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Blue Dot Jawfish in Biocube 29?


L.bacchus88

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L.bacchus88

What do you guys think about having a Blue Dot Jawfish In a biocube 29? I'm about done cycling my tank and I'm debating getting one of these guys as my first fish. (I've heard it's best to put them in first if possible?) I have a sand bed of about 3 inches, maybe some more in some parts of the tank. I would put a bunch of rubble/shells for him to build with and I have a pretty decent cave in there that he would possibly take over. Is this tank just too small for him? I also heard about the jumping factor, and would probably put some screening over the back chambers. Is this just not a good idea? Lol thanks for any input.

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Yes, u can they wil be fine. The are very prone to jumping so u really need a very good cover. They can jump through even through a 1/2 inch gap.

Make sure u have small nook/caves etc for it to hide.

 

 

Apparently, they also donot survive long in a aquariums.

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What do you guys think about having a Blue Dot Jawfish In a biocube 29? I'm about done cycling my tank and I'm debating getting one of these guys as my first fish. (I've heard it's best to put them in first if possible?) I have a sand bed of about 3 inches, maybe some more in some parts of the tank. I would put a bunch of rubble/shells for him to build with and I have a pretty decent cave in there that he would possibly take over. Is this tank just too small for him? I also heard about the jumping factor, and would probably put some screening over the back chambers. Is this just not a good idea? Lol thanks for any input.

 

This is not a beginner fish, please read up on them, preferred temperatures, housing, ect. They can be particularly fragile.

 

http://www.tfhmagazine.com/details/articles/a-cool-fish-in-more-than-one-sense-the-bluespotted-jawfish-opistognathus-rosenblatti-full-article.htm

 

http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forum/index.php?threads/the-bluespot-club.16244/

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I thought the long term survival was more about temperature for them? I could be wrong, but I heard they were longer lived when housed in cooler temps, much like catalina gobies.

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As said before .. They donot survive in aquariums. I have tried twice and I could never get beyond 6 months. Both I lost because they jumped even through the 1/4 neeting.

 

They are too expensive comparatively to loose for stupid reasons like jumping.

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Live Aquaria can be vague sometimes.

 

Screen top is an easy solution to jumpers, but if you're looking for a cheaper alternative that's from warmer temps, the pearly jawfish is adorbs.

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L.bacchus88

Thanks for the replies! Perhaps I'll get a pearly Jawfish instead. I will do more research and figure out what I should get. For whatever I get, I want to keep my tank about 76 max.

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I can't speak for longevity so far..as i've had mine for about four months. Here's whats worked for me:

1) You need a section of sand bed at least 5 inches, They need to construct a burrow to feel at home in the aquarium. You also need to provide them with "building blocks" aka rock rubble, snail shells, broken SPS coral. They need some larger substrate to enforce their burrow structure and seal off entry points during the night. There are two types of burrows, one being a safety burrow, which is usually located underneath your live rock. This is a place where they can feel enclosed to the entire aquarium when threatened and has only one entry point. The main burrow is where they will hang out as they start to feel more at home and has multiple entry points. I helped construct theirs with a cool little tiki hut from petco. It has 4 entriy points that can be accessed and tunneled through. I burrowed this in my sand mound to give them a start. In the wild these fish dont live on reefs. Maybe near a section of reef, but they prefer a wide-open sand plain where they have access to hundreds of feet of sand. I think its imperative to provide them with enough sand to tunnel away.

2) Tank-mates make a difference too. Highly aggressive fish are a no-no and other fish that are active swimmers can keep your jawfish locked in his burrow. Its actually funny when they get PO'ed. Their defense instinct is to flare out their mouths, almost like saying "Get the f**k out homie"

 

If you can obtain these conditions they wont jump, well mine haven't. Yes, they are know to be jumpers..but I believe that's because people don't usually provide them with their proper requirements. With the exception of the introduction, I haven't seem them try to jump since. But still, keep your lid on :)

 

I suggest building up a mound of sand somewhere and keep it at a safe proximity from other tank inhabitants territory. Introduce your fish at night in this location if possible.

You may see your fish swimming aimlessly at the surface of the water, they tend to display this behavior when they can't find a safe place to burrow, or during construction.

Also, these fish are very active eaters and I suggest feeding them multiple times a day if your tank allows it.

 

In conclusion, jawfish are really amazing animals and when provided with proper husbandry they can be a blast to watch. My pair is always out and feel comfortable enough to roam around the aquarium, freely. They constantly rework their burrow like a pistol shrimp and close in at night! Such a neat instinct to observe.

These are very curious fish and they watch everything around them, they would pick me up as soon as I'd walk in the door at about 20 feet away.

Not a great picture but you can see them in the left corner. They display their dancing behavior by going vertical and float up and down and watch for threats and food. Behind the left rock structure, I have about 5-6inches of sand. They actually moved most of it.

26125420995_8af558d7b2_b.jpg20160329_155726-1 by Ty D, on Flickr

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I Too looked into the Blue Spotted Jaw Fish. Very Pretty and quite pricey (100.00) Our LFS would not sell us the 1 they have in the shop. Our tank is still too young. However, we did get a Pearly Jaw fish and it is quite the character. Constantly making new caves.

It will be in 1 cave for a week or so and move. If u click on my Tank Build, U will see him there.

I do not think u would be disappointed.

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L.bacchus88

Nice. I think will get the pearly to be on the safe side. I have a decent amount of sand in my tank (a lot more piled in the back), but it's pretty fine. There is definitely some shells and rock rubble in there, but maybe I should get some crushed coral substrate or something. What do you guys think? (Tank is a little cloudy since I stirred it up a little) also keep in my mind that this tank is still cycling hence how baron it is. Lol

post-90663-0-67532600-1460000712_thumb.jpeg

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It's difficult to build a burrow out of find "sugar" like sand. You may be best off just replacing it with the normal grade with some crushed mixed in and rock rubble.

 

 

 

 

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StinkyBunny

Get a bag of larger grain substrate and mix it in before you get the Jawfish, a 10 lb bag will suffice. I keep pistol shrimp and their gobies and I mix my gravel that way so the shrimp has stuff to make burrows with.

 

I wonder if the majority of the Blue spots jumping is burrow related than anything else. If they don't have their cave to feel safe they're VERY skittish. That said, keep the top covered, I've had fish in my cube for years and every once in a while I'll see one of them trying to do the Free Willy thing and go floor surfing.

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Get a bag of larger grain substrate and mix it in before you get the Jawfish, a 10 lb bag will suffice. I keep pistol shrimp and their gobies and I mix my gravel that way so the shrimp has stuff to make burrows with.

 

I wonder if the majority of the Blue spots jumping is burrow related than anything else. If they don't have their cave to feel safe they're VERY skittish. That said, keep the top covered, I've had fish in my cube for years and every once in a while I'll see one of them trying to do the Free Willy thing and go floor surfing.

I think its a direct correlation, if they don't feel at home in the aquarium they're gonna jump

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L.bacchus88

I have 4 full inches of sand in my tank and it looks outrageous. My rock sits on the glass so the sand is starting to take over. lol my brother is insisting I take some out. And now I have people saying that deep sand beds are too dangerous with the hydrogen sulfide. I really want to get the yellow head Jawfish, but now I'm debating because I hate having this much sand. What do you guys think?

post-90663-0-77462900-1460518472_thumb.jpeg

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