Jawfish Hiding?

[VR28man]

So, per my tank build thread, my yellow headed jawfish pair (mated pair purchased from KP aquatics right before hurricane Irma hit their Keys facility) have been hiding for about a week now. Before hiding their appetite was quite good. Now, the larger one never comes out of the den (but I think it’s alive because I dug it out of the sand a week ago, very alive. Also, no ammonia or nitrate spike at all), while the smaller one is a guard at the entrance to the den, barely venturing out when we’re around.

I’m a bit worried they’re scared into starving to death, but don’t know what to do. I am going away for a week, and am going to leave a bit of live brine shrimp in the tank for them to consume while I’m gone.

Any thoughts or experience welcome. Thanks!

 

[leahfiish]

My jawfish pair from kp aquatics were very very skittish while I had them in a 10g qt, and they did a 180 as soon as I put them in my 90g display. I was worried before that they would be too shy and scared to compete with my wrasses but it wasn't a problem at all. Make sure you have plenty of sand for them as well as small pieces of rubble for them to fortify their burrow.

 

[VR28man]

Nvm. I went out for an hour, and I must've come back silently. I saw both of them swimmng about very actively.

Until they saw me and rushed back Into their den.

ETA: yes tank has about 2 1/2 inches of sand. Mixed sizes from 1 to 4 mm. I also loaded it up with shells and small rocks. But I'm going to add some more I think

 

[leahfiish]

Mine hardly even came out to eat while they were on qt, as well. Sometimes if I was lucky I'd see them swimming around in the evening but if they saw me they'd go and hide again. They are a lot more comfortable now that they've been in the display, although, from day 1 on the display it was obvious they were much happier. I saw them more on the first day on the display than I had in 4+ weeks of qt.

 

[VR28man]

Update on this.

I've been away from home for about two weeks (did a 50% water change the day I came home), and coming back I saw one but I didn't think the larger was alive, since it never came out even for feeding. However, yesterday night I saw them together in their den.

This morning, the larger jawfish was out on the sandbed, in the corner of the tank. It shows no appetite, so I'm more than a bit worried. But I looked and it didn't seem to have ich or any such thing.

I need to go to work, but will look again this pm. Any suggestions people have would be appreciated.

 

[Fumanchu]

I had mine for about a week till it decided to go carpet surfing it found a small gap between the screen and the kessil mount and took the plunge these fish take a while to settle IMO feed as often as possible with a vitamin rich supplement (i used selcon)even target feed if necessary and watch for jawfish disease

 

[VR28man]

Thanks. Honestly the larger pearly jaw fish has been acting strange ever since purchased. Has not been eating, and I've very very rarely seen it out.

( that being said, I know it has come out and eaten before. I just haven't seen it because the larger one like hiding from me even more than the smaller one )

Normally, I think it would just be stress. But now that it's out of the Lair, and hiding in the corner, I'm much more worried.

I will add selcon and garlic to the food. What do people think about me taking it out and putting it into a (new) quarantine tank dosed with diverse medicines? ( it and its spouse are the only fish in the 29 gallon tank – besides rock, lots of sand, and a few snails. I got them as a mated pair from KP aquatics )

 

[nautical_nathaniel]

The pearly I had would not come out if my TV or Music was on so I had to get her used to feeding without anything making a lot of noise or vibrations in my apartment. After about 3 months she got used to things and would stick her head out a little from the burrow. At around 6 months she was begging for food almost as bad as the clownfish haha

They're just very shy fish and it takes time for them to get used to the tank and their owner. Maybe try feeding them with an autofeeder when nobody else is home so they get used to the food at least. After a while they will recognize there's no reason to hide from you and will start getting more and more social with you.

 

[VR28man]

Thanks again. I am thinking he (I'm just assuming the larger one is he here for convenience) is stressed. His mate is eating and while a bit shy will come out of the den. But he's disappeared for many days, until a few days ago when I saw him hiding by the from of their (extensive) den with the Mrs.

It was only this AM when I found him outside the den, the morning after I added some macro algae. She ate, but he didn't *seem* to eat (after feeding them I run out to give them the opportunity to eat without having to see me). He will certainly react to stimulus; if I'm too close to him he'll rapidly run off to the other side of the aquarium.

Any thoughts as to what's going on? It seems stress, possibly a disease?

 

[leahfiish]

It is a little worrying that he's not making a burrow. What I would do is make a small hole near him to kind of get a burrow started, and put some rubble around it. I did that when my fish were in qt to try and help them settle in a little bit better and it seemed to work, they used the spot for their burrow. Also make sure you have a larger flat rock, they like to use that as a roof.

 

[VR28man]

Thanks, leah.

Yes, I am concerned- he never left their (now very large - it has at least two doors that I've her use) burrow for weeks, now he's outside the burrow*. He's not making any attempt to make another burrow yet, and I have not seen him eat. With, again, the caveat that there's all kind of stuff I've never seen them do which I know they do.

All that said, I will add some extra sand that I have, Per your previous suggestion. I am also thinking of adding an extra 10 lbs or so of sand, but not immediately (take things slow. I also have plenty of rock rubble, and shells of various size ) . I do worry that more sand will require them to start digging anew, and I need to make sure it doesn't bury the jawfish or the nassarius snails alive!

I may also get a piece of PVC tubing.


*kicked out by his wife for something?