Help with bluespot jawfish please

[jmwils1]

We are trying our third (and last) jawfish in our tank. The first died back in October within a week after hiding out and developing white patches. We got a second a few days later and it lasted 2 weeks before dying with white patches. All of the other fish died at the same time within 2 days. None had white dots to suggest ich or velvet. We assumed the jawfish got bsj disease and that got the other fish or they had brook. We let the tank go fallow for 6 weeks and then introduced a jawfish that came from tsm after their 30 day quarantine process. It went in with a firefish that also came from Tsm. Both did great other than a scrape on the fire fish that has healed. Unfortunately the jawfish started getting white patches again after we heard him jump the night before. Not sure if the mesh lid caused trauma or if the color loss is from stress/parasite/infection or whatever causes bsj disease. We got it into quarantine with uv light, metroplex and kanaplex and the color seems to be back after 4 days. Today however he isn’t eating much. He is swimming around a lot more and is having out against a filter near the top. The only visible abnormality is along his gill flap that looks like a round white nodule. My wife thinks he had this bump shortly after he arrived. Any advice would be appreciated. Would really like to figure out how to keep this beautiful fish.

edit: ammonia level is normal. Nitrates are 15-20. Alk 10.5. Ph 8.1 and temp 76

also should add we put a juvenile yellow tang in an hour or 2 before the bsj came out. We were worried the tang was bothering the jawfish

the photo is from this morning in the quarantine tank.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Did you by chance go fallow (72-80 days of no fish?)
If not, quarantine now
At store, observe:
Fish is eating
Getting along with tank mates
Breathing normal
Alert with surroundings/movement

 

[jmwils1]

Thanks. We let the tank go fallow for 6 weeks assuming it was brook. No sign of ich and all fish died within 48 hours with no warning.

the jawfish came from Tsm which is an online retailer that quarantines for 30 days and prophylactically provides medications (not sure which). No chance to observe fish prior to arrival but they looked great the day they came

it is very alert. The firefish and tang look great. No signs of distress or disease. The tang was quarantined for 6-7 weeks after we got it from the lfs.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Thanks for the thorough post and clear picture, but I can’t definitively say what’s going on here. A member I know maintains that this species really needs to be kept cool, below reef tank temps, like below 70. Some people have success at higher temps, but for how long? I haven’t worked with these since the 1990's and I kept them fairly cool back then (around 74 F.).

Obviously, any time a jawfish is out of its burrow, something is up. Riding the tank wall like that isn't a good sign. So - your QT doesn't have substrate for it to burrow in? I see the lump you are talking about, not sure what it is though.

Jay

 

[ScottB]

Thanks. We let the tank go fallow for 6 weeks assuming it was brook. No sign of ich and all fish died within 48 hours with no warning.

the jawfish came from Tsm which is an online retailer that quarantines for 30 days and prophylactically provides medications (not sure which). No chance to observe fish prior to arrival but they looked great the day they came

it is very alert. The firefish and tang look great. No signs of distress or disease. The tang was quarantined for 6-7 weeks after we got it from the lfs.

I really love those fish but got tired of killing them. I noticed you keep your temp at 76 which is cooler than most. When I discovered where they are sourced from, I came to the conclusion I should stop trying to keep these in a reef tank. IMO, they need much colder water to be healthy. I am sure there are exceptions out there though.

 

[ScottB]

	Record High Temperature	Average Water Temperature
CABO SAN LUCAS RECORD TEMPERATURE INFORMATION
January	89°F (31°C)	73°F (23°C)
February	94°F (34°C)	72°F (22°C)
March	96°F (35°C)	72°F (22°C)

 

[jmwils1]

Thanks jay. The qt is bare bottom with a pvc piece. I may add some sand slowly. It was under the pvc the last 3 days. Today it’s been swimming around and active with the white patches mostly gone. I’ll drop the temp and see if that helps.

 

[Scolymia88]

Its a hard fish to keep. Cooler temps, and a deep sand bed are a must. Ive tried keeping 2. First lasted 3 weeks. The second lasted 5 months. I built a 32 gal biocube specifically for it with 7inch sand bed and tons of crushed coral/shells. It was kept by ac/ also had ice packs if tank went above 70. It's only tank mate was a cleaner shrimp and 2 hermit crabs. So much fun watching them dig. I miss mine but not going to give it another chance. I put it on the same list as the potters angel lol.

Hopefully yours makes it!!! Both mine absolutely loved PE mysis shrimp.

 

[jmwils1]

If he makes it I think I’ll just convert this 10g tank to a species only with a 4” sandbed and keep it at 73. Kinda worried 10g may not have enough water volume with that amount of sand though

 

[jmwils1]

Yep he was loving mysis as well as pellets

 

[tanked4u]

I had a yellowhead jawfish for about 3-4 months before my royal gramma went to war with him. The jawfish died a few days later. I just saw the aftermath, but it must have been a brutal fight. I loved that jawfish...

He seemed to be doing really well in my 32g Biocube with about 5 inches of sand. I kept the tank around 78 degrees Fahrenheit. I've read online, not sure if it is true, that the yellowhead variety can handle warmer temperatures better than the blue spotted. He was consistently and aggressively easting LRS Nano fish food before his demise. The tank parameters were relatively stable.

I quarantined him alone in a 10g for about 4-5 weeks and proactively treated him with Cu and prazipro. I had some substrate in the QT, but he preferred the PVC pipe.

 

[Scolymia88]

Yea I think a 10 gal would be on small side. I also think the 32 gal I had was too small. This little 4inch fish had a tunnel system with atleast 5 entrances all over the 32g. I've never seen such a busy little fish, always scooping dirt. Made my engineers in 300g look lazy.. If I were to ever try again I would do a 55g+ with 6-8 inch sand bed, and a chiller. Which is tempting because it's such a beautiful fish and so much personality, defintly miss it. Mine was doing so well and eating 2-3x a day then woke up and it had died .

 

[Crashnt24]

Going on a year with mine. So I can't speak for long term success yet. So far though he seems happy. I keep my tank at 76, with a 4" sand bed in the area of his burrow. I give lots of empty shells and rock rubble for him to build with. I feed him a variety of foods but he seems to love smaller peices of krill.

Seems like you're doing everything the same as me, just maybe add more sand and rubble/ shells for him to build with.

 

[Scolymia88]

Congrats on making it a year!!! Thats awesome @Crashnt24 what size tank? Tankmates? Oddly I see them at petco sometimes. Not my favorite place to buy new fish, but ive acquired a few gems from there, I may have to set up a tank and give the bsj another go when tank cycles.

 

[jmwils1]

Yep that’s great!

there is only a 2-3” sandbed in our tank but he made 3 burrows within the sand using caves in the rock and decorated with rubble and shells. If we keep him in a separate tank well securely have more sand

 

[Crashnt24]

Congrats on making it a year!!! Thats awesome @Crashnt24 what size tank? Tankmates? Oddly I see them at petco sometimes. Not my favorite place to buy new fish, but ive acquired a few gems from there, I may have to set up a tank and give the bsj another go when tank cycles.

It's a 4 foot 75 gallon. His tank mates are a foxface, tomini tang, lyretail anthias, yasha goby, lubbock wrasse and various inverts.

I never seen one at Petco personally. I got mine from LiveAquaria

 

[jmwils1]

Is there any chance you could post a photo? Ours made multiple burrows across the tank so having 4” in just one area wouldn’t work I dont think. Also trying to figure out how to keep one area of sand deeper than the others..

edit: I read your build thread and see that the burrow looks like it is in your back left corner. Great tank!

 

[Mellotang]

Blue spot Jawfish shouldn’t even be imported

they don’t survive in captivity

 

[ScottB]

Blue spot Jawfish shouldn’t even be imported

they don’t survive in captivity

Agreed. Our water is just too hot for them.

Without a wetsuit, how long would you last in Baja Pacific water? Only hours.

These are beautiful fish, but not tropical ones. I have killed enough; as much as I love them for all the obvious reasons I am done killing them. These are cold water fishes and should be kept as such.

I beg someone to prove me wrong. They are a favorite of mine.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Agreed. Our water is just too hot for them.

Without a wetsuit, how long would you last in Baja Pacific water? Only hours.

These are beautiful fish, but not tropical ones. I have killed enough; as much as I love them for all the obvious reasons I am done killing them. These are cold water fishes and should be kept as such.

I beg someone to prove me wrong. They are a favorite of mine.

Back in the day, I had a eastern pacific exhibit with a colony of BSJ. The tank was 75f and no real issues with them. I think that more recently, people are trying to keep them warmer, and the supply chain just isn’t as good as it was back 30 years ago, and the fish aren’t being handled well.
Jay