Hey there, welcome to the exciting world of the Midas Blenny! The Midas Blenny is a colorful and charming saltwater fish that’s great for beginner aquarists. Sometimes called by its scientific name Ecsenius Midas, it is also known as the Golden Blenny or Lyretail Blenny. Boasting a golden-yellow body, the Midas Blenny is a stunning addition to any tank.
These peaceful creatures are found in the Indo-Pacific region. Midas Blennies inhabit rocky or coral-rich areas with ample hiding spots in the Indo-Pacific, including the Red Sea and western Pacific Ocean. In the wild, they’ll often hang out around other schools of fish to hide and take advantage of their natural buoyancy. Midas Blennies don’t have swim bladders and can’t stay inside the water column for long periods by themselves. They tend to “climb” and flit around rocky outcroppings and caves as they search for food.
Here's what one aquarist had to say about their new Midas Blenny:
on Oct. 1st day, shy at 1st, after just a few hours he's checking out the entire tank! Loves his new home and all of his fish buddies. I wrote earlier that the SE Asia Midas looked different fromthe 1 pictured of the African variety. I was wrong. It looked different initially but looks just like the African counterpart. Love this fish!
The Midas Blenny is one of my favorite fish. on Sept.
Read also: Experience Fad's Fine African Cuisine
Adding a Fish to the 230g - Midas Blenny
Appearance and Lifespan
Midas Blennies are known for their deep golden color and stunning blue accents around the fins and eyes. With a size reaching up to 6 inches and a lifespan of several years, it boasts an elongated body transitioning from light orange to golden yellow, accentuated by sapphire blue eyes. Their overall coloring can vary based on where they were caught. The shade of your blenny may darken or change when they’re stressed or scared. Unusual color variations should be investigated promptly as they may indicate the fish is sick.
The average lifespan for a Midas Blenny is between 2 to 4 years. These blennies are one of the largest in their species group.
Let us share one last interesting fact about blennies. These charming creatures have a unique adaptation called “cirri.” Cirri are small hair-like projections that can be found above their eyes and they use it to communicate and establish dominance within their social groups. This also helps differentiate blennies from gobies.
Here is an example of how the cirri looks like:
Read also: The Story Behind Cachapas
Tank Environment
Beginners and experts alike won’t have any issue providing an ideal tank environment for a Midas Blenny. A 30-gallon tank is the minimum recommended size for one Midas Blenny. It’s not recommended to keep them in a smaller tank where they’re more likely to become aggressive and territorial. If your tank isn’t big enough, your blenny may begin chasing other fish away from their hiding spots.
Midas Blennies need plenty of live rock, caves and overhangs to investigate. These surfaces will also hold food your blenny can find later. Consider using live sand to bolster your fish’s nutrients. Blennies have a habit of jumping when stressed, making it essential to have a tight-fitting lid to keep them from escaping. A standard aquarium lighting set-up works great for bennies. Avoid turning your brightness up too high as this can stress your fish.
Blennies don’t have scales, which makes them very sensitive to changes in ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels. A sudden drop in water quality could easily lead to your fish developing an illness. Consider investing in a mechanical filtration system to clear out fish waste and uneaten food (the Fluval 407 could be a good option up to 100 gallons).
The best acclimation method for Midas Blennies is the drop method. Put your new fish in a separate bucket and run a line of tubing down from your aquarium. Set the rate to about three drops per second and let your fish acclimate for around an hour. You’ll then want to scoop your fish out with a net and transport them gently to your tank.
Stable water conditions, including appropriate salinity and pH levels, are essential for their well-being.
Read also: Techniques of African Jewellery
Reef Compatibility and Health
The Midas Blenny is completely reef safe. They’re not interested in bothering your anemones, polyps or LPS and SPS corals. These blennies are typically very hardy, but they’re still susceptible to various saltwater diseases and health concerns. Many common issues are brought on by stress, inconsistent water quality or acclimation problems.
Keep an eye out for inflamed gills, bloating, lethargy, unusual spots or brown or dusty residue. New tank syndrome can manifest as discolored skin or fins, lack of appetite, listlessness and gasping at the surface.
You can easily prevent common diseases by making sure your tank is fully cycled before adding any fish. Don’t forget to complete water quality checks weekly and regularly replace your water.
Feeding and Diet
The Midas Blenny is an omnivore who loves eating predominantly plant-based foods like plankton and algae. As an omnivore, the Midas Blenny enjoys a varied diet, consisting of algae, meaty foods, and high-quality pellets. Providing a balanced diet is crucial for maintaining their vibrant colors and overall health. This herbivorous species requires a varied diet of marine algae sheets, spirulina-based pellets, and occasional fresh or frozen vegetables.
They should be fed between two to three times a day with chopped clams/mussels, mysid shrimp, brine shrimp and spirulina-enriched frozen varieties. Be prepared for your new blenny to be a quick and active eater that nabs everything it can.
Feeding Tips from Aquarists
- Mine eats everything. Mysis, Rods, Cyclopeeze, brine with spirulina, thera A 1mm pellets and omega 1 flake food. You could try any of those that you did not list.
- For pellets, she'll usually take a pellet and break it in her mouth spit it out a few times and continue to eat it. There are smaller sized pellets (0.5 i think) that you could try as well.
- My midas won't go for anything on the rocks. The majority is from the food in the water column.
- Midas blennies are blennies but they are planktovores and not herbivores. That means they prefer planktonic foods such as mysis more than anything algae based.
- If you are getting cyclopeeze, get the frozen stuff as it is easier to get into the water column.
Here is what one aquarist did when their Midas Blenny stopped eating:
So I got an African Midas Blenny who for the most part is doing well. It's my first and only fish ATM. She's been eating like a little pig up till a few days ago. (Mysis, Brine, and chopped clam). I just got over a treatment of Prazipro. I know that can suppress appetite, but I am thinking she may just be telling me something. I have never fed pellets, but I am thinking of picking some up as well as some nori or something? I tried some of this Marine Herbivore frozen stuff. Ideas? Input?
The aquarist then tried Omega One Micro Pellets and the blenny gobbled them up. They also added some clam and the blenny had a bit of that too.
Behavior and Tank Mates
Midas Blennies are generally peaceful and friendly fish. The Midas Blenny’s vibrant color and energetic swimming style often make timid fish feel more confident. Blennies do well in community tanks and don’t usually start fights unless the space is too small. They’re incredibly aggressive toward other blennies.
Since they don’t have a swim bladder, they tend to hop around the rocks and live structures at the bottom. When they venture out into the open, their rear halves will droop and they’ll move in a ribbon pattern. You may even catch your blenny moving backward into its hiding hole. They leave their heads out to catch any floating food as well as watch for predators.
Typically semi-aggressive, the Midas Blenny thrives in a tank with plenty of hiding spots and swimming space, making it suitable for community aquariums with other semi-aggressive fish. While generally peaceful, it may exhibit territorial behavior towards similar-looking fish. Compatible tank mates include Dottybacks, Fairy Wrasses, Anthias, Hawkfish, and Tangs. Other mild fish like small gobies (Bumblebee is one of them) and Firefish make for poor tank mates as they may start competing for the tank’s planktonic foods.
Breeding
Midas Blennies have yet to be successfully bred in captivity. Since they’re harem spawners, this means the eggs were likely fertilized at different times and won’t all hatch together.
Without enough copepods and rotifers, it’s possible the fry will starve. To create a viable harem, you need a tank large enough to hold several Blennies comfortably. You’ll have a hard time sexing your Midas Blennies as they’re virtually identical. The females may be slightly smaller than the males, but this small difference can often be impossible to spot.
Midas Blenny Care Summary
Here's a quick summary table to help you care for your Midas Blenny:
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Ecsenius midas |
| Common Names | Golden Blenny, Lyretail Blenny, Sunburst Blenny |
| Origin | Indo-Pacific region |
| Size | Up to 6 inches |
| Lifespan | 2-4 years |
| Minimum Tank Size | 30 gallons |
| Diet | Omnivore (prefers plant-based, plankton, algae) |
| Reef Safe | Yes |
| Temperament | Peaceful, but can be aggressive towards other blennies |
So, are you ready to add a Midas Blenny to your aquarium? Captive-bred specimens are readily available, offering adaptability and resilience. To thrive, the Midas Blenny requires a well-established aquarium with plenty of live rock for hiding spots and algae growth, along with adequate lighting. We hope this guide served you to acquire more knowledge and answered the questions you were looking for.
