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Gold Midas Blenny

Ecsenius midas

Family

Blenny (Combtooth)

Care level

Beginner

Temperament

Peaceful

Reef safe

Max size

13 cm

Min tank

115 L · 30 gal

Origin

Indo-Pacific & Red Sea

Diet

Omnivore

Food

Mysis, Enriched brine, Spirulina, Nori, Marine pellets

In stock — $180 →

Overview

The Gold Midas Blenny (Ecsenius midas) is a glowing golden-orange fish with big expressive eyes and an elegant lyre-shaped tail — one of the most charming and characterful blennies in the hobby. What sets it apart is how it behaves: unlike most blennies that perch on the rocks, the Midas swims out in the open water column, hovering and darting almost like an anthias.

That's no accident. In the wild, Midas Blennies often shoal alongside anthias, subtly shifting their colour toward blue or purple to blend in — a clever bit of mimicry that gives them cover to hunt and hide. It's why you'll sometimes see a Midas take on a bluish cast depending on its mood and surroundings.

Hardy, peaceful and reef-safe, it's a brilliant fish for beginners and a firm favourite of seasoned reefers. Curious, interactive and always out on show, it quickly becomes one of those fish with real personality.

Compatibility

Toward the general community the Gold Midas is peaceful and easygoing, mixing happily with most calm reef fish — clownfish, gobies, wrasses, cardinals, tangs and the like. It's confident and out-and-about rather than shy, so it holds its own without picking fights.

The main caveat is lookalikes. Like most Ecsenius, it can be territorial toward other blennies and similarly shaped, similarly coloured fish — including other Midas Blennies and the yellow Canary Fang Blenny. As a rule, keep just one Midas per tank unless your system is large, and give any blenny-shaped tankmates a different body shape and niche. Avoid aggressive or much larger species that would bully this otherwise bold little fish.

Health & quarantine

The Gold Midas is a hardy, forgiving fish and one of the easier blennies to keep, which makes it a great choice for less experienced reefers. A quiet quarantine period and a slow acclimation are still worthwhile to confirm strong feeding before it joins the display, and it settles fastest in a mature tank with plenty of live rock. Stable water quality and a varied diet are the main things it asks for. One practical point that makes a real difference: fit a secure lid, as like all blennies the Midas is a capable jumper, especially while settling in.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Gold Midas Blenny reef safe?

Yes, fully. It won't harm corals or invertebrates, and it even earns its keep grazing biofilm and algae. As an omnivore it's happy picking food from the water column too, so it's a genuinely well-behaved reef citizen.

Why does it swim in open water like an anthias?

That's the Midas's party trick. Unlike most blennies, it's an active mid-water swimmer that in the wild shoals with anthias, even shifting its colour to blend in. In the aquarium it carries that habit over, hovering and darting in the open — which is a big part of its appeal.

Can I keep more than one?

Best kept one Midas per tank unless your system is large. They can be territorial toward their own kind and similar-shaped blennies, so avoid pairing them (or mixing them with lookalikes like the Canary Fang Blenny) in smaller tanks. With most other community fish they're peaceful.

Do I need a lid?

Yes. Like all blennies, the Gold Midas is a capable jumper, particularly while settling in or if startled. A secure lid or mesh screen is strongly recommended to prevent avoidable losses.

Why has my Midas turned bluish?

That's completely normal. Midas Blennies naturally shift colour with mood and surroundings — a hangover from the mimicry they use to blend in with anthias in the wild. A colour change isn't a warning sign in this species; a healthy Midas is active, feeding and out in the open.

Is it a good beginner fish?

One of the best blennies for newcomers — it's hardy, reef-safe, eats readily and is full of character. Give it a mature tank with plenty of live rock crevices, a secure lid, and a varied diet, and it's a very forgiving, rewarding fish.

Care guidance is drawn from our own experience — every fish is an individual, so treat it as a starting point, not a guarantee. Not sure if a species suits your tank? Come ask us in store. New to the terms? Read the care-terms glossary.