Description
Midas Blenny (Ecsenius midas)
Overview
The Midas Blenny (Ecsenius midas) is one of the most popular and personable small fish in the marine aquarium hobby, prized for its unique swimming style, vibrant golden-orange coloration, and comical, “dog-like” personality.
- Temperament: Peaceful (but can be territorial toward similar-shaped fish)
- Reef Safe: Yes
- Max Size: Approximately 10–15 cm
- Origin: Red Sea and Western Indian Ocean
Care Requirements
- Tank Size: A minimum of 120 litres is recommended. They are active swimmers that spend much of their time in the water column, so they appreciate having space to move.
- The “Perch” Requirement: They are naturally adapted to living in the holes of reef structures. Provide plenty of live rock with various crevices, ledges, and specifically abandoned worm holes where they can back their bodies in and perch.
- Lid: Like almost all marine fish, a tight-fitting lid is essential to prevent jumping.
- Water Parameters:
- Temperature: 22–27°C
- Salinity: 1.023–1.025
- pH: 8.1–8.4
Maintenance
They are hardy fish that do not require specialized maintenance beyond standard reef aquarium care (regular water changes and monitoring parameters).
Diet
The Midas Blenny is an omnivore, feeding on zooplankton, small crustaceans, and algae in the wild. In captivity, it requires a varied diet to support health and coloration, often grazing on tank algae between feedings.
- Frozen: Mysis shrimp, brine shrimp, krill, finely chopped seafood (squid, mussel, clam).
- Live: Enriched brine shrimp or copepods, especially for new or picky eaters.
- Prepared: High-quality herbivore and carnivore pellets or flakes with spirulina, nori, or carotenoids to enhance coloration. Offer seaweed sheets (clipped to the tank) for grazing.
- Feeding Regimen: Feed 1–2 times daily in small portions to avoid overfeeding and water pollution. Thaw frozen foods in tank water and soak dry foods in vitamins or brine juice if the fish is reluctant to eat.
Behavior and Compatibility
- Social Behavior: They are very active and often “hang out” in the mid-water column, frequently swimming alongside Anthias or Chromis in the wild.
- Personality: They are known for being very curious and often watch their owners from their favorite perch.
- Compatibility: Generally peaceful. However, they can be territorial toward other blennies or fish with similar body shapes (such as Firefish or Dartfish) if the tank is too small, as they may compete for similar hole-dwelling perches.
Reproduction
Captive breeding of the Midas Blenny is extremely rare. Like most blennies, they are substrate spawners, where the male guards the eggs in a crevice or hole, but raising the larvae in a home aquarium is considered beyond the scope of standard hobbyist care.
Tips
- Acclimation: They can be slightly timid when first introduced. If you have aggressive tank mates, use an acclimation box to allow the Midas Blenny to establish its presence and begin eating before release.
- Flow: They appreciate moderate water flow, which helps them “hover” in the current, mimicking their natural behavior of catching food drifting by.
- Watch for Coloration: A healthy Midas Blenny will be a brilliant, saturated golden-orange. If they become pale or lose their color, it is often a sign of stress or poor water quality.
Picture for illustrative purposes only. Either come in store to view available stock or request pictures to be sent to you.
Please Note: Due to variations within species resulting from age, region, sex, etc., the actual livestock may not look identical to the image. Approximate size range may also vary between individual specimens.
