Blue spot jawfish not eating

[Ashley13]

I've had my blue spot jawfish for over a year now, he's been doing great until yesterday. He's normally a pretty aggressive eater but yesterday and today he hasn't come out of his borrow to eat. I was able to hand feed him some yesterday and tried that today too but he didnt eat today. He looks like his back fin may be shorter than normal like it's rotted off but other than that the rest of his body looks fine. I haven't added any new fish in the last month and I've mixed metroplex in the food just incase he has something contagious. I did put chemiclean in the tank a few days ago and ran an air stone in the sump but did a water change yesterday and added new carbon. Any ideas whats going on? I'll try to get a picture of him but he's deep in the rock, I'm having to look at him with a flashlight.

 

[Outlaw Corals]

I've had my blue spot jawfish for over a year now, he's been doing great until yesterday. He's normally a pretty aggressive eater but yesterday and today he hasn't come out of his borrow to eat. I was able to hand feed him some yesterday and tried that today too but he didnt eat today. He looks like his back fin may be shorter than normal like it's rotted off but other than that the rest of his body looks fine. I haven't added any new fish in the last month and I've mixed metroplex in the food just incase he has something contagious. I did put chemiclean in the tank a few days ago and ran an air stone in the sump but did a water change yesterday and added new carbon. Any ideas whats going on? I'll try to get a picture of him but he's deep in the rock, I'm having to look at him with a flashlight.

I’m on my third blue spot jawfish over the past six months, there’s a place that charges the best price I’ve seen $85 so i just get another one if i lose one but the same thing happened to all of them, they come in looking great and healthy and eating like pig’s and after a couple of months they just stop eating and end up dying, the last one i got on Mother’s Day on sale for $65 and i noticed on Sunday it didn’t eat and this one went quick i lost him the next day, it just makes no sense so i ordered another one on Tuesday and got it yesterday, this one is actually my fourth one, I just like the others. He looks really good and he’s eating like a pig.

 

[NanoJHB]

What temperature is your tank running at? I know they prefer cooler waters than most reef tanks. The higher temps do tend to decrease life expectancy

 

[i cant think]

I've had my blue spot jawfish for over a year now, he's been doing great until yesterday. He's normally a pretty aggressive eater but yesterday and today he hasn't come out of his borrow to eat. I was able to hand feed him some yesterday and tried that today too but he didnt eat today. He looks like his back fin may be shorter than normal like it's rotted off but other than that the rest of his body looks fine. I haven't added any new fish in the last month and I've mixed metroplex in the food just incase he has something contagious. I did put chemiclean in the tank a few days ago and ran an air stone in the sump but did a water change yesterday and added new carbon. Any ideas whats going on? I'll try to get a picture of him but he's deep in the rock, I'm having to look at him with a flashlight.

It sounds to me that this is one of the signs of a shortened lifespan - In too warm of a reef you will shorten the lifespan of these fish greatly. It sounds like this is what the result is.

 

[Ashley13]

What temperature is your tank running at? I know they prefer cooler waters than most reef tanks. The higher temps do tend to decrease life expectancy

Good to know, i raised it to 80 for a few days trying to to get rid of an algea issue about 2 weeks ago. Now that's gone it is at 78. What temp do they prefer? My tank has always been 78-80 and like i said I've had him a while. Just looked back at my records and I will have have 2 years come September.

 

[elev8]

Low 70’s is the ideal range for these guys.
You run normal reef temps around 78-80 they’re not going to last long.
Most corals are just fine with a tank running around 72-74 degrees, which would be a more ideal temp for bsj

 

[Ashley13]

Good to know, i raised it to 80 for a few days trying to to get rid of an algea issue about 2 weeks ago. Now that's gone it is at 78. What temp do they prefer? My tank has always been 78-80 and like i said I've had him a while. Just looked back at my records and I will have have 2 years come September.

I just lowered it to 76, it will probably take a while to get to that. My heater runs a little hot (didn't realize that) it was set on 78 but the thermometer reads 80. So temp is probably my issue, thanks for the help!

 

[Dave1993]

i think they need temp to be at like 68

 

[Ashley13]

Low 70’s is the ideal range for these guys.
You run normal reef temps around 78-80 they’re not going to last long.
Most corals are just fine with a tank running around 72-74 degrees, which would be a more ideal temp for bsj

Thanks, if he makes it I'll gradually lower it. Just to see what happens. Im not worried about the other fish but dont want to stress my hippo, will she be fine in lower temps? Also how will corals do?

 

[Ashley13]

i think they need temp to be at like 68

Oh wow, well im home all day today and my house temp is 70 so i just unplugged the heater to drop it a few. I'll keep an eye on everything just to make sure they arent stressing. My heater runs hot, set on 78 the aquarium is really 80.

 

[Dave1993]

Oh wow, well im home all day today and my house temp is 70 so i just unplugged the heater to drop it a few. I'll keep an eye on everything just to make sure they arent stressing. My heater runs hot, set on 78 the aquarium is really 80.

i would think twice your corals and other fish wont be able to withstand that temp and that sudden drop in temp BSJ fish really need a species only tank

 

[vetteguy53081]

Having had a blue spot jaw, they can be finicky and often enticers such as Live brine shrimp or blackworms work. Other foods are formula 1 frozen, mysis shrimp, spirulina brine and small plankton.
They are easily intimidated by certain tankmates which impact their ability to come out for food.

 

[nereefpat]

Oh wow, well im home all day today and my house temp is 70 so i just unplugged the heater to drop it a few. I'll keep an eye on everything just to make sure they arent stressing. My heater runs hot, set on 78 the aquarium is really 80.

I wouldn't do that. Just consider it a lesson learned on this species of jawfish.

 

[Ashley13]

i would think twice your corals and other fish wont be able to withstand that temp and that sudden drop in temp BSJ fish really need a species only tank

Okay thanks, i plugged it back in. Was just trying to drop it to 78. I turned the heater down to 78 last night and 12 hours later it's still at 80 so just wanted to drop it 2 degrees.

 

[Dave1993]

Okay thanks, i plugged it back in. Was just trying to drop it to 78. I turned the heater down to 78 last night and 12 hours later it's still at 80 so just wanted to drop it 2 degrees.

you not able to get something like a fluval 13.5 or something like that and house the BSJ fish in there?

 

[Ashley13]

you not able to get something like a fluval 13.5 or something like that and house the BSJ fish in there?

I have 10g all in one i can set up, dont think that's too small?

 

[Dave1993]

I have 10g all in one i can set up, dont think that's too small?

im not 100% sure on BSJ fish found out they need cooler water so didn't bother investigating further just done a quick search and says 30 gallon but you could house it in a 10 gallon for now and maybe try get a little bit bigger tank if you can maybe like 20 gallon? just need to get it to cooler temp for now and hopefully it starts eating again i would acclimate him from your current 78-80 down to about low 70s though don't just plop him straight in low 70s

 

[i cant think]

I have 10g all in one i can set up, dont think that's too small?

the issue is you need a deep sandbed - these fish also don’t need rock, they want rubble ontop of the sand.
So if you stick to sand and rubble you may be able to make it happen

 

[Ashley13]

im not 100% sure on BSJ fish found out they need cooler water so didn't bother investigating further just done a quick search and says 30 gallon but you could house it in a 10 gallon for now and maybe try get a little bit bigger tank if you can maybe like 20 gallon? just need to get it to cooler temp for now and hopefully it starts eating again i would acclimate him from your current 78-80 down to about low 70s though don't just plop him straight in low 70s

Thanks for the help

 

[Ashley13]

the issue is you need a deep sandbed - these fish also don’t need rock, they want rubble ontop of the sand.
So if you stick to sand and rubble you may be able to make it happen

Thanks, i have a deep sand bed, he has a borrow under the rock scape. He's been fine for almost 2 years just all of a sudden started not eating. Im going to move him and see if it helps