Starry blenny bully

[Jamie chambers]

Ok, so If anyone can tell me why I woke up to my two firefish on their backs dead then please do. I knew that deaths are going to be involved when I first started this hobby but now it's to much. I purchased a starry blenny about a week ago and as of late I have seen him chasing my firefish and yellow headed jawfish around. I wasn't able to see my two firefish for a day or two because they were hiding behind a rock as the blenny had taken their home.

Don't ask if they had any symptoms of any illness as they were perfectly healthy and so were the corpses. All I want to know is if the starry blenny is a known bully and why did the person at the high end lFS say anything when I listed my already owned fish?
Should I return him?

 

[dudley]

A quick online search shows that fish of a similar shape can be aggressive to each other especially when the tank is too small.

What size aquarium did you end up getting?

 

[Jamie chambers]

200 litres and the fire fish is a very different shape

 

[Lalo J.]

200 liters is not a very large tank, and similar species like blenny, goby, pseudochromis and even jawfish are usually aggressive towards each other. They show great territoriality, in his last thread I invited you to give more details of his tank, to help you with some elements that might not be right in your system.

 

[Jamie chambers]

its got plenty of live rock, 15 pounds to be precise, and all the water tests are fine. I have a yellowhead jawfish also who seems to have injured fins now as well but he was the one supplying the houses by building caves but hes also to scared to come out of his own to make more so the firefish couldnt hide.

 

[Lalo J.]

When fish with similar physiognomic characteristics are introduced (blenny, goby, jawfish, dartfish) there will always be fights between them, but why? check the following points:
-In the aquarium, most marine species cannot bear to see another fish with the same physiognomic characteristics and with similar coloration.
-When a fish enters first, it gets its territory, the fish that comes in later will not be welcome.
-The size of the aquarium is very important, for a considerable amount of species a large tank is needed.
If you plan to maintain this type of species you must add all the fish at the same time, or else move your rocks forming a new aquascape, that could help disorient the dominant fish.