Algae Blenny - Salarias fasciatus

Care

Algae blennies are often added as utility fish for helping to control various algal growths in the aquarium. However, these are very personable fish and are fascinating to observe, regardless of their excellent ability at removing and consuming algae. The tank must be well established, and of a good size; algae blennies have been known to starve in smaller quarters once the main food source has been depleted and not had time to re-establish. When algae blennies feed, skip over rocks, graze decor and generally go about their business, they tend to stir up detritus where it goes into suspension and is then removed by the filtration. As this species requires a mature tank, it works out well that this should be amongst the last fish added to the tank, preferably at a size around 5cm, where it should not be over-dominant. Algae blennies can be fairly feisty and quite territorial over their favoured parts of the aquarium, particularly as they mature; therefore it is best to keep only one per tank, and careful consideration should be given to tankmates - avoiding other blennies unless you are blessed with a tank of vast proportions incorporating a huge number of visual barriers amongst the rockwork, and more than enough food to go round on a continual basis. It should be noted that algae blennies will not feed on every kind of algae - they particularly relish the filamentous type, but will ignore bubble and slime algae. Ensure corals are firmly attached, as large algae blennies may disturb them with their feeding habits and when hopping about looking for a suitable perch from which they can survey their domain.

Feeding

By far and away, this species does best if a decent growth of filamentous algae is present in the aquarium for the fish to harvest at its leisure. Also offer plenty of vegetable matter, including frozen foods that contain marine algae and Spirulina. Nori (dried seaweed), algae flake and algae wafers formulated for marine fish are usually met with much enthusiasm. If you have space in a well lit sump, filamentous algae can be cultured on pieces of rock, and occasionally rotated with some of the pieces in the main display aquarium.

Breeding

Unlikely in the aquarium because of the territorial nature of this species, and the difficulty in obtaining a mated pair.