Aquarists Keep lawnmower blennies and watchman gobies together to add variety to their established tank due to their unique appearance.

Can A Lawnmower Blenny And Watchman Goby Be Kept In The Same Tank?

Lawnmower Blenny And Watchman Goby Compatibility
The good news is that a lawnmower blenny and a watchman goby can get along in a reef tank. As long as these fish have stable parameters, a well-balanced diet, and a suitable tank layout, you can create a stress-free environment conducive to both of these species can thrive together.

Let’s now understand more in detail why a lawnmower blenny and watchman goby can live together.

5 Reasons Why You Can Keep Lawnmower Blennys And Watchman Gobys Together

Lawnmower blenny and watchman goby are saltwater fish that are popular in the aquarium hobby.

These fish have a similar size difference and have other similarities due to which you can keep them together in a reef tank.

Given below are a few reasons why lawnmower blenny and watchman goby can live together.

1. Similar Habitat
Due to their geographical distribution in the wild overlaps, a lawnmower blenny and watchman goby can be kept together as they need a similar environment.

2. Similar Water Quality
Lawnmower blenny and watchman goby require similar water conditions.

Both these fish species require water temperatures in the range of 75°F – 82°F (25°C – 28°C). Similarly, a pH of 8.10 to 8.30 should be maintained in a reef tank for these fish to thrive.

Alkalinity is also critical in reef aquariums, and both of these species need it to be between 8 to 12 dKN.

They also both prefer the tank’s specific gravity to be between 1.020 and 1.024.

3. Similar Tank Setup
Lawnmower blenny and watchman goby graze on algae from the coral reef. Moreover, both of these species are sand sifters in the wild. So, they need a similar tank setup along with a coral reef, many hiding places, and lots of open space for both species to swim around the reef tank when needed.

4. Similar Water Movement
Water movement is very important for any saltwater tank. It’s most effectively described as the circulatory system of an aquarium.

It not only influences the water quality, but it also helps stability within the tank and overall fish health.

A tank with the right water movement is important for gas exchange, supplementing filtration, and promoting the physical and mental activities of the aquarium inhabitants.

Lawnmower blenny’s and watchman goby’s require low water movement inside the tank. So, it needs to be easy to create water movement that suits the requirements of both these fish.

5. Similar Dietary Requirements
Lawnmower blenny and watchman goby are omnivorous fish species and therefore require both plant matter and meat in their diet.

Due to similar dietary requirements for both of these species, it’s easier for fish keepers to provide a varied diet consisting of algae and meaty food.

Both fish can be fed a diverse mix of frozen food, and plant matter that will satiate their dietary requirements.

Challenges With Keeping Lawnmower Blennys and Watchman Gobys Together

While there are similarities between these fish species, there are some subtle differences.

It’s possible for these differences to create obstacles for these fish species to coexist.

So, fish keepers need to know and prepare themselves in case these challenges arise.

3 Tips To Keep Lawnmower Blenny and Watchman Goby Together

Keeping different fish species in a community tank can also have its challenges. However, you can still keep them together by properly planning the tank setup and maintaining a conducive environment.

Tips For Keeping Lawnmower Blennys And Watchman Gobys Together

1. Well Designed Tank Layout
As both of these species are quite small, they still need lots of room around the bottom of the tank.

They need enough space along with a habitat replicating their natural environment. It’s important to remember these requirements when considering keeping these two fish together.

2. Regular Tank Maintenance
As previously mentioned, lawnmower blenny’s and watchman goby’s need similar water conditions. Although, they require minimum variation in water quality. So, you must keep the water temperature, acidity, pH, and salinity in your marine tank constant all the time.

A robust filtration system is needed to ensure that there’s no mess in your saltwater aquarium and that both fish species enjoy a healthy environment.

3. Well-Balanced Diet
Both fish are good with an omnivorous diet and therefore are comfortable with frozen fish foods that are available over the counter. Other than frozen food, they will eat mysis shrimp, brine shrimp, table shrimps and marine fish foods, along with some sinking pellets.

Both the lawnmower blenny and watchman goby can get food from the sand they are burrowing in because they are bottom feeders.