Blue Spot Jawfish -- Getting Pair?

[Joya]

Hi everyone,

This is my first post although I have been lurking and learning a ton the last couple months. I have the opportunity to buy some Blue Spot Jawfish at a steep discount (50% off normal price) and was wondering how safe it would be to buy two of them.

Some background: they will be housed in a 90g peaceful with possibility of a couple semi-aggressive. We've set up a couple 10g QT tanks for them with substrate and live rock for the first couple weeks. Knowing that in the wild they often dig burrows 3 ft apart, would it best to quarantine each in a separate tank? Or try to put them together at first?

We have two Pearly Jawfish that we keep in another 30g tank, and the first night we put them in they dug a burrow with two entrances but linked, so they live together -- and in total harmony So we've had no problems housing those two together right away...

Of course I'm a bit more tentative with the Blue Spot as they are more pricey. Any thoughts most appreciated!

Joya

 

[dskidmore]

Well, you have a 50% chance two fish being opposite genders. If they mate up they should live in harmony, if they don't you may have problems.

 

[TCTFish]

You have a big enough tank where you might get away with having two...even if they don't pair up. Good luck on that...a note...it may be better to introduce them in the tank at the same time instead of each at different times. This way neither have established territory.

Keep them apart while in a QT, but you can use the same tank if you can partitian it so they can't get at each other. May even get them kind of use to each other being able to sense each other's presence. Never know. Anything can happen when you put animals in a see through box...LOL.

 

[Joya]

Blue Spot housing dilemma

Well to be safe I only ended up buying one. As I mentioned in a different post he jumped on the floor last night while I was moving him into a new QT tank. This morning he is hanging out in the corner of the tank and not under the rock where I left him last night.

Here's my question: his old QT tank (which had a scary ammonia/nitrite spike) had a decent amount of substrate for him, although this new QT tank does not. I am waiting for our 90g to cycle which has a 4" sand bed waiting for him. I also have an established 30g with plenty of good substrate that already houses two yellowheaded jawfish on one side. I had wanted to keep him in the QT until the 90g is ready, but now I'm not sure if this will be good for him not having the sand he needs. I am wondering if I should put him in the 30g so he can make a good burrow -- the downside being there are other jawfish already in there and if it would negatively affect the bioload (tank currently pretty full).

As he cost a pretty penny I am wanting to do the best for him

 

[TCTFish]

I don't think it'd be good to chance him in the 30 gallon with two other jawfish. Especially if the other two are paired. That can spell reproductive competition whether they would be able to spawn together or not. It's the same fish and an 'open door' to possible unwanted aggression. Just as how tangs are with other tangs. Try providing a box the fish can go into...like a cave of sorts that has some sand from the 30 gallon. Like a 'bed' until the 90 is ready. The most important thing is to cater to his comfort. Being able to hide is imperative for them being as nervous of a fish they are. Whether it's a hole dug into the sand...or a half cut, over turned flower pot. It provides the same 'security' for the fish.

How much longer does the 90 have to go???

 

[dskidmore]

Try a bowl full of sand in the QT. He'll have something to dig in. A smaller bowl overturned on top would make a great artificial cave.

 

[Joya]

I've got about 2" of sand piled up against one side with a large piece of live rock in the middle. I also bought a small flower pot today and was going to lay it on its side and fill it halfway with sand as TCTFish suggested.

I tested the levels in this new QT tank and it's still not good. Ammonia was 0.25 and nitrite was way too high again - 0.8. Sg is good at 1.022. And this after I put all new water in just yesterday. So did I did another 50% water change and tested my water before I put it in the tank just to make sure it was fine and it was...needless to say I feel like I'm stressing the fish out way too much.

The tank does have a small filter and today I also threw in two small hermit crabs (there was already a snail in there) to help with detritus. Ugh.

The 90g still has a couple weeks to go :-(

 

[dskidmore]

Use old water from one of the larger tanks for your water changes in the QT. It should be stable and contain some benificial bacteria.

 

[Joya]

Thankfully the jawfish dug a new hole under the rock, and he is back to his old ways...I just cannot seem to get the nitrite levels down though. I've done water changes the past three days, and the last two using water from my 29g as dskidmore suggested. My ammonia now is fine (0.1), but nitrite still is between 0.5-0.8. I am keeping a close eye on the fish (jawfish and 3 barnacle blennies) and there seems to be no adverse affect on their behavior or appetite (I have cut down on their food intake though so there are no leftovers messing up the tank).

Hopefully this nitrite is just part of this particular cycle and will go down soon!

 

[dskidmore]

Just keep up with the water changes. Cycling with fish correctly is a slow process. You could use Prime or another nitrite detoxifier to help.

 

[Joya]

Yeah I forgot to mention I have been adding a bit of Prime every day too! Thanks for the advice