Blue Spotted jawfish diagnosis

[Not an IT guy]

Hi all

first post on R2R. I recently got a blue potted jawfish. Was QT prior to me purchasing it. Copper treatment. It’s in my DT. Brought it home over a week ago. It has ate somewhat. I have seen my salfin nip at its tail fin which then prompt me to put it in a container away from the tang. Notice that it also had white patches top and bottom and this morning seen some white string poop I’m guessing. I jumped to action and My QT is up and running using tank water and some fresh mix saltwater for 2 days now. sound I be worried? I have been reading the BSJ disease threads too here. I have metroplex on hand and kanaplex is on its way. Qt has a sponge filter pvc and some sand. I’m going to add more but in a small container so it has sand and a place to hide. Also on order is a small HOB filter so I can easily add a carbon bag to it to get the meds out ICOE. I will try to get some pics up. The ones I have on me aren’t good. Any advice is welcome.

thanks R2R

 

[Marine Life]

Hi all

first post on R2R. I recently got a blue potted jawfish. Was QT prior to me purchasing it. Copper treatment. It’s in my DT. Brought it home over a week ago. It has ate somewhat. I have seen my salfin nip at its tail fin which then prompt me to put it in a container away from the tang. Notice that it also had white patches top and bottom and this morning seen some white string poop I’m guessing. I jumped to action and My QT is up and running using tank water and some fresh mix saltwater for 2 days now. sound I be worried? I have been reading the BSJ disease threads too here. I have metroplex on hand and kanaplex is on its way. Qt has a sponge filter pvc and some sand. I’m going to add more but in a small container so it has sand and a place to hide. Also on order is a small HOB filter so I can easily add a carbon bag to it to get the meds out ICOE. I will try to get some pics up. The ones I have on me aren’t good. Any advice is welcome.

thanks R2R

BSJ are pretty hard to keep in captivity so take it slow I would be moving him all over the place I would take the tang and put it in the container and let the jawfish make himself at home if you cant do that put him in QT and make sure he is eating and eating a lot nutrition is extremely important.

 

[Not an IT guy]

Parameters:
Temp 77-78
Ph 8.1
Phos .03-5
Nitrate.05
SG 1.026
Alk 8

sand about 2 1/3 thick

 

[Marine Life]

Parameters:
Temp 77-78
Ph 8.1
Phos .03-5
Nitrate.05
SG 1.026
Alk 8

sand about 2 1/3 think

Sandbed is a little too shallow for a BSJ. But it should be fine.

 

[Not an IT guy]

Updated. It’s got some white film covering it now

 

[Not an IT guy]

White string poop

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

These guys are real heartbreakers. I don’t recall them being such a problem years ago, but they sure have trouble adapting to tanks now. Caudal fin damage really seems to do them in. I agree with the other post, the trick is to let them settle in to the tank, not keep them in an isolation chamber. I can’t tell what the white film is, likely a generalized bacterial infection.
Jay

 

[Thales]

Temp is too high. These fish are not south pacific reef animals - 50's and 60's F is where they live. Though there are some reported 'successes' with these animals at reef temps, I think that the warmth is the reason people find them hard to keep.

 

[Not an IT guy]

These guys are real heartbreakers. I don’t recall them being such a problem years ago, but they sure have trouble adapting to tanks now. Caudal fin damage really seems to do them in. I agree with the other post, the trick is to let them settle in to the tank, not keep them in an isolation chamber. I can’t tell what the white film is, likely a generalized bacterial infection.
Jay

Much appreciated. Move it to the QT with a bowl of sand

 

[Not an IT guy]

Temp is too high. These fish are not south pacific reef animals - 50's and 60's F is where they live. Though there are some reported 'successes' with these animals at reef temps, I think that the warmth is the reason people find them hard to keep.

I also read that. They required/prefer cooler waters.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Temp is too high. These fish are not south pacific reef animals - 50's and 60's F is where they live. Though there are some reported 'successes' with these animals at reef temps, I think that the warmth is the reason people find them hard to keep.

Thanks for the clarification - I knew they weren't "tropical" but I didn't realize they needed 60's and below. I'm still struggling with the idea that I didn't have much trouble with these back in the 1990's and now they appear to be a big problem. I did keep my fish systems around 74-75 F. back then, but some reefs are not kept much higher than that now. I also always kept them in deep, mixed size substrate (coral sand, gravel and larger bits to strengthen the burrows).

I always attributed this apparent recent decline to some change in the supply chain. I'm not sure where they are collected now, nor if they are being handled improperly.

Jay

p.s. - Ha! I checked my records, turns out my memory is a bit selective! I did have a couple of groups that did well, but they only lasted four years tops, so while I guess I "didn't have trouble with them" they also didn't live as long as they should have. I haven't acquired any in over 15 years...

 

[Zionas]

They’re not a fully tropical species but a subtropical species. Sellers should be making this clear from the get go. You need a chiller to keep them or else you’ll not keep them with their full lifespan. Same goes for the tropical species in our tanks if they were kept at cooler temperatures for an extended period of time. Stick to a Yellowhead Jawfish or an Indo-Pacific, tropical species of Jawfish.

 

[Crashnt24]

I have had mine for some time now. I can tell you that mine gets occasional white patches on his face(from digging) he also gets white patches on his spines and fins from time to time. It always goes away after a couple days. I wouldn't go into panic mode right away. Stress from QT will make him more unhealthy than anything else. I suggest leaving him in your DT and give him plenty of feedings of larger meaty frozen foods like krill, music, ect. Mine took a long time to make a burrow, took him 3 months to settle on a spot. The sooner he can learn your tank the better.

I run my tank at 76.7-77.2 and all my corals and fish are happy.

Good luck

 

[Hincapiej4]

That's weird....are they really that hard to keep? I'm only asking because I have a HUGE one in my tank. He's paired with a pistol shrimp, and I'm not kidding...a lobster... They live together.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

That's weird....are they really that hard to keep? I'm only asking because I have a HUGE one in my tank. He's paired with a pistol shrimp, and I'm not kidding...a lobster... They live together.

I think I've only had three cases with blue spot jawfish since this summer, but compare that to zero cases from any other jawfish species. Subjective at best, but still, they kind of stick out as a problem fish.

Great to hear yours is doing so well!

Jay

 

[Hincapiej4]

I think I've only had three cases with blue spot jawfish since this summer, but compare that to zero cases from any other jawfish species. Subjective at best, but still, they kind of stick out as a problem fish.

Great to hear yours is doing so well!

Jay

I had no idea they were so tough to have. I've had him for a long time. Apparently geometric pygmy are difficult too and I have one doing well as well. Had a leopard that ate everything as well..until a waterchange accident happened.. she was so fat too

 

[Zionas]

Geometric Pygmy Hawks? What’s problematic about them?

 

[Hincapiej4]

I'm not sure.. the owner at my LFS asked how mine was doing and I said fine. He responded he's surprised mine is still doing ok, because they've tried keeping them and can't. Something about getting them to eat. Then asked what I feed him and I told him nothing. I don't target feed him, and I've never actually seen him eat. But he's eating something because I've had him for months and he's growing. He instantly was like what the heck?

I just feed the tank and keep **** stable, and I grow copepods in my ref. I also feed phyto daily, so he's probably eating copepods. Along with my mandarin.

 

[Thales]

Thanks for the clarification - I knew they weren't "tropical" but I didn't realize they needed 60's and below. I'm still struggling with the idea that I didn't have much trouble with these back in the 1990's and now they appear to be a big problem. I did keep my fish systems around 74-75 F. back then, but some reefs are not kept much higher than that now. I also always kept them in deep, mixed size substrate (coral sand, gravel and larger bits to strengthen the burrows).

I always attributed this apparent recent decline to some change in the supply chain. I'm not sure where they are collected now, nor if they are being handled improperly.

Jay

p.s. - Ha! I checked my records, turns out my memory is a bit selective! I did have a couple of groups that did well, but they only lasted four years tops, so while I guess I "didn't have trouble with them" they also didn't live as long as they should have. I haven't acquired any in over 15 years...

Hi Jay! The temp thing is pretty weird for these fish. The spend half the year below 70 and some of the year above 80, so it is really hard to tell if that cycle impacts these fish or not, or if that cycle impacts the other husbandry concerns like collection and handling issues and substrate selection issues, and well, lids!

 

[Not an IT guy]

I have had mine for some time now. I can tell you that mine gets occasional white patches on his face(from digging) he also gets white patches on his spines and fins from time to time. It always goes away after a couple days. I wouldn't go into panic mode right away. Stress from QT will make him more unhealthy than anything else. I suggest leaving him in your DT and give him plenty of feedings of larger meaty frozen foods like krill, music, ect. Mine took a long time to make a burrow, took him 3 months to settle on a spot. The sooner he can learn your tank the better.

I run my tank at 76.7-77.2 and all my corals and fish are happy.

Good luck

I’d like to have it in my DT but my salfin keeps nipping at its tail. Funny thing is that it doesn’t it only during feeding