Jawfish, Tangs and Jawfish

[fortheloveofcrabs]

Hey All,

Looking to feed off of your collective knowledge that is of seemingly infinite proportions.

I really like yellow head jawfish. I want to get some of them. I've heard that you can keep several in a single tank. I have a 55 gal - any guesses on how many (forget bioload here, just how many as far as space). As well, anybody keeping a yellow head with a yellow tang? How's it working out for them?

Finally, if you have a yellow head, what other fish are keeping well with it?

It's one thing to read journals about this stuff, but you guys are real-live people, (and yes, I'm insinuating that people who write journals are not real people :)) so some how I trust you much more.

Thank you in advance!!

-Pauli

[mark]

Had a Yellowhead in a 75g with Purple Tang and 2 clowns.

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

Keep the tank well covered, at least until the jawfish dig a tunnel to hide in. Until then, they are skittish & may go carpet surfing.

I've had them in my seahorse tank before. Love them, but they need to be target fed if in a tank with such a fast, active feeder like tangs. (IME).

Here's an old pic of mine:

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a322/SeaHorse_Fanatic/SeaHorseJawfish.jpg

You will also need to have a mixed substrate (especially if you're using sand right now) because they have a hard time building homes in sand & like to have small rubble & crushed coral substrates.

Good luck,

Anthony

[fortheloveofcrabs]

Thanks guys. I've got the substrate part covered, and the screen over the top of the tank (I've been planning this for a while :)).

I'm surprised that nobody else chimed in. NOBODY else has had a jawfish with any-other type of fish before?

BTW nice pic!!

Thanks!!

[tango]

I had a Yellowheaded Jawfish. Had it for a couple weeks. He had about 12 different holes in the sand came home one day and he had been carpet surfing early that day. And I guess he didn't live :cry:

[Snappy]

I've had them in a community tank with tangs and a bunch of other stuff. No problems with the fish but I found that they always jumped out settled in or not. I have had bad luck with them.
The jawfish I had the longest was my blue spotted one and it was in a well covered seahorse tank.

[Reefhawk1]

I currently have a Yellow head jaw fish and a yellow tang in my 110 gallon aquarium. My Tang constantly pays a visit to the jaw fish burrow to keep him in check. The tang seems a little aggressive to wards him and the jaw fish responds by swelling up and hiding in his burrow.

I have read you can keep several of this species together but in a 55 gallon I would limit the amount to 3 - 4 IMO. If they decide to battle for room one or more might decide to commit suicide by taking the big leap.

I was lucky to be in the room when my Jaw fish went carpet surfing behind the tank. He leaped up and through the egg crate I had place over the tank. After he made his permanent burrow I removed the egg crate and glass from the tank and he hasn't tried to escape since.