jawfish that left me shocked

[VynoraL]

Hello everyone,
I'm hoping against hope that someone has had a similar experience with their jawfish. I've got a 30-gallon saltwater tank, and all levels are normal - I checked them myself before bringing home my new Pearly Jawfish. I even brought a water sample along to ensure a 7-day guarantee for the little guy.

I acclimated it for about 45 minutes, gradually introducing my tank water, and then released it into the tank with the lights off. It made one lap around the tank and then settled in the corner, where it's been for at least 4 hours. It's not panting, and it's not making any effort to find a suitable home. My other fish are being really nice to it, not bothering it at all - although my Dragon Goby does seem a bit concerned, hanging out behind the jawfish.

I've got a deep sand bed that's perfect for a jawfish, so I'm thinking maybe I didn't acclimate it properly. My tank temperature stays around 76 degrees, and my other fish are a Royal Gramma, a Clownfish, a Dragon Goby, an Emeflaked crab, and a chocolate chip starfish. What do you guys think?

Update: My little jawfish has started digging a hole in the corner of the tank to shelter itself. There are plenty of hiding spots available, but it's weird that it's not burrowing under one of the live rocks like my goby has. Maybe there's hope yet for my jawfish. Any replies are greatly appreciated - especially from experienced jawfish keepers.

[fleeton]

I'm not a jawfish expert myself, but from what I've read and experienced with other fish, it's pretty normal for them to take some time to adjust to a new environment, especially when there are other fish already there. Your main concern should be whether the jawfish is eating - if it is, then with enough time, it should start acting normally again.

[VynoraL]

I'm thrilled to report that my little jawfish has finally started to show some signs of life. I tossed in some mysis today and to my delight, he snatched up a couple of pieces - what a relief. He then swam to the front of the tank and began burrowing against the glass, which got me thinking. I recalled reading somewhere that introducing a jawfish to a pre-dug burrow can be beneficial, so I decided to give it a try. I created a little burrow for him, and it seems to have worked like a charm - he's digging away enthusiastically as I type this.

[BoldVoy]

I've had a tawnie jawfish for a bit now, and I can tell you they do take some time to settle in. Mine took around 2 days to start looking for a burrow, and he's actually moved homes twice in the past 6 weeks, which I found quite interesting. As long as your jawfish is eating and not being bothered by the other fish, I'd say he'll be just fine. My guy loves his frozen bloodworm, but he's also started taking brine mysis and even flake food, which is great to see. They're really fun to watch and own, and I think you'll enjoy having yours. One thing I've noticed is that they love having lots of rock rubble to line their burrows with, and my jawfish takes great joy in rearranging the chunks every day, it's quite entertaining.

[VynoraL]

My little Pearly Jawfish seems to have settled in quite well, despite the initial curiosity from my other fish. He made his way to the front of the tank and started digging a hole against the glass. I remembered reading about jawfish needing a predug burrow, so I decided to create one for him near where he was setting up shop. He immediately took to it and finished digging it out himself. I added some shells and debris around the burrow, and he's made himself right at home, only venturing out for food.

However, I've noticed a change in my Dragon Goby's behavior - he's become quite aggressive, trying to take over the jawfish's burrow and even nipping at him when he's out exploring. The weird thing is, the goby has his own burrow on the other side of the tank, and it's a nice one at that. I'm wondering if this is some kind of jealousy? The Royal Gramma usually chases the goby off, but I'm concerned about what might happen in the long term if the goby continues to bully the jawfish.

[BoldVoy]

It's not uncommon to see fish competing for the best burrows, especially when it comes to prime feeding spots. I've got a pest crab that's always trying to take over my jawfish's burrow, but he's a feisty one and isn't giving it up without a fight. It's all about competition, and the burrow with the best food access will always be the most sought after. You might find that your fish will swap burrows from time to time, as long as they're eating well and not showing any aggression towards each other, they should be fine. It's just the natural order of things. If the problem persists, you can always consider removing the offending fish as a last resort.

[VynoraL]

I find it absolutely captivating that my tiny jawfish, despite being half the size of the goby and almost invisible to the Coflake beauty, stands its ground with its mouth wide open, chasing them off. Today was quite amusing - the jawfish carefully placed old seashells over all the available holes, leaving the goby utterly perplexed.

The goby seems to sneak over when the jawfish is digging and blowing out the sand, but it's not intimidated by him in the least; it's only afraid of the Coflake Beauty. I've ended up with an adorable setup - my little jawfish is quite the brave one. My kids, aged 4 and 5, are now more interested in watching the fish than sitting in front of the TV watching Spongebob. This makes me feel a lot less guilty about the cost of this hobby.