Scooter Blenny

[Rluix]

Im geting this guy this next weekend, there was 2 dragonets there, the normal Mandarine, and this Scooter, i tought it was wise to go with a scooter first before trying a mandarine, since for what i heard scooters are easyer to teach them to eat froozen foods.

My tank is 35 gallons, reef tank, some softys, and 2 clown fish, and 1 small blue damsel.

Is there anything i should know about this guy in special?

 

[Val]

I have a scooter and had him for two months, he came with a tank I bought. My fuge is 5mos old and I stock it about once a month with pods. I've never seen the scooter eat any food I've put in the tank. I feed a variety of frozen foods and pellets. Not saying it doesn't eat frozen just that I've never seen it.

 

[varden]

I have just been told that Scooters are on the same level of difficulty as Dragonets because of their eating habits. It is not easy to get them to eat frozen. You can do it, but they prefer live. This is what I've read and what I've been told, so please feel free to educate if I'm wrong.

 

[Rluix]

I have just been told that Scooters are on the same level of difficulty as Dragonets because of their eating habits. It is not easy to get them to eat frozen. You can do it, but they prefer live. This is what I've read and what I've been told, so please feel free to educate if I'm wrong.

well, my tank has been running for almost one year, and i have a nice stable population of pods wich i hope to keep him.

 

[BigAl07]

How large is your tank?

Have a refugium?

Any other Pod-Eaters in there?

 

[BigAl07]

Here's a quick exert from the web

The Scooter Blenny may be a difficult fish to keep due to its feeding habits. The Scooter Blenny will sift through the sand for food. Finely cut meaty foods and vitamin-enriched brine shrimp may be acceptable substitutes.

 

[tnwillia]

IMHO the Scooter is a Dragonet and has all the same food needs. I had one last year that went thru pods faster than my Mandrain does. Good luck with him! Here is a good training video if you want to try to get him to eat something else, this is a long slow process that more often will not work, It depends on the fish. Good luck

Melevsreef.com - Melev's Mandarin Diner

 

[Rluix]

Thanks everyone, as i alredy told you, my tank is 35 gallons, iv had it for almost 1 year now.

 

[seafansar]

It really depends on the individual fish IMO. I've had two mandarins take to frozen very quickly and two that wouldn't touch the stuff. My dad had a scooter blenny that would not eat frozen. I say they have the same level of difficulty, so get the one you like cause you really shouldn't add two to a tank that small.

A good thing to do is to ask to store owner to put frozen food in with them and see how they react. If one eats it, get it. If neither eat it and if they look skinny, just wait until they get in ones that will eat. Even with training there's no guarantee and a 35 gallon tank is too small to sustain a large enough pod population to keep a mandarin fat for long.

 

[Rluix]

It really depends on the individual fish IMO. I've had two mandarins take to frozen very quickly and two that wouldn't touch the stuff. My dad had a scooter blenny that would not eat frozen. I say they have the same level of difficulty, so get the one you like cause you really shouldn't add two to a tank that small.

A good thing to do is to ask to store owner to put frozen food in with them and see how they react. If one eats it, get it. If neither eat it and if they look skinny, just wait until they get in ones that will eat. Even with training there's no guarantee and a 35 gallon tank is too small to sustain a large enough pod population to keep a mandarin fat for long.

I am determinated to keep him alive, and train him to eat frozen while the pods last, as far as 35 gallon tnak being too small to sustain a large enough pod population to keep a mandarine fat for long, i don't know, but i have a friend who has one in 45 gallon for 2 years and he is still alive, and thats only 10 gallons more than my tank. oh well, the only thing i can do is hope he will take the foods.

 

[89Foxbody]

Buying a fish and hoping it will live is pretty irresponsible IMO.

You shouldn't buy it if you aren't certain you'll be able to provide for it properly.

Not trying to be rude or confrontational, just how I feel.

 

[Rluix]

Buying a fish and hoping it will live is pretty irresponsible IMO.

You shouldn't buy it if you aren't certain you'll be able to provide for it properly.

Not trying to be rude or confrontational, just how I feel.

Please don't think of me as a guy who thinks " bah, its just a fish, if it dies, it dies and thats the end" but at this point, its a fish that i never tried an heard was hard to care for, but im confident im going to be able to care for this great fish.

Think of this this way: when you start a saltwater tank , you are never confident because its somthing new, and you don't know whats going to happen, but you hope for it to work because you know you want it and its your love.

You can't just start reef keeping and say " it will work, i don't need to worry ", many fish die for over confidence.

 

[89Foxbody]

That's a good comparison.

I just think you'd be better served going around to different shops to find one that has already converted to frozen. Would probably save you a lot of time/hassle.

 

[shark32]

Hi Rluix,
How is your scooter blenny doing? I just picked up a small one at the LFS that I think was doomed if he wasn't rescued. What does he eat? Any info would be great!! Thanks!lsmile:

 

[Xenomorph25]

Hi Rluix,
How is your scooter blenny doing? I just picked up a small one at the LFS that I think was doomed if he wasn't rescued. What does he eat? Any info would be great!! Thanks!lsmile:

I had a scooter blenny and fed it Emerald Entree, an omnivorous mixture. He went right for it. But... every fish is different.

 

[shark32]

thanks xenomorph! I have to check that out!