you can have free, I'm located in forest grove Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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