Mixing different species of Gobies and Blennies?

[bigjohn]

I am debating some new fish inhabitants for my tank. I have a few "larger" species (Naso Tang, BiColor Angel, 2 Percula Clowns), and a small yellow-tail damsel, a purple dottyback with lots of attitude, and a neon goby. I would like to add a few "smallish" fish to occupy the nooks and crannies of my live rock. Some potential candidates our clown or citron gobies, lawnmower blenny, midas blenny, mandarin goby, engineer goby, watchman goby, or any other suggestions from members.

My question:

1.) Is it OK to mix multiple species of gobies?? My tank is a 135 with about 100 lbs. live rock, so there should be ample room.

2.) Would any of the fish I listed be good or bad candidates??

3.) Do you think the dottyback would harrass these mercilessly?? He did chase the yellow-tail for about a day, but they avoid each other now, and seem to have struck an acceptable balance.

Thanks,
john

[David Grigor]

IMO: Your safest bet is to go with a blenny instead of a goby. With the purple dottyback in your tank nothing will be a sure thing.

[Dan]

I would be hesitant getting an engineer goby, they will excavate the sand from underneath your rocks in a very short period of time, inevitably leading to a collapse.

[bigjohn]

Now I remember that I have read that before about the Engineer Goby. Are there any other "earth" movers in the Goby family??

[Harpo]

Just about any of the sand sifting gobies will give you the same headache. We had a pair of dimonds that drove us nuts.

Harpo

[asmith]

I would think that a lawnmower blenny would fit in with your current fish. It does not resemble any of the other fish and it is pretty tame. How can you possibly turn down a fish with eyebrows?!??!?!?!

Andrew

[bigjohn]

Will a lawnmower blenny survive on prepared foods?? I am not "blessed" with a lot of algae growing in my tank, other than the occasional diatoms on the glass.

Would a different blenny be a better solution or do they all prefer grazing???

[asmith]

Our Lawnmower actually doesn't graze all that much. He eats any kind of flake food that we throw in the tank. We feed him a combination of Spirulina and Omega 1 marine flakes.

Andrew