Black Cap Jawfish Labored Breathing

[nautical_nathaniel]

Hello everyone,

I have black cap jawfish (Opistognathus randalli) and its not acting all that great. It is sitting in the corner of the tank taking long, big breaths and will sometimes sit with its mouth open for a while. No signs of ich or any physical ailments on its skin. It also ate pretty good this morning.

I'm considering setting up a hospital tank and wanted to see if you all had any suggestions about what I should treat him for and what to use.

 

[nautical_nathaniel]

@Humblefish @saltyfilmfolks @DSC reef

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

@Humblefish @saltyfilmfolks @DSC reef

#reefsquad.

 

[Kmsutows]

How long have you had it? What are the tank mates? How deep is your sand bed?

 

[nautical_nathaniel]

How long have you had it? What are the tank mates? How deep is your sand bed?

Got it yesterday from a QT system, but it was acting normal yesterday and this morning. Tankmates are a ocellaris clownfish pair, melanurus wrasse (juv.), longnose hawkfish (juv.), and a flame shrimp. 2-3 inch sand bed, it actually dug out a pretty good burrow yesterday but has since vacated it for a hole it dug in the back corner.

The clowns pestered it a bit yesterday as clowns do but nobody else has bothered it in any way. Part of me wants to say its just adjusting to its new surroundings but it's odd to me that it just started acting this way after acting normal yesterday. I've had a pearly jawfish before that died from the stress of moving the tank so I'm trying to create as much of a stress-free environment right now.

 

[Kmsutows]

Make sure you have a tight fitting lid

 

[DSC reef]

Sounds like a stress induced action. Maybe put him in a hospital tank and see if he goes back to his normal behavior.

 

[nautical_nathaniel]

Sounds like a stress induced action. Maybe put him in a hospital tank and see if he goes back to his normal behavior.

He's doing a bit better now so I'm going to hold off on moving him for now. I'm gonna make sure that my hospital tank is ready to go though in case he starts acting weird again.

 

[Humblefish]

You sure he didn't just swallow a shell or something? They will do that sometimes and then puke it back out. o_O

 

[Kmsutows]

He's doing a bit better now so I'm going to hold off on moving him for now. I'm gonna make sure that my hospital tank is ready to go though in case he starts acting weird again.

I'd argue against a hospital tank. Just make sure if you do that it's set up with sand and rock and rubble

 

[nautical_nathaniel]

You sure he didn't just swallow a shell or something? They will do that sometimes and then puke it back out. o_O

That might have happened haha I have fiji pink sand and it has lots of little chunks of coral and shell in it.

I'd argue against a hospital tank. Just make sure if you do that it's set up with sand and rock and rubble

Right now he's acting a whole lot better so I'm keeping the hospital tank on standby.

I just fed some LRS reef frenzy and he ate some pieces that floated near his corner hole. I'm sure in the next couple of days he will get more and more used to his tank mates and find a new spot for a burrow and start acting like a normal jawfish.