Blue Spotted Jawfish Redecorating?

[buttonreefer]

Hi everyone!
I currently have a blue spotted jaw fish, and he is doing quite a bit of redecorating in my tank. All my corals are very well glued down and secure, and I can see him manage to rip it right off the rock every time - (specifically my branching SPS varieties). With the sand bed, I have some hammers and various LPS and he pulls those right out of the sand too (not even ones by his burrow). He brings those corals and lines them around the burrow or scatters them around the tank. I tried putting shells and such in there for him to use, but he doesn’t touch them- just the coral. I’ve paid quite a bit for those high end corals, and it’s such a shame to see them getting stressed and possibly die off. I can’t keep putting my hand in there to fix it every 2 hours. I DEFINITELY don’t want to get rid of my jaw fish (Jefferson), i’m just stuck with what to do. (He’s very healthy and active-no diseases)
Sorry for the long message, haha.
Thanks!

 

[shakacuz]

get some small shells or even a frag plug and break it into smaller pieces and spread around its burrow. its looking for things to close its hide once it goes to sleep and likely feels a bit stressed for not having that.

if it continues to move around making new homes i would assume its still testing out different spots and could continue until it finds its forever home spot

 

[buttonreefer]

He's been in the 'burrow' he's currently in since I've had him (about 3+ months) - never tried a new spot, so it looks like he likes it okay. (Though he could move anytime of course.) Also, which seems weird, I have quite a deep sand bed, but he doesn't really make a "burrow" it's more like a shallow bowl. I'm not sure why? I've put a million shells of different shapes, sizes, textures, etc, and even some sanded plastic, small, smoothed down rocks, and frag plug pieces like you've suggested, but he doesn't touch them. Ugh, I'm stuck. He has a very good taste, decorating with my expensive, vibrant corals!

@shakacuz .... I just have to add - I'm obsessed with that dalmatian on your pfp, what a cutie!

 

[vetteguy53081]

He's been in the 'burrow' he's currently in since I've had him (about 3+ months) - never tried a new spot, so it looks like he likes it okay. (Though he could move anytime of course.) Also, which seems weird, I have quite a deep sand bed, but he doesn't really make a "burrow" it's more like a shallow bowl. I'm not sure why? I've put a million shells of different shapes, sizes, textures, etc, and even some sanded plastic, small, smoothed down rocks, and frag plug pieces like you've suggested, but he doesn't touch them. Ugh, I'm stuck. He has a very good taste, decorating with my expensive, vibrant corals!

I just have to add - I'm obsessed with that dalmatian on your pfp, what a cutie!

Typical behavior and will build tunnels, make mounds from sand and spit sand into various areas

 

[braaap]

Pretty typical blue spot behavior. Mine does similar but with snails and hermits. Alive or dead. He doesn’t care. They are his and he’s moving them lol

I’d recommend getting a barnacle and placing it over his hole. Might stop him from grabbing your corals to move by his hole. They do it for protection from predators and help build their opening.

 

[buttonreefer]

What do you think about adding something like this:
Will it be a distraction from other things around and provide that barrier as suggested?

 

[buttonreefer]

Pretty typical blue spot behavior. Mine does similar but with snails and hermits. Alive or dead. He doesn’t care. They are his and he’s moving them lol

I’d recommend getting a barnacle and placing it over his hole. Might stop him from grabbing your corals to move by his hole. They do it for protection from predators and help build their opening.

Lol, awesome, guess we had the same thought with the barnacle!

 

[shakacuz]

He's been in the 'burrow' he's currently in since I've had him (about 3+ months) - never tried a new spot, so it looks like he likes it okay. (Though he could move anytime of course.) Also, which seems weird, I have quite a deep sand bed, but he doesn't really make a "burrow" it's more like a shallow bowl. I'm not sure why? I've put a million shells of different shapes, sizes, textures, etc, and even some sanded plastic, small, smoothed down rocks, and frag plug pieces like you've suggested, but he doesn't touch them. Ugh, I'm stuck. He has a very good taste, decorating with my expensive, vibrant corals!

@shakacuz .... I just have to add - I'm obsessed with that dalmatian on your pfp, what a cutie!

i used to have a yellow head jawfish that would do the same. his burrow was shallow and it would constantly take frags off of the rock above him(the rock is a frag rack as well). overtime it started using empty snail shells which would entice all of my hermits at the time to go shopping for new homes haha.

and thank you!! his name is pongo (we weren't really creative )

 

[steveschuerger]

Haha. I can totally related here. My Pearly Jawfish has moved a ton of sand and even tried to steal a small Goni fragplug at one point while setting up home

 

[Eggs]

I tore a tank down due to a move that once housed a Blue Spot Jawfish; in one of the back corners that was not normally visible there was a mound of small rocks and frag plugs. It was like discovering the mysteries of the Bermuda Triangle.

Maybe throw in some empty frag plugs that don’t have anything on them in the area he is robbing from.

 

[Naekuh]

Man... jaw fishes are comedy... especially when a sleeper diamond goby and a jawfish get into a neighbor dispute.

not my video, but i died when i saw it..