Pearly Jawfish

[Thromgar]

I just got a pearly jawfish yesterday, which I know is very recent. He is the only fish currently in my Biocube 14. The question I have is at what point do I worry that he isn't doing any tunneling?

Currently I haven't even seen him start trying to dig, or do anything in the sand. He has gone into all the back chambers, as my eggcrate wasn't tight enough, and has eaten some mysis shrimp, and he hangs out on the lower level of the tank now, though he was up at the top all morning.

My water parameters are good:
0 Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrate
8.4 PH
1.024 for the Salinity

I do have a deep enough sand bed in a portion of the tank, and there is rubble scattered about as well.

Thank you.

 

[sudsy]

are there any large rocks for him to hide under or dig under? If not add a piece for him to start building under.

Mike

 

[Thromgar]

We have some large pieces of live rock that are stacked to make the aquascape. I think he can dig under the rock, and I know the rock is stable and on hte bottom of the tank, as the sand was placed after the rock.

He has started digging, but at the edge of the aquarium against the glass, rather than near the rocks. It isn't really a burrow though, so much as several holes in the sand.

 

[Capt_Cully]

They can be shy at first. I've had 3 in the past (not at the same time). They disappear for a few days. One was even gone for a week. They are very nosey. They like to see what's going on. Every one of mine built their burrows right up front. I bet yours will do the same.

 

[scott11]

i had one in a biocube 14 as well. It took a few days before he built a home.

 

[Thromgar]

Yeah, he is quite the character.

Digs all over the front of the tank. He completely cleared out the bottom of a cave I made out of live rock, and spends a fair amount of time in there, but he still wants a good cave in the front corner of the cube as a second home or something.

I think he wants to build a second den out front, and I need to get him some more rubble and shell pieces to work with.

He is doing awesome though and seems pretty happy.