Jawfish not eating

[Tennyson]

I bought a pearly jawfish two days ago and it hasn't eaten flake, pellets or mysid. What will it eat? What could I try?

Thanks

 

[wicked_NaCl_h2o]

Hi, that is not a good sign when a pearly won't eat. You could try enriched brine shrimp soaked in garlic. If it won't eat that, then some thing is wrong. My pearly never refused brine shrimp.

 

[Tennyson]

Well I fed it mysid, it went for it but spat it out and quickly lost interest. I'lll try brine, does it have to be live?

 

[flameangel88]

Did you buy from the lfs or online? I find them to be in terrible shape when shipped and they can get stress easy. Keep the light dim for 2 days and give it a chance to settle into the new environment.

 

[Grouperhead]

I agree jaws don't ship too great. Is there plenty of space for him to tunnel/burrow? In my experience jawfish will eat nearly anything - pellet, mysis, brine, et. al

 

[Ruskin]

He'll eat when he has settled in. Make sure he has plenty of hiding spaces and a dep sand bed to burrow in. They dont ship well like others stated, but once he is comfortable he will start eating. mine took 4-5 days before eating then was fine.

 

[Jmason95]

Another question...

Being that jawfish make a burrow and hang out around the bottom of the tank most of the time, is there a problem with them getting food, ie: will they swim towards the surface and compete for food?

Sorry, didn't mean to hijack your thread, I'm considering getting a pearly jawfish myself...

 

[pinkie]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12581308#post12581308 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Jmason95
Being that jawfish make a burrow and hang out around the bottom of the tank most of the time, is there a problem with them getting food, ie: will they swim towards the surface and compete for food?

Mine does, he doesn't hold back at all. He hangs out in his burrow, but knows when it is feeding time, and keeps his head out to watch for me approaching the tank.

Also, to the original poster, when I first got mine, the only thing I could get him to eat was little pieces of krill. Now that he is more comfortable in the tank, he will eat almost anything.

 

[Tennyson]

OK, so I guess he's just still settling in the tank.

I bought him at a store, I was watching him last night, and saw him eating flake! so hes into it, but hes hiding in one spot now, and I don't know if he'll be ok. Its been 4 days since I got him, and hes still kind of scared.

And hes not doing very good at making a sand bed. I have enough sand, but it just looks like a giant crater in the sand. And I added some rubble and crushed shells in but it ignored it and continued to hide.

 

[flameangel88]

What other fish do you have in the tank? It may be stressed...either way I suggest you've the tank covered good.

 

[Chibils]

IME, shy fish take longer to settle in and start eating.

 

[fish4lyfe]

Today i saw my jawfish come outs of hole for once, and i noticed i could see his ribs! So i thought to myself this is not good, my favorite fish could be possibly dieing. I care about this fish so much. I've been feeding phytomax,mysis with garlic extreme, flakes, and freeze-dried cyclopeeze. I see him eat but not much only whatever floats by his little makeshift trench he has going. Today i fed flakes mixed with tiny garlic bits and i saw him eat alittle but hes just so darn skinny and i worry for his health. So my question is what do you feed your jawfish? Also side question : Will uneaten garlic bits raise ammonia?


Sincerely keaton


__________________

 

[Tennyson]

Success! My jawfish had finally settled into my tank and has started eating my garlic flavored flake. But its kind of like my firefish, its wimpy and won't compete for food, the food has to literally come within two inches of its burrow and still it barely goes for it.

Oh well, atleast its alive, and its making a ditch under a rock, but I thought they made vertical burrows? And i gave it rubble but it wouldnt' use it.

And I only see it in the morning before I go to school, when I get back at 4, It vanishes, but returns in the morning. Is this normal?

Thanks

 

[pinkie]

Congrats on your fish starting to eat, that must be a relieving!

It is normal for them to make burrows under rocks, that is typically how they do it. It is also normal for them to disappear into their burrows for long periods of time. I only see mine about half the time.

 

[Tennyson]

OK, I think its been two days or so since I've responded back.

My jawfish is doing excellent, it kind of gave up making a burrow under a rock, so it moved in with my Firefish in a rock. He doesn't seem to mind its presents.
And my jawfish has been eating flake and everything like a pig so there should be no problem keeping it well fed.

Thanks for all the help!

 

[Jeremy1988]

Congrats on your fish starting to eat, that must be a relieving!

It is normal for them to make burrows under rocks, that is typically how they do it. It is also normal for them to disappear into their burrows for long periods of time. I only see mine about half the time.

When you say long periods of time...like 2 days, a week what? Thanks, having some jawfish problems currently.

 

[Jeremy1988]

OK, I think its been two days or so since I've responded back.

My jawfish is doing excellent, it kind of gave up making a burrow under a rock, so it moved in with my Firefish in a rock. He doesn't seem to mind its presents.
And my jawfish has been eating flake and everything like a pig so there should be no problem keeping it well fed.

Thanks for all the help!

Hmmmm...never heard this before...maybe a scissortail dartfish this would do the same with? You know come to think of it...I had my jawfish in quarantine with a rainford goby and it was sharing the same rock as the rainford with some what no issues...interesting...I wonder if that's where is has been.