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We acquired 2 freshwater blennies here in Las Vegas, Nevada USA back in Nov/2005 and they have gotten a little bigger than the size we purchased them at. One is a gray-ish brown with yellow stripes and the other almost looks like it is 2-tone.

Now, the name your site gives is the older name, where the above is now the generally accepted name. Vietnamese blenny is the one your site has and it makes sense as a fw blenny. Odd thing is, on fish base. org they say it is brackish to marine! Okay, back to that in a minute.

The smaller one about 2.5" looks JUST like the picture you have on your site. The larger one is 2 toned (3.5" and the larger 2 tone one chased the striped one the other day, making me believe they may both be males? Or a male being typical toward the female. I would like to send you some photos if you are interested in them.

They will eat all "snails hitchhiked on live plants, so we assumed they like crustaceans and have fed them mysis, bloodworms and beef heart. In fact one likes beefheart and the other bloodworms! They do not like aggressive tank mates. In fact, when we got rid of our angel and acquired discus, they are out a lot more. They have been happy in 7.0 to 7.4 and up to 88 Degrees Far. FRESHWATER. They have really BIG mouths which you cannot really see until they open them! One took down a piece of beef heart that was about 3 or 4 mm! Like a snake! lol!

Like I said, we got them at a LFS here in Vegas. They didn't know what they were so we got them for .29 cents each!

As stated above, I have just read they need brackish to salt! Is that true? I mean, we have had ours for over 6 months in Freshwater and they are fine. Are they like the "freshwater" morays who start life in Freshwater and move to saltwater? One site said these Phenablennius heyligeri (freshwater blenny?) are short lived. Maybe that is because they are SUPPOSED to be in Freshwater. I know just because something is found in Fresh or Salt, does not mean that is the ultimate water preference. Mollies case in point. I have some in a Full 1.023 s/w tank to produce babies. They are fine. Now, I am sure the higher salinity may burn out their livers sooner like people's marine fish who insist on keeping their fish at 1.019. That is a whole other beef with me..... I disgress..... My main concern is for the blennies. IF they ARE brackish/Salt, why are they doing so well?

Take care and please reply, Carrie

When I first got mine last year, I did not know anything about them. I contacted an ichthyologist with the Smithsonian Institution, and he said that not much was known about the species (and mine were first he had seen in the aquarium trade). According to what he said, they may prefer freshwater instead of brackish or salt, we just don't know. Mine are doing fine in freshwater as well.

As for your larger one, it is probably a male in breeding coloration (which is why it is behaving aggressively). I have found that they do best in species tanks, as they tend to be quite shy when other fish are around. They don't seem to hard to care for, however, provided the water is clean.

They are very interesting fish. Good luck with yours.

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I'm not your neighbor, you Bakersfield trash.

Natalie,

Hi, I agree about the freshwater. I mean honestly, they do not have coloration typical of brackish or marine IMO. What do you feed yours and how long have you had it?

I would like to send you a pic if you can send me your email address. Mine is mcbirneys@cox.net

I am at a loss as to why they would consider it brackish or salt. Have you tried to adapt yours to either one? They are just so cool, it would kill us to hurt them if they are NOT either. Did you have a male and female as well? It would be pretty cool if they spawned. I wonder if they spawn in fw br or sw.

We have them with 4 baby discus, 3 swordtails and neon tetras and glow light tetras and one rummy nose. Once we got rid of the angelfish, (before we got the babies) they come out a lot more. I cannot totally agree with a species only tank since they are quite happy swimming around when it is dinner time casually looking for food.

What is really cool is we tap where there is a piece of food (on the outside of the glass) and they know we are pointing to something and they will come over and find it. My daughter said "big bird" eats out of her hand (striped one).

They are GREAT for getting rid of small snails in a fw tank! I know the Botias do, but I think they are ugly and I would rather have these guys in my tank!

Thanks again for your response! Do you know anyone who has bred them? I know that a company called Poseidon that sells to Petland and other pet stores had them per an employee there at Petland. (that is where I got them)

Take care and if you have any words of wisdom, I am all ears!