Midas Blenny: A Guide to Care, Breeding, Diet & Behavior

The Midas Blenny is a saltwater aquarium fish that is perfect for medium-sized or even large-sized aquariums. They are also known as the Gold or Lyretail Blenny, owing to their physical features.

The fish comes from tropical regions of the Indo-Pacific region near eastern Africa and the Maldives, preferring similar water conditions. Owing to their peaceful temperament and easy care, they are great for beginning aquarium lovers.

With a natural habitat that you should try to replicate in an aquarium, these stunning fish are a must-have. They look like beautiful specks of gold whizzing around in your tank. Their calm nature can be reflected back to the observer.

Appearance and Markings

The Midas Blenny is a beautiful golden-yellow fish with a slight blue undertone near its chin. It has blue-rimmed beautiful eyes.

It is important to note that they have great adaptability and have been observed to change their color to shades of brown and blue to match other fish in their surroundings. Their color may also vary due to stressful conditions.

These fish have an elongated body with translucent fins with undertones of blue throughout. They can grow to a maximum size of 3 to 4 inches.

Lifespan

The Midas Blenny typically lives for two to four years. However, they can live for approximately five years in a quality environment. They need a safe environment for optimum lifespan.

Behavior and Temperament

The Midas Blenny likes to claim spaces within rocks and choose their place within a rock wall in your aquarium. It takes them a little time to gain confidence, after which they become avid swimmers. Until then, you can often observe them peeking from their hiding places.

With their active nature, these fish require open waters, and therefore, it is best to place them in an aquarium with a minimum of 30 gallons of water. In addition, they love to perch on rocks; therefore, you should have those as well.

While otherwise a peaceful temperament, the Midas Blenny can sometimes become aggressive if confined to smaller spaces and may nip at other smaller fish species such as gobies. They can also show hostile behavior towards other blennies. Therefore, think about your fish community before setting up the aquarium.

Food and Diet

The Golden or Midas Blenny is omnivorous and can thus be given a variety of food. From chopped flesh and vitamin-enriched food to freeze-dried worms and algae, they can have it all. In addition, they are fast eaters who appreciate food, whether frozen or alive. Therefore, it is recommended that they are fed a few times throughout the day.

Water Conditions

The Midas Blenny has special requirements for water like any other fish. They prefer a slightly alkaline environment with a pH ranging from 8.1 to 8.4. In addition, owing to their origins and natural habitat, they prefer a warmer temperature of 72°-78° Fahrenheit.

These saltwater fish prefer a water hardness that should range from 8 to 12 dKH.

Care

The Midas Blenny is easy to take care of as they are not really prone to any diseases. However, keep them in an environment that is safe to prevent them from getting stressed.

The aquarium should be medium to large with adequate open water to allow the fish to swim around. This will prevent them from feeling territorial with other fish as they already have ample space. In addition, the fish should be given enough to eat, so they do not think they need to fight for food.

In addition, a lot of rocks or preferably a rock wall should be installed to allow it to have hiding spaces when needed. This keeps them protected whenever they may feel vulnerable and protects them from stress.

They are reef compatible and can therefore be kept with reef invertebrates. However, it is recommended to keep them away from predators and not allow them to live in the same space.

They are also known to be jumpers. Therefore, you need an aquarium with a tight-fitting lid that will prevent them from jumping out. Unfortunately, this is one of the significant causes of death for marine fish when bred commercially.

Breeding

The Midas Blenny is not usually commercially bred and is often caught from the wild. However, if they did mate in your aquarium and laid their eggs, there are a few precautions you could take.

When the eggs are laid, a typical behavior is for a male to guard them against the multiple females in the cave. The eggs are fertilized at different times, so the larvae should be collected in the same manner. They need to be fed rotifers, brine shrimp, and planktons throughout and given a continuous nutrition supply.

With proper nutrition and care, you can have a whole family of Midas Blenny in your tank!

Conclusion

The Midas Blenny is a peaceful fish with a calm temperament. However, it is prone to aggression when confined to a small space or made vulnerable. Therefore, keep track of all the requirements it needs, such as a rock wall with enough hiding spaces to feel safe.

While they may change their colors to adapt to their surroundings, it may usually be due to stress and is often considered a sign of trouble in smaller aquariums. The fish is otherwise a remarkable color and adds specks of gold to your aquarium. It is lovely to see these active swimmers dashing around in open waters.

The Midas Blenny requires little care as long as you ensure that the environment you provide them is adequate and according to their natural habitat.