Reeferhead's 60gal Softie/Jawfish Build
- Thread starter Reeferhead
- Start date
medicreefer
New member
Hi, your tank looks great! Any update on your 3 remaining jawfish?
I'm currently planning and slowly putting together a 65 gallon system that will be mostly a yellowhead species tank (+1 pair of false percs). I've had yellowheads before and they are grerat fish with tons of "personality". Easily my (and more importantly for the sake of my involvement in this hobby, my wife's) favourite fish. Unfortunately I was lazy with the first one I got and didn't properly quarantine it. It died of ich. My second pearly was great once quarantined and setlled. Tons of personality and it eventually became quite bold, even challenging my clowns for food. Unfortunately that little guy/gal found the only 1/4" hole in my tank cover and I found it one morning about a year after I got it, dead on top of my tank's mesh cover.
I plan on keeping 3-4 pearlys in this new setup and I'm just wondering if you have any tips/advice.
Thanks.
I'm currently planning and slowly putting together a 65 gallon system that will be mostly a yellowhead species tank (+1 pair of false percs). I've had yellowheads before and they are grerat fish with tons of "personality". Easily my (and more importantly for the sake of my involvement in this hobby, my wife's) favourite fish. Unfortunately I was lazy with the first one I got and didn't properly quarantine it. It died of ich. My second pearly was great once quarantined and setlled. Tons of personality and it eventually became quite bold, even challenging my clowns for food. Unfortunately that little guy/gal found the only 1/4" hole in my tank cover and I found it one morning about a year after I got it, dead on top of my tank's mesh cover.
I plan on keeping 3-4 pearlys in this new setup and I'm just wondering if you have any tips/advice.
Thanks.
The remaining three appear to be doing quite well. They still get a spot every now and then but it doesn't seem to bother them much.
Though I purchased nine in the last order, I think 5-6 should be the max for my sized tank. I've found they really like to maintain at least 6" between holes. I have the yellow headed strain from Florida. The "pearly" strain comes from the Southern Caribbean and may be a little different.
My only advise would be to find healthy fish from a reputable source.
medicreefer
New member
The remaining three appear to be doing quite well. They still get a spot every now and then but it doesn't seem to bother them much.
Though I purchased nine in the last order, I think 5-6 should be the max for my sized tank. I've found they really like to maintain at least 6" between holes. I have the yellow headed strain from Florida. The "pearly" strain comes from the Southern Caribbean and may be a little different.
My only advise would be to find healthy fish from a reputable source.
Thanks. I will probably stick with 3-4. Not sure if I will get the Florida or southern Caribbean strains. If you get a chance would you mind posting a video of your tank as it is now with the jawfish. I'd like to see what their behaviour is like.
Sorry I was out of town for work when you posted this, and then of course I forgot.
However, I've been meaning to post a new video for a while now and today (while brewing some beer) I got around to it. :lol: Here you go, its kinda long... oh and BTW unless your a rave child of the 90's like me, you might wanna turn the sound off 
I added some music but it might be a few hours before it updates<object width="853" height="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/OxJKMpDgEdo?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/OxJKMpDgEdo?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="853" height="480" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>
DrewPalmer04
New member
Beautiful! What's your secret for zao growth????
First and foremost, I only add proven growers and CDP is a great place to find them.
Also, IMO most soft corals benefit from a little bit elevated NO3, so you need to have some fish and feed them well. However, PO4 needs to be controlled so GFO is a must. Excessive algae not only looks bad but can irritate some Zs and Ps and hinder growth. Palys will really benefit from being fed directly and will grow crazy fast when you do. Other than that, find the right spectrum of lighting. I think T5s are ideal for this as you can mix and match and try different combinations of bulbs. Decent flow is also important.I've kept SPS and softies together in the past and did OK but IME for the best results the two should be kept in separate systems. Not to say it can't be done but in IMO they typically have different requirements to thrive. In the wild, you'll rarely see a bunch of zoas and shrooms existing together in a field of acros... They've simply evolved into their own ecological niches. FWIW
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medicreefer
New member
Thanks for posting that great video. Your tank looks gorgeous, and the jawfish are definitely entertaining. They look like they have good burrows and have settled in very well. What mix of substrates are you using? Looking at the burrow entrances it looks like they have all the right sized pieces for their construction. Did you have to add any crushed rock rubble or add any of the smaller branching coral rubble that they pile nesr their entrances?
Thanks.
Thanks.
I used Tropic Eden Rubbly Reef sand Along with some extra rubble and shells I had lying around. Honestly I think I need to add a few additional pounds of larger sized crushed coral. The fish are fine building their burrows under a piece of LR but I think they need a bit more rubble to build in the open sand areas.
Awesome Tony,
If you don't mind bring it with you to Dave's
Thanks!
If you don't mind bring it with you to Dave's
Thanks!
I've had some issues with a few of my zoa colonies lately but after several large water changes, things seem to be improving. Thread about it here.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2197858
I decided to snap a FTS before I take the scissors to my neon green toadstool...
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2197858
I decided to snap a FTS before I take the scissors to my neon green toadstool...
Thanks for directing me to this thread. My tank is...on a decidedly smaller scale than this, it's a 12G Fluval Edge. It's my first reef tank and I have set it up with the intention of adding a Jawfish. I plan on only doing two fish total, one is a Black Ice clown I got at the swap, the other a Jawfish. I may already know the answer to this question, but what are your recommendations on a Pearly/Yellowhead vs. a Blue Spot? I LOVE Bluespots but fear this tank may be too small. Since I'm only doing two fish I wanted both of the to be really cool fish. But BSJ are pretty spendy and if they aren't right for this setup then I'll go with the Yellowhead.
Thanks in advance for the advice.
Thanks in advance for the advice.
I've never kept blue spots so my opinion is going to be a bit short. The intent of this tank was to keep a small colony of jawfish. Blue spots are solitary fish so obviously they wouldn't work. Pretty fish though. They are a bit pricey and not extremely hardy. It wouldn't be my fish choice as a beginner fish but if you do all the right research ahead of time, you should do ok. 12 gallons is pushing it though for these to fish IMO but I’m unusually conservative with fish in all my tanks.
Thanks, I really like having the zoas oriented pretty much vertically like this now, it shows off the colors much better.
One day I’d like to have a top down tank or even perhaps something lit from the side
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DrewPalmer04
New member
Are you still using that basic sump? How are you controlling your micro bubbles? I would think they would blow all over that display...?
Yeah, same sump, no bubbles. I only run about 200 gallons an hour through it. Most of my flow comes from the MP40
steveo9043
New member
sorry to hear about all your issues. I just wanted to share my jawfish experience.
I originally had a black cap on my stocking list. I was at a LFS about 2 weeks ago and saw the yellow headed and had to have him right then and there. I was with some family and they thought it was the weirdest looking ugliest fish there. Now they absolutely love the little guy. He is tied with my clowns as favorite fish in the tank.
I bought "sugar sized" argonite when I setup the tank and have not added anything larger, He burrowed under a long flat piece of rock. I think I should add some larger pieces for him but not sure on what sizes and how that would affect a sand sifting goby when I get him.
any input?
I originally had a black cap on my stocking list. I was at a LFS about 2 weeks ago and saw the yellow headed and had to have him right then and there. I was with some family and they thought it was the weirdest looking ugliest fish there. Now they absolutely love the little guy. He is tied with my clowns as favorite fish in the tank.
I bought "sugar sized" argonite when I setup the tank and have not added anything larger, He burrowed under a long flat piece of rock. I think I should add some larger pieces for him but not sure on what sizes and how that would affect a sand sifting goby when I get him.
any input?
