I'm looking into getting a BSJ and was wanting to get my QT tank fired up.

Here's what I have.

JBJ Pictotope -
Aquaclear 70 - I will pack with filter floss and that's it for filtration
50 watt heater
small florescent light
airstone

Questions:

Is the pictotope large enough?

I plan on putting a few PVC pieces in the tank for him to hide. Should I put anything else in there?

Do I need anything else for filtration?

Are weekly water changes typically enough and can I simply take the "old" water from my 30 and put it in the QT tank when I do my normal water changes?

Is a light necessary?

I'll be feeding him once a day and will check for signs of disease. Is this enough feeding? I'm going to research a bit more on treatments.

What am I missing?


EDIT

I did a search and came up with three Jawfish Qt threads all if which had no follow-through. Hoping to shed a bit more light in this thread.

If your QT is less than 10 gallons its too small

Your jawfish will not be happy with just PVC. you could put a bowel 2/3 full of sand with rubble in it for him to burrow into.

Okay. I'll grab a 10 gallon. Good idea with the sand. I'll put a deep rubbermaid on one side filled with cleaned "play sand" from HD.

Thank you.

Will my filtration be okay with just the filter floss?

You are welcome. I would not use filter floss. I would use carbon. You may get an algae outbreak from the HD sand. See about some "dead" sand from your LFS. Make sure to put in either a PVC home for the fish (look up Jawfish home) or put pieces of rock rubble in there for him to use as supports for his tunnel.

honestly, i would put him straight into the tank. Alot of people are against it, but if the fish has been fine in your LFS for a good 2 weeks and eats well, your chances are small it has ich. Jawfish are not known to have ich as much as other fish like clownfish. This is from personal experience. I had a BSJ twice and the first time the fish seemed stressed at the QT with only PVC compared to digging in the main tank in my second time.

biggest thing. COVER YOUR TANK IN EVERY SPACE POSSIBLE. I AM NOT KIDDING, Jawfish seems to look for holes to jump out of!

Hmmm, interesting. I've been reading that since BSJ are wild caught they are susceptible to a bacteria type infection/sickness. Not saying your idea is wrong, but it's something I've come across.

Also, I've read that carbon is a bad idea for a QT tank due to it absorbing any medications added.

I'm ordering from an online vendor that has also recommended a QT not just for a BSJ but for any fish. She claims it's just the smart thing to do rather than trust any online retailer or even an LFS.

yea you shouldnt listen to me haha. someone told me though that BSJ have a smooth type body making it less prone.


just listen to me when i say cover your tank. If you can fit your finger anywhere with your top on, your gonna regret it. My first one jumped or climbed my HOB filter's waterflow to its death.

Also, you should get it from a LFS to see if its eating. My LFS is even cheaper than online. Got mine for $60 and then $55. I live in Los Angeles though

Thanks for the input. I'm going to wrap the top of the damn tank like nobodies business!

How about you go to that LFS and pick me out a good healthy specimen and overnight him here?!

Bump.

Any other thoughts?

Bump for more opinions...

[quote name='YouKnowBlev' date='Mar 15 2010, 04:47 PM' post='2743600']

Is the pictotope large enough?

My LFS has 3 Not for sale tanks and two of them are 8 gal nanos. One has a BSJ and the other has a little cuttlefish. The cuttlefish has been there for 2 months and just fine and the BSJ has been there a little over a month. The BSJ is almost full grown though. So with that said if you pay close attention to your parameters you shouldnt have a problem with your tank size.

Pictotope is ready to rock. I've got a sponge filter, heater and lid along with some PVC waiting for him. I'll start with a freshwater dip and then i'll keep an eye on him for 3-4 weeks. Prolly treat for parasites as well. I can't wait to get this little guy.

Just keep a really close eye on your water parameters in a pico - water can go bad really fast if the tank's not cycled. That's another reason why people suggest a 10 gallon for a QT. More water = dilution of potential ammonia, etc. You're trying to make a relaxing environment for your fish while in QT, not a stressful one. So just keep on top of your parameters and be ready to do water changes.

Also, if you've got some chaeto on hand you might want to take a little bit of it and add it to your pico to help with the water parameters. Macroalgae takes up ammonia as well as nitrates, so it can only help as long as you have decent light (I've got a single 18w T5 bulb on my QT)