Need advice on blue spoted jawfish not eating

[Robert Ranciato]

I'm looking for some advice I have a blue spoted jawfish that I have had for 2 years. ( please don't ever buy one unless your experience with them. They are very hard to keep and not suitable for a reef tank.) I nursed this guy back from blue spoted jawfish disease so I'm really attacked to him. I had him in my 90 gallon reef for a year and a half but had to move I'm into a 20 gallon tank a few months ago. I made sure he has plenty of sand and rock to make hiding spots in. He was doing great for a while eating like pig but 2 weeks ago he started eating way less a bite or 2 and about a week ago he stopped eating. Yesterday he won't even come out of his burrow. I have tried Mysis shrimp krill, brine frozen brine live brine flake and pellets but he won't eat anything I even tried fresh scallops. I meditated his tank for 3 days with Erythromycin just to try. Can anyone offer any advice on 1 how to get him to eat 2 what might be wrong 3 how to possibly treat him. Any knowledge would be appreciated. I posted a few pictures of him i took yesterday .

 

[vetteguy53081]

I'm looking for some advice I have a blue spoted jawfish that I have had for 2 years. ( please don't ever buy one unless your experience with them. They are very hard to keep and not suitable for a reef tank.) I nursed this guy back from blue spoted jawfish disease so I'm really attacked to him. I had him in my 90 gallon reef for a year and a half but had to move I'm into a 20 gallon tank a few months ago. I made sure he has plenty of sand and rock to make hiding spots in. He was doing great for a while eating like pig but 2 weeks ago he started eating way less a bite or 2 and about a week ago he stopped eating. Yesterday he won't even come out of his burrow. I have tried Mysis shrimp krill, brine frozen brine live brine flake and pellets but he won't eat anything I even tried fresh scallops. I meditated his tank for 3 days with Erythromycin just to try. Can anyone offer any advice on 1 how to get him to eat 2 what might be wrong 3 how to possibly treat him. Any knowledge would be appreciated. I posted a few pictures of him i took yesterday .

Maracyn which is ethromyacin should be dosed a full 5 days even if any signs are no longer present.. I ask with you used this treatment ,, , based on ??
I see what looks like blemishes on skin suggesting possible bacterial issue which would have effct on diet.
Is fish breathing normal or rapid?
What is current ammonia-nitrate-ph
Any signs of bloating ?

 

[MnFish1]

The usual lifespan is short. You can try what you will - its quite possible - its dying of old age

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Sorry to hear. You've had that fish for a long time and getting it through BSJD is a major feat! What has been the water temperature it has been kept at? I've found that they tend to "live fast/die young" at temperatures above 75 F. Like Catalina gobies, they do well at the warmer end, but just don't live as long. For the gobies, 2 years is about as long as they go at 75, but I have reports of them living 10+ years when kept below 65.

Jawfish are also prone to goiter - any swelling below the fish's head. where the gill covers meet?

Jay

 

[alton]

In the larger tank did you have a deeper sand bed or was it as shallow as the 20? With my jawfish yellow head and bluespot they didn't eat until their borrow was built and they were comfortable.

 

[Robert Ranciato]

Sorry to hear. You've had that fish for a long time and getting it through BSJD is a major feat! What has been the water temperature it has been kept at? I've found that they tend to "live fast/die young" at temperatures above 75 F. Like Catalina gobies, they do well at the warmer end, but just don't live as long. For the gobies, 2 years is about as long as they go at 75, but I have reports of them living 10+ years when kept below 65.

Jawfish are also prone to goiter - any swelling below the fish's head. where the gill covers meet?

Jay

Hi Jay thanks for always giving me advice. When I purchased him I wasn't aware they needed cooler water so he went into 78 degree tank and did fine for 6 months then he stopped eating and just laid on the sand he also had a white slime coat on him . I was told he had BSJD so I moved him into a 10 gallon no sand with a bunch of pvc pipe and rock rubble. I slowly brought the temperature down to 74 degrees. I medicated with Metroplex and Kanaplex and gave him live brine shrimp and he slowly got better. I slowly brought the temperature back up to 77 78 degrees because I wanted him in the reef. He was fine for a while but he got some scratches so I pulled him and treated him. Since then he has been in a 20 gallon deep sand bed has been ok until 2 weeks ago now I can't get him to eat. I have tried everything but he just stays in his burrow and is not interested in any food.

 

[Robert Ranciato]

In the larger tank did you have a deeper sand bed or was it as shallow as the 20? With my jawfish yellow head and bluespot they didn't eat until their borrow was built and they were comfortable.

He has a deeper sand bed now then in the reef tank.

 

[Robert Ranciato]

Maracyn which is ethromyacin should be dosed a full 5 days even if any signs are no longer present.. I ask with you used this treatment ,, , based on ??
I see what looks like blemishes on skin suggesting possible bacterial issue which would have effct on diet.
Is fish breathing normal or rapid?
What is current ammonia-nitrate-ph
Any signs of bloating ?

Hi ammonia 0. Phosphate0.03 nitrate aprox 5 or 10 I am using a api for that . The reason I treated him was because I have exhausted all other avenues and I was thinking maybe something internal. Not a lot of info on BSJ I wish they would stop selling them or give advice when buying them.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hi ammonia 0. Phosphate0.03 nitrate aprox 5 or 10 I am using a api for that . The reason I treated him was because I have exhausted all other avenues and I was thinking maybe something internal. Not a lot of info on BSJ I wish they would stop selling them or give advice when buying them.

Overall, these are fish with good stamina but have certain requirements.
Im not questiong water but encouraging you to assure your readings are true and would suggest to take a good water sample to a trusted LFS that does not use Api kit and see what readings they come up with and to compare with yours.
As for jawfish, They thrive best in cooler temperatures which can be unfavorable for some tankmates in the range of 74-77 deg.
Theyre also very avid jumpers and often found on the floor as they are intersted in the entire environment. Burrowing is essentiial to their secure feeling and not so much sand but rather sea shell such as conch shell. They do poorly in tanks with high ammonia and nitrate why i suggested a second opinion with water testing.
They do best in low light tank setup and eat best in low light consisting of mysis shrimp, spirulina brine shrimp, small plankton. marine cuisine and rotifiers. You notice- these are all small meaty foods.
I had mine two years until it jumped

 

[alton]

I would add a pint of rubble or Puka shell to the tank to give your BSJF something to do. My jawfish, just like my pistol shrimp spend all day building, then maintaining their homes. In the attached picture the female to the right would start a home, then the male would improve it by adding more rubble and also end up using one of my Acan plugs. It is amazing how strong they are when it comes to moving items.