Blue Spotted Jaw Fish Experiences - Please Share

[gobytron]

Hello all.

Not looking for opinions from reefers who have never kept one of these themselves.

Frankly, it is of no use to hear second hand about someone you knew who had one.

I have also spent hours reading up about this fish, so please don't share what you have read.

First hand experiences only please...good or bad.

I have always wanted one of these fish and recently acquired a tank I would love to add one of these to.

I have read so much conflicting info from articles in reputable publications and whenever this is the case, I find first hand experience from reefers is your best bet for finding a conclusion.

Please share...

[freeze]

Had one for about 6 months. I loved him. They love to jump. If the get scared or startled they jump. I had to put a plexi lid on my tank as the clowns started bugging him and he would go straight up. Before the lid he landed on the TV tray beside me. Every now and the. I would hear him banging against the lid. Ate like a pig, pellets, frozen, he didn't care. Dug tunnels under every rock in the tank and moved the sand bed every day, so corals on the sand is a no go, they will bury them or dig under them. I have no idea where mine went. I had him in a tank with two clowns, one who was pretty territorial. Would start going into his homes to **** him off. I think they may have had it out or something because he didn't jump out...lid. Only other thing I can think of is he dug to swap under a big rock and got trapped but I haven't found a skeleton. Very sad loss as he was one of my favorite fish so far. I will try one again in the new bigger tank. Lots of personality and cool to watch. I would build a nano and have one as the sole fish.

[intarsiabox]

I had one in my first SW tank. It was one of the first fish I ever bought. Had him for about 2 years until I moved and sold off all my livestock because we ended up living in parents basement until the house was finished. Mine was really easy to care for and except for the first few days he wasn't shy. Had no problem darting to the top of the tank when it was feeding time but spent most of his time hovering around his hole just watching you watch him. I never got another one as my next tanks were either bare bottom or very shallow sand bed.

[jorjef]

Jumped out first night..... End of story.

[Myka]

Terrible for flukes, check them close, and give them a fluke dip. Like all Jawfish, they stress easily, so need tankmates that won't harass them. Definitely, absolutely, without a doubt NEED a lid with ALL Jawfish. They are some of the best carpet surfers.

As I said in your other thread, a client of mine had a pair breeding in 82F. I lowered the temp to 78F, but they still bred in either temperature. They had seahorses and gobies as companions and a 4" sand/rubble bed. They didn't eat pellets (only frozen), and required target feeding as they would not go too far from the burrows. The female was a lot more jumpy than the male.

[Taipan]

Blue Spotted Jawfish # 1.)

Died within a week. They seem to be very susceptible to infections and generally do not ship well. Once they get a cut or some form of abrasion (ie. from rockwork) ; the healing process to close the wound is slow and the lesion spreads (like a form of rot) .


Blue Spotted Jawfish #2.)

Died within 24 hours. Carpet surfed. My dog presented it to me in the morning.


Blue Spotted Jawfish #3.)

Kept for over 2 years before passing it to a fellow hobbyist. Still going strong. Eats all prepared foods and frozen (then and now).

ALL 3 fish were/are kept in aquariums without a heater. Avg. temperature is 76 F but ranges from 74F - 80F. A VERY animated fish with lots of character.

End result: A much lighter and thinner wallet....but worth it. I'd get another one.

[fishytime]

Ive tried about 5 times over the last few years..... never managed to keep one more than a couple months....swore of them.....

[reef_rookie]

I only ever had one. 180 gallon tank, no lid. He dug a hole and wouldn't come out, not even to feed. I had a yellow tang and fox face that were very aggressive eaters. I spot fed him for around three months and one day he just didn't come and eat. Will get another one one day, but he will be one of the first fish into the tank. Hope this helps

[gobytron]

Thanks all...

So seems like about 2 years is the maximum, and the average, significantly less...