Blue Spotted fish tank mates!

[lostgaurd]

Alright y'all, I had a friend who had one a long time ago, and it was honestly my favorite fish in his tank. He told me his was very timid, and he actually had to get rid of a pair of clownfish that were harassing it, even though it was a decent-sized 55g tank and the blue spot was introduced first.

So, I'm not sure the "semi-aggressive" label for these guys is all that accurate?

But anyways, I'd love to hear from anyone who keeps a blue spotted jawfish. What other tank mates do you have with yours? Are there any fish I should avoid? I'm thinking of staying away from other bottom dwellers, like sand-sifting gobies or anything that might compete for the same bottom area.

My tank is either going to be 100 or 150 gallons.

My stocking plan is going to be fairly light. Maybe a possum wrasse or leopard wrasse in the future, but I'll start with some "simple" fish like cardinals, dartfish, and maybe a tailspot blenny. I'm also considering one clownfish, but I'd probably add it last so it doesn't end up bullying the blue spot guy.

Would love to hear about your experiences and what has worked for you!

 

[Firefish89]

I've had the blue spotted and yellow head. Jawfish are timid. The blue spotted is no exception. Once they settle in, they are cool and comfortable. In the wild, they cope with danger by hiding and waiting for the danger to move on, not by fighting the danger off. Cardinals and dartfish should be fine. The blenny too. The dartfish might be a nice ditherfish, so the dartfish could go in first. Then once the jawfish is settled, if you add new fish, watch the jawfish and the jawfish changes it behavior and hides suddently, have a ready plan to rehome any new fish.

 

[DmitryB]

FYI, Possum Wrasses are extremely shy, you'll never see it. I got one recently and it stays largely behind and in the rocks. Cool looking fish - when it decides to come out for 5 seconds.

 

[lostgaurd]

FYI, Possum Wrasses are extremely shy, you'll never see it. I got one recently and it stays largely behind and in the rocks. Cool looking fish - when it decides to come out for 5 seconds.

yeah, my other friend had one in a 30 gallon, he didn't have many caves tho, so we often saw it. he had a lawnmower blenny, a couple of cardinals, and clown goby! fairly peaceful tank but that lawnmower blenny was a bit a of a rude fish randomly.

this is why i am thinking about a leopard wrasse, but i am not sure if they will go well with the blue spotted jaw fish, i know they sleep in the sand at night, so would that be an issue with the jaw fish in a 100-150 gallon tank? i sure hope not lol?

leopards are often very fast swimmers too.. i c them loop around entire tanks so often, i am not sure if that will also bother the blue guy

 

[Cael Gallery]

What temperature are you going to keep the tank at? I heard that blue spotted jawfish need cool water, so that will likely affect what other fish you can stock.

 

[lostgaurd]

What temperature are you going to keep the tank at? I heard that blue spotted jawfish need cool water, so that will likely affect what other fish you can stock.

i think once my tank is established and have the dart and cardinals in, i will buy a chiller and keep the tank around 75f or so?

 

[Cael Gallery]

i think once my tank is established and have the dart and cardinals in, i will buy a chiller and keep the tank around 75f or so?

I think that's probably a bit high, around 70 is better long term, i believe

 

[Fishfreak2009]

I wouldn't keep a Bluespot jawfish warmer than 73 or so, but honestly I run all my tanks at that temp. Reef fish still do fine, don't eat quite as much, and produce a bit less waste at that temp.

Jawfish are shy, but once established they do fine with pretty much anything that doesn't actively hunt them. I have a colony of 4 yellowhead jawfish in my 240g with a Bali tiger jawfish, a robinsi jawfish (much bigger than the others but doesn't bother them). The jawfish all have their burrows within a few inches of each other with no aggression at all. They also share the tank with a pair of pink stripe sleeper gobies, and a whole bunch of other assorted fish (damsels, clowns, tangs, dwarf and large angels, butterflies, a couple different tilefish, assorted small wrasses and a large bird wrasse, and even a pair of crosshatch triggers. Tank is overstocked but everyone has been doing well while I get the big tank running. The jawfish will be moving to a 900g tank along with the rest of the fish in a few weeks time.

 

[lostgaurd]

I think that's probably a bit high, around 70 is better long term, i believe

that is good to know! thank you.

 

[lostgaurd]

I wouldn't keep a Bluespot jawfish warmer than 73 or so, but honestly I run all my tanks at that temp. Reef fish still do fine, don't eat quite as much, and produce a bit less waste at that temp.

Jawfish are shy, but once established they do fine with pretty much anything that doesn't actively hunt them. I have a colony of 4 yellowhead jawfish in my 240g with a Bali tiger jawfish, a robinsi jawfish (much bigger than the others but doesn't bother them). The jawfish all have their burrows within a few inches of each other with no aggression at all. They also share the tank with a pair of pink stripe sleeper gobies, and a whole bunch of other assorted fish (damsels, clowns, tangs, dwarf and large angels, butterflies, a couple different tilefish, assorted small wrasses and a large bird wrasse, and even a pair of crosshatch triggers. Tank is overstocked but everyone has been doing well while I get the big tank running. The jawfish will be moving to a 900g tank along with the rest of the fish in a few weeks time.

yeah, your tangs are GODAMN HUGE!!!!!!! lol, i am just a noob over here with 100-150g tank, that i still can't decide on for (budget reason) on what to get. but that sounds like a dope group of fish!

 

[Cael Gallery]

yeah, your tangs are GODAMN HUGE!!!!!!! lol, i am just a noob over here with 100-150g tank, that i still can't decide on for (budget reason) on what to get. but that sounds like a dope group of fish!

If you really want a jawfish, why not get two tanks?
They don't need a big tank and then you can keep that one cool (below 70) and then just have a larger tank for the other tropical fish you want.

 

[Cael Gallery]

I wouldn't keep a Bluespot jawfish warmer than 73 or so, but honestly I run all my tanks at that temp. Reef fish still do fine, don't eat quite as much, and produce a bit less waste at that temp.

Jawfish are shy, but once established they do fine with pretty much anything that doesn't actively hunt them. I have a colony of 4 yellowhead jawfish in my 240g with a Bali tiger jawfish, a robinsi jawfish (much bigger than the others but doesn't bother them). The jawfish all have their burrows within a few inches of each other with no aggression at all. They also share the tank with a pair of pink stripe sleeper gobies, and a whole bunch of other assorted fish (damsels, clowns, tangs, dwarf and large angels, butterflies, a couple different tilefish, assorted small wrasses and a large bird wrasse, and even a pair of crosshatch triggers. Tank is overstocked but everyone has been doing well while I get the big tank running. The jawfish will be moving to a 900g tank along with the rest of the fish in a few weeks time.

Do you have any fish that are small enough to fit in any of your jawfishes mouths? I would consider a jawfish for my next fowlr build, but we only have access to large species in Australia and i'd be worried about them eating dottybacks or small wrasses and stuff.
But then again, they might be like Paraplesiops spp where they aren't really fish predators despite the large mouth?

 

[lostgaurd]

If you really want a jawfish, why not get two tanks?
They don't need a big tank and then you can keep that one cool (below 70) and then just have a larger tank for the other tropical fish you want.

i am low on room, and would like to keep things in one tank honestly, cause i also have an OB thank for fish, and a QT tank for coral, a 4th tank is out of the question lol

 

[lostgaurd]

Do you have any fish that are small enough to fit in any of your jawfishes mouths? I would consider a jawfish for my next fowlr build, but we only have access to large species in Australia and i'd be worried about them eating dottybacks or small wrasses and stuff.
But then again, they might be like Paraplesiops spp where they aren't really fish predators despite the large mouth?

i could be wrong here, but i think jaw fish are a bit too timid to try and eat a small wrasse? and i don't think such a small wrasse would survive QT, so that will not go in to my tank anyways haha

 

[Fishfreak2009]

Do you have any fish that are small enough to fit in any of your jawfishes mouths? I would consider a jawfish for my next fowlr build, but we only have access to large species in Australia and i'd be worried about them eating dottybacks or small wrasses and stuff.
But then again, they might be like Paraplesiops spp where they aren't really fish predators despite the large mouth?

Some of the damsels, the fairy wrasse, the female royal gramma, and the smallest yellowhead could all be eaten by the robinsi, but he hasn't touched any of them.

 

[Cael Gallery]

Some of the damsels, the fairy wrasse, the female royal gramma, and the smallest yellowhead could all be eaten by the robinsi, but he hasn't touched any of them.

Sounds like my Paraplesiops poweri that i had.

 

[Cael Gallery]

i could be wrong here, but i think jaw fish are a bit too timid to try and eat a small wrasse? and i don't think such a small wrasse would survive QT, so that will not go in to my tank anyways haha

I'm certain blue spots wouldn't but i was talking about the big species.
I still think that if you get a bluespot the tank should be designed around it, but you would be very limited on what other species you could stock. So if you're just getting the one tank, it should be either for regular reef fish or for the blue spot, if you compromise and try to include both probably neither will be happy.
In terms of tankmates that you could have with the bluespot that will tolerate the colder temperature, something like a Liopropoma basslet could be good. There's many good looking species and they're typically found in deeper water, so they should be used to cooler temperatures.

 

[lostgaurd]

I'm certain blue spots wouldn't but i was talking about the big species.
I still think that if you get a bluespot the tank should be designed around it, but you would be very limited on what other species you could stock. So if you're just getting the one tank, it should be either for regular reef fish or for the blue spot, if you compromise and try to include both probably neither will be happy.
In terms of tankmates that you could have with the bluespot that will tolerate the colder temperature, something like a Liopropoma basslet could be good. There's many good looking species and they're typically found in deeper water, so they should be used to cooler temperatures.

the star of the show is def going to be blue spotted, so yeah my stocking is all around him really. Even tho i love tangs, hawkfish, rabbitface, and dwarf angils, they will not go in the tank. They often go rogue and attack other peaceful fish or shrimp, or even eat softies which is the plan for this tank... mostly softies, with peaceful fish, and some shrimp.