Bicolor Blenny

[Stussi613]

Hi Albert,

I've got a 15g tank with no sump running right now.  It's got around 15lbs of live rock and around 300g/hr flow from a power head and a small canister filter with carbon it it. Current stock is one cleaner shrimp, two 1.5" Clowns and a few snails and hermit crabs.

Do you think a bicolor blenny would be a bad choice for this tank?  I know that LiveAquaria lists them as needing  a 30g tank, but I was hoping for your opinion.

[albertthiel]

Hi Albert,

I've got a 15g tank with no sump running right now.  It's got around 15lbs of live rock and around 300g/hr flow from a power head and a small canister filter with carbon it it. Current stock is one cleaner shrimp, two 1.5" Clowns and a few snails and hermit crabs.

Do you think a bicolor blenny would be a bad choice for this tank?  I know that LiveAquaria lists them as needing  a 30g tank, but I was hoping for your opinion.

It would be ok but the Clowns will chase it around ... and will do so more and more as they get larger. In fact IMO two clowns in a 15 is at least 1 too many. They are very territorial and do not tolerate other fish easily ...

The bi-color may get chased around and become diseased or jump out of the tank

Albert

[Stussi613]

In fact IMO two clowns in a 15 is at least 1 too many. They are very territorial and do not tolerate other fish easily ...

Albert

They won't be in there forever

Mine haven't ever been aggressive to anything else in the tank with them (shrimps etc), they did go through a phase trying to work out their sexes where they fought brutally with each other, but they are in love again now.

[albertthiel]

They won't be in there forever

Mine haven't ever been aggressive to anything else in the tank with them (shrimps etc), they did go through a phase trying to work out their sexes where they fought brutally with each other, but they are in love again now.

Well glad to read the amorous side showed back up and that they are getting along well now ... I would still be real careful before adding any other fish. I know they are small but if they are a pair they are even more likely to defend the whole tank and want it as their own.

FWIW

Albert

[bandit]

I agree with Albert but a Blenny would be one of the better choices if you do add a flush as they can hide in small holes to get away, so you would prob just see his head poking out all day and a dart when feeding with a clown after chase. But other fish to consider would be possom wrasse and rainsford or hectors goby, clowns may not recognize these fish as threats also marinescape has chalk basslet and swalesi which also are bottom area fish and may be ok. And clown goby


maybe and maybe small pigmy angel and six line wrasse maybe.

[Stussi613]

Isn't the pigmy angel more likely to be as much of a devil as your six line wrasse would be if there are other fish in the tank?

[albertthiel]

Isn't the pigmy angel more likely to be as much of a devil as your six line wrasse would be if there are other fish in the tank?

Whatever you add to a small tank with 2 Clowns in it will be perceived as an "invader" IME and at some point the Clowns will chase it, maybe not immediately since they are small, but they grow fast and so it would IMO not take long for that to happen.

I would not add anything unless one clown is removed ... what you can do of course is add corals and shrimp or the like ... no crabs pls.

Albert

PS Pigmy Angels can be devils indeed ... and if you go to the Pigmy Angel section of my latest book you will find some that are suitable and I think the Club's library has a copy of the book, or you can order the printed or e-Version of it via our web site www.nanoreefs.info

Hope that helps ...