The scooter blenny, with its unique "scooting" behavior across the substrate, is a captivating addition to any saltwater aquarium. However, potential owners need to be fully aware of the specific dietary requirements of these fish to ensure their health and survival. This article aims to provide a comprehensive guide to the scooter blenny diet in the aquarium, drawing upon the experiences of aquarists and expert advice.
What is a Scooter Blenny?
The scooter blenny (Synchiropus spp.) gets its name from its behavior of “scooting” around the sand on its ventral fins. These fish are not actually blennies, but dragonets, like the infamous mandarinfish. Combine the activity with vibrant colors, and they’re a favorite with aquarists - at least those that can cope with the blenny’s demanding needs.
Quick Facts
- Common Names: Scooter blenny, Scooter dragonet, Ocellated dragonet, Red scooter dragonet, Red scooter blenny, Starry dragonet, Stellate dragonet
- Scientific Names: Synchiropus ocellatus, Synchiropus stellatus
- Size: Up to 5 inches (12.7cm)
- Minimum Tank Size: 30 Gallons (114L)
- Reef Safe? Yes
- Care or Experience Level: Difficult
- Preferred Diet: Carnivore
- Original Part of the World: Indo-Pacific
Description
As you’ll find with any dragonet species, the scooter blenny features a large head and prominent ventral fins on a relatively small body. The silhouette makes them instantly recognizable - especially with those big eyes perched on top of their head. The position protects their vision when they bury themselves for the night and when they forage through the sand for their preferred copepods. As for the fins, they make ideal “legs” for the blennies to scoot, waddle, and hop around.
The scooter blenny is a popular snack for plenty of fish on the reef, so they’ve adopted a camouflage pattern to their scales. You’ll see black and white designs over most of their bodies. It’s only around their head and eyes that you’ll see splashes of blue (S. ocellatus) or red (S. stellatus).
Males come in a longer length and sport an enlarged dorsal fin “flag." They use it as a “flag” to intimidate rivals and as part of the courtship ritual to attract females.
Read also: Bicolor Blenny Aquarium Guide
Lifespan
You can attempt to spot a scooter blenny throughout the Indo-Pacific region - with an emphasis on “attempt.” While lively in their explorations for food, they’re also on the small side - not getting much beyond 5 inches (12.7cm). Knowing they’re on the menu of other (larger) predators on and around the reefs, they duck into sand beds whenever they sense a protentional threat in the area. All you can see are those little eyes poking out of the substrate.
Unfortunately, their quick “scoot” isn’t enough to grant them more than a couple of years of life - at best. And that isn’t extended when they move into the captive marine tank. Due to their complex care, you don’t see the scooter blenny surviving for more than two years or so.
The Natural Diet of Scooter Blennies
In their natural habitat, scooter blennies primarily feed on copepods and other microfauna found in live rock and sand beds. Their small mouths and grazing behavior are adapted for sifting through the substrate in search of these tiny crustaceans. This natural diet is crucial for their health, coloration, and overall vitality.
Observant divers may glimpse a scooter blenny or two over reefs around Fiji, Indonesia, the Marquesan Islands, the Solomon Islands, or southern Japan. The fish remain active throughout the day in a scurrying hunt to track down food. They thrive on copepods and rotifers - which is the key to setting up your reef tank to keep a scooter blenny happy and healthy.
The Challenge of Feeding Scooter Blennies in Captivity
One of the primary reasons scooter blennies are considered difficult to keep in aquariums is their specialized diet. They are notoriously finicky eaters and often refuse to accept prepared foods, such as flakes or pellets. This can lead to starvation if their natural food sources are not readily available in the tank.
Read also: The Hoxsey Diet
Why are Scooter Blennies Difficult to Feed?
- Small Mouths: Their tiny mouths are adapted for grazing on microfauna, making it difficult for them to consume larger food particles.
- Slow Eating Habits: Scooter blennies are not fast eaters, and their hopping gait makes it challenging for them to compete with other fish for food.
- Preference for Live Food: They have a strong preference for live copepods and amphipods, which are not always abundant in the average aquarium.
- Finicky Eaters: Many scooter blennies refuse to eat prepared foods, even if they are small and nutritious.
Creating the Ideal Scooter World
Live rock and a deep bed of live sand? They’re your friend (rather, a scooter blenny’s friend). You’ll provide hiding places, so your scooter feels safe and has somewhere to retreat. But (more importantly) you’ll provide a constant supply of the tiny arthropods the fish need to stay fed. And the more live rock you can provide? The better. Remember, the scooter blenny is an active fish. You want to give them plenty of places to hop around and explore. It will keep your fish engaged with the tank, but it will also provide YOU with entertainment as you watch them scooting through the aquarium. Don’t neglect the sand, though. Even if you opt to skip live sand, you want a deep sand bed. The scooter blenny likes to bury itself in the sand when nervous and when it’s time for light’s out. Caves and overhangs are fine, but you want to support all aspects of their biology. Plus, that habit is what keeps away most of the parasites that afflict other saltwater fish. Scooters don’t struggle with pests BECAUSE of their chosen sleep spot. Sand beds may require more work on your part, but it’ll result in a healthier fish.
Strategies for Feeding Scooter Blennies in the Aquarium
Given the challenges of feeding scooter blennies in captivity, aquarists have developed several strategies to ensure these fish receive adequate nutrition.
1. Establishing a Thriving Pod Population
The most natural and sustainable way to feed scooter blennies is to create an environment where copepods and amphipods can thrive. This can be achieved by:
- Using Live Rock: Live rock is a natural habitat for copepods and other microfauna. The more live rock in the tank, the greater the potential for a thriving pod population.
- Deep Sand Bed: A deep sand bed (at least 3-4 inches) provides a refuge for copepods and allows them to reproduce.
- Refugium: A refugium is a separate tank or compartment connected to the main aquarium, designed to provide a safe haven for copepods and other beneficial organisms. Refugiums typically contain live rock, macroalgae (such as chaeto), and a slow flow rate to encourage pod growth.
- Seeding with Copepods: Introducing live copepods to the tank can help establish a population. These can be purchased from online retailers or local fish stores.
- Avoiding Over-Skimming: Protein skimmers can remove copepods from the water column, so it's important to avoid over-skimming the tank.
2. Target Feeding
Target feeding involves delivering food directly to the scooter blenny using a turkey baster or pipette. This ensures that the fish receives enough food, even if it is a slow eater or refuses to compete with other tank mates.
- Desensitize your scooter blenny to the sight of the baster.
- Once they stop panicking and fleeing at the sight of their “target,” choose your food.
- Move the baster within a couple of inches of your scooter.
- Release ONE piece of food.
- As soon as they finish eating, release another piece.
- Continue until they lose interest (i.e., they’re full).
- Always offer food until your scooter moves away. This will keep them FULL.
3. Supplementing with Frozen Foods
While scooter blennies primarily feed on live foods, some individuals can be trained to accept frozen foods, such as:
Read also: Walnut Keto Guide
- Mysis Shrimp: Mysis shrimp are a nutritious and readily available frozen food that many scooter blennies will eat.
- Brine Shrimp: Brine shrimp can be enriched with vitamins and fatty acids to make them a more nutritious food source.
- Bloodworms: Some aquarists have had success feeding their scooter blennies bloodworms.
- Reef Frenzy: Some scooter blennies will eat Reef Frenzy, a frozen food blend designed for reef aquariums.
4. Training Scooter Blennies to Eat Frozen Foods
Training a scooter blenny to eat frozen foods requires patience and persistence. Here are some tips:
- Start with Live Foods: Begin by feeding the blenny live copepods and gradually introduce small amounts of frozen food alongside the live food.
- Use a Turkey Baster: Use a turkey baster to target feed the blenny with frozen food. This will help the fish associate the baster with food.
- Offer a Variety of Foods: Try different types of frozen foods to see which ones the blenny prefers.
- Be Patient: It may take several weeks or even months for a scooter blenny to accept frozen foods.
How Often to Feed a Scooter Blenny
Scooter blennies are continuous grazers and need to be fed frequently throughout the day. Small, multiple feedings per day are ideal, as they are continuous foragers in the wild.
- Live Copepods: If the tank has a thriving pod population, the blenny can graze on them throughout the day.
- Target Feeding: Target feed the blenny 2-3 times per day with frozen foods or live foods.
How to Tell if Your Scooter Blenny is Getting Enough Food
It can be difficult to tell if a scooter blenny is getting enough food, as they are slow eaters and their grazing behavior can be subtle. Here are some signs that your scooter blenny is healthy and well-fed:
- Active Behavior: A healthy scooter blenny will be active and alert, constantly scooting around the tank in search of food.
- Rounded Belly: A well-fed scooter blenny will have a rounded belly. A sunken or emaciated belly is a sign of starvation.
- Good Coloration: A healthy scooter blenny will have vibrant coloration. Faded or dull coloration can be a sign of malnutrition.
- Eating Habits: Observe the blenny's eating habits to see if it is actively grazing on copepods or accepting target feedings.
Tank Size Considerations
You have some flexibility when it comes to tank size for a scooter blenny. It depends on how many fish you plan to stock, the ratios you’re considering, and your anticipated feeding strategy. At a bare minimum, you can get away with a 30-gallon (114L) tank. This is comfortable enough for a male scooter blenny with 2-3 females. If you want to house two males, you’ll need to up your space. The scooter blenny doesn’t set up territories the way other fish might, but they WILL fight for the females. To prevent injuries, you’ll need to give everyone room to “retreat to their corners.” If you don’t, you could see one male harassed to the point of stress (or death). As such, you’ll want to consider going up to 55 gallons (208L).
Then there’s the question of feeding (which we’ll go into more detail in a minute). The scooter blenny ranks as a problematic species to care for due to its dietary needs. One of the best solutions is to keep a refugium. It’s simpler and requires less time and work than target feeding. But it means you’ll need a sump tank. So you’re looking at a 50-gallon (189L) sump in addition to your tank. That puts you at a water total of around 100 gallons (379L) - if you stay with the 55-gallon approach.
Regardless of the size of tank you go with, make sure you get a tight-fitting lid. The scooter blenny not only hops, but it also JUMPS. And the leaping power in this little fish is enough to propel it OUT of the water. And if they don’t have sand to bury themselves in (or they’re scouting for food near the top of the aquarium), they’ll bolt for the surface.
Tank Mates
The scooter blenny does equally well alone as it does in small groups. The “harem” group will prevent issues from arising as males will attempt to battle for dominance. Without a set territory, they have no problem scooting around the entire tank, and that’s the root of the problem. When two scooters see each other, they hop close. “Flags” go into the air to demonstrate dominance. Females are left alone. But if two males see those impressive dorsal fins, a challenge is declared. Each will expect the other to run off, bowing down to the “dominant” male. And if no one does? They’ll start biting at tails. You don’t want bites to end up infected. And that’s why allowing for space (and hiding places) is so important. In close quarters, a bully can continue to harass the “loser.” Otherwise, the scooter blenny is peaceful. They won’t interfere with any of your other fish. And you can keep scooters with mandarin dragonets - provided you have enough copepods to go around. The two species won’t engage one another. It’s just a matter of preventing starvation as they both have that specific menu.
You DO need to consider the predation part of the equation, though. Scooters show up on the preferred dining list for plenty of other popular saltwater fish. And you don’t want to go through all of the trouble of caring for a scooter blenny just to watch it disappear down a stomach. As such, lionfish and sea anemones shouldn’t get combined with a scooter blenny. That’s too much of a risk.
Good Tank Mates
- Banggai cardinalfish
- Diamond goby
- Engineer goby
- Firefish goby
- Green chromis
- Lawnmower blenny
- Mandarin goby
- Midas blenny
- Neon goby
- Pajama cardinalfish
- Starry blenny
- Tailspot blenny
Breeding Scooter Blennies
With that prominent dorsal fin, it’s easy to pick out a male scooter blenny from a female. And breeding this “hoppy” fish? It’s not complicated. They’re pelagic spawners in the wild, migrating incredible distances in search of the perfect current to disperse their eggs. But with the proper setup, you can induce the behavior in your reef tank. Obviously, you need to make sure you have well-fed scooters. And you can’t have any aggressive fish waiting to swallow the eggs (or your blennies). You should also look to keep the following water conditions:
- Temperature: 75-80F/23.8-26.6C
- pH: 7.7-8.3
- Ammonia: 0ppm
- Nitrite: 0ppm
- Nitrate: 0ppm (or as close as possible)
- Phosphate: >1ppm
Spawning takes place in the evening during sunset (or when you turn the lights off). Scooters start a courting ritual by pairing up on the deep sand bed. You’ll see them linking their fins together as they swim around. (Does it get cuter than that?) They then swim toward the surface, remaining as close as possible, with their fins locked. Just before the top, they split and go back to the substrate. This can happen multiple times. But on a final rise, they release the eggs and sperm. You should use a kreisel to collect the eggs for their development. It allows them to incubate in safety from any curious fish looking for caviar. And it’s a clean incubator.
The eggs hatch around 12-16 hours later, and the fry finish absorbing their yolks another 36 hours after that. As you might guess, scooter blenny fry require the same attention to detail with food as their parents. You’ll want to go for tiny, protein-dense foods. Top options include:
- Brine shrimp
- Cyclop-Eeze
- Mysis shrimp
As the fry have even TINIER mouths, you’ll need to step up your water changes to prevent waste from building up. It can get challenging to balance 25-50% daily changes with NOT draining the food supply the fish need. But you can’t let the water grow foul if you want your baby scooters to survive. And trying to get them to take other foods? It won’t work. Once the scooter fry reach 1 inch (2.5cm) long, you can introduce them to your community reef tank. As long as you don’t have any aggressive “predators” around, anyway. Clownfish happen to find that size snack-worthy. So if you have hungry fish-eaters around, wait until the scooters reach 2 inches (5cm) before you transfer them.