Hunger Strike

Tchung23

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What's the longest your fish has gone on a hunger strike??

My bluespotted jawfish decided last week to stop eating. I tried everything from garlic to target feeding food right into his burrow. He would just spit the food out if it got into his burrow. I fully expected that he got bsjf disease. He refused to come out of his burrow very far so it was difficult to see his tail or body. Then all of a sudden today he starts eating and coming out of his burrow tail and fins intact.

So my question is. Has this happened to you with any of your fish. Is this normal??
 

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It is not normal, and people take hunger strikes way to lightly. There is always an issue connected to a hunger strike, if you follow up on people that let hunger strikes pass as normal and did nothing to get to the root of it, you will find that fish didn't make shortly afterwards.

So how long has the fish been in the tank, and now that he is eating again, is his appetite normal, or would you say he is voracious.

I deal with alot of challenging to feed fish, but jawfish are not my specialty, i believe there is special care to be considered for long term success, so maybe someone with jawfish experience will chime in.
 
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Tchung23

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It is not normal, and people take hunger strikes way to lightly. There is always an issue connected to a hunger strike, if you follow up on people that let hunger strikes pass as normal and did nothing to get to the root of it, you will find that fish didn't make shortly afterwards.

So how long has the fish been in the tank, and now that he is eating again, is his appetite normal, or would you say he is voracious.

I deal with alot of challenging to feed fish, but jawfish are not my specialty, i believe there is special care to be considered for long term success, so maybe someone with jawfish experience will chime in.
Yes he is eating like he did previously. Appetite back to normal. In fact he was swimming at me while i was feeding him which normally doesn't do waiting for the next pellet. It's only been a day since he started eating again so we will see. I normally feed twice a day but he hardly eats the second feeding. I will monitor.

I for sure am worried as he's my favourite fish. I've had him for about 2 months almost. I know BSJF can be diifiuclt and I told myself if he doesn't make it I won't be getting another.

Checked all water parameters. The only thing I can think of that I added new was a bta.
 

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Yes he is eating like he did previously. Appetite back to normal. In fact he was swimming at me while i was feeding him which normally doesn't do waiting for the next pellet. It's only been a day since he started eating again so we will see. I normally feed twice a day but he hardly eats the second feeding. I will monitor.

I for sure am worried as he's my favourite fish. I've had him for about 2 months almost. I know BSJF can be diifiuclt and I told myself if he doesn't make it I won't be getting another.

Checked all water parameters. The only thing I can think of that I added new was a bta.

The one special care item I was hinting at is temperature. Some species of jawfish do need cooler temperatures for long term success. So do some research in regards to that species of jawfish and temperature.
 
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Tchung23

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The one special care item I was hinting at is temperature. Some species of jawfish do need cooler temperatures for long term success. So do some research in regards to that species of jawfish and temperature.
Yes my tank is at 75-76
 

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Yes my tank is at 75-76

I'm talking much cooler than that, the only person I ever knew that keep them even as long as a year, keep his tank at at 70. Here's one article that touches on this subject. All you need to know is hkw theyive in the wild.
 
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Tchung23

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It is not normal, and people take hunger strikes way to lightly. There is always an issue connected to a hunger strike, if you follow up on people that let hunger strikes pass as normal and did nothing to get to the root of it, you will find that fish didn't make shortly afterwards.

So how long has the fish been in the tank, and now that he is eating again, is his appetite normal, or would you say he is voracious.

I deal with alot of challenging to feed fish, but jawfish are not my specialty, i believe there is special care to be considered for long term success, so maybe someone with jawfish experience will chime in.
Bsjf stopped eating again and passed away today. So sad. He was my favourite fish and was doing so well. I thought I had a great setup for him but obviously not. So sad to see him deteriorate. I would love to get another since he was so amazing but can’t stand to watch another die like mine did. Was hoping since I got passed the 1 month with him that he would be ok. Not sure if it was bsjf disease or brooknyella. Very sad day.
 

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Internal parasites act in the same way. They stop eating, then return go eating for a short while, sometimes with a voracious appetite, then stop again and dies. Once they stop again for the 2nd time, it would usually be too late for treatment. If you decide to do again, the 1st consideration is tank temp, then a prophylactic treatment of general cure for internal parasites wouldn't be a bad idea, or just a close observation and be ready to treat.
 

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Sorry for the loss..... those are beautiful fish.
rainbow GIF
 
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Tchung23

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Internal parasites act in the same way. They stop eating, then return go eating for a short while, sometimes with a voracious appetite, then stop again and dies. Once they stop again for the 2nd time, it would usually be too late for treatment. If you decide to do again, the 1st consideration is tank temp, then a prophylactic treatment of general cure for internal parasites wouldn't be a bad idea, or just a close observation and be ready to treat.
what do you treat internal parasites with?? Do you think he got it from another fish?? or my bta
 

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what do you treat internal parasites with?? Do you think he got it from another fish?? or my bta

If it was internal parasites, if, he got it by eating poop and such along his travels. The condition in which these fish are housed and transported is pretty disgusting, frankly. A fish like a jawfish which usually scavenges the ocean floor, will scavenge food along the way, which is how they get the internal parasites, and it is very common among all species. The process of the parasites can take weeks before they present deadly, its like a human having a tapeworm, kind of. The problem would be if he did have internal parsites, other fish in the tank can pick it up, so keep a close eye if anyone goes off eating. General cure is the best all around treatment for internal parasites, but it is not reef safe. A reef safe treatment is prazi pro, but many times you have to follow up with metroplex soaked in food. General cure contains the active ingredients from prazi pro and metroplex combined.
 

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