Blue-Spotted Jawfish

[Roo&Lis]

I would like to know how many of you have successfully kept a Blue-Spotted Jawfish. Saw one at the store the other day for a really good price. Nice and healthy looking too. I've read that they a prefer a 72-76 degree tank so as not to stress them. Is that a definite tank perameter that must be abided? The price was good but still a lot of dough to cough up for a fish that isn't going to make it in the long run. Jumping precautions already being considered.

[ErikH]

the big thing is that they need a really deep sandbed to burrow in 6-8" is best, if not deeper. They like to adorn their homes with random pieces of rubble, broken shells, etc. as well so that too is needed for consideration of their habitat!

[Europhyllia]

The best article I found on jawfish is this one:
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-03/hcs3/index.php

I referred back to it a lot when I build my jawfish tank

[Roo&Lis]

Good article. The fish sounds awesome but my tank doesn't have a deep enough sand bed. I've got about 3.5". I rather not worry about it. I think I'll stick with my Flasher wrasse and by more coral. Thanks guys.

[txmaverickmh]

By far, my favorite fish in the world! I have had 3 of them, but they all have jumped from my tank no matter what type of netting cover I have come up with, so I have not gotten another one. Prices on these guys have come down recently, you shouldn't pay more than $75-$80 for them.

I think a 3.5" sanded would be plenty fine, they make their holes in nooks between rocks and they will use shells and such to build their holes up. Although tanks like Karin's with 6"+ sandbeds are jawfish heaven, most I have seen are happy in tanks with 3" sandbeds.

Mh

[Europhyllia]

lol
I think once you have seen them in a 6+" tank you'd change your mind about 3" being fine. Like keeping a pony in your apartment ;)

[alton]

lol
I think once you have seen them in a 6+" tank you'd change your mind about 3" being fine. Like keeping a pony in your apartment ;)

I am not sure a 3" sand bed and a pony in an apartment are quite the same but I would agree with "the more the better". What I did was in my 300 which I was not going to have 6" of substrate through out so I built up areas just for jawfish. Maybe take a 12 x 12 area of your tank and add extra substrate in that area and form a hole in it so when you release him/her they jump into that hole and improve it with time. A mixture of Aruba Puka Shell fine and Sea Floor Special Grade Reef sand and or Super Reef will work well. Another thing with Blue Spots I tried for a over a year to get one to live with no avail, then I bought one from one place and it did very well for a month so I went crazy and bought four more. One fought with everyone so I gave him away. And after a few months one got an infected mouth and passed on, but the other three are doing well. As a matter of fact one has been flashing for the past two weeks, I just can't figure who he flashing to, the one on the right or the one on the left? I believe there is someone new collecting them from Mexico and that might be why the survival rate has gone up? I will attest that Pearly's are more tank friendly and hang out of there holes where the BSJF stay at home with just there head popping out. With all the trouble I have gone through I still think it was worth it.

[txmaverickmh]

Wow, I just read the article and take back my suggestions ;-). Karin, you always do the best research! I would really like to take a 75 gallon up at GC Reef, put a 8" or so sand bed in it and try to breed them! We have done clowns, bangaiis, seahorses, this would be awesome...the husbandry sounds a lot like that of breeding bangaiis, but how in the world could we get a mated pair?

Ahhh, I will have to research this some more!

Mh

[Europhyllia]

Wow Alton that is awesome! I bet your little guy has a girl on each side (hence they get along better now)

[alton]

This might help http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/bluespot-club/
I think you might recognize someone on here?
Also http://www.marinebreeder.org/phpbb/viewforum.php?f=184