I have a 300G. reef tank. (96in.X30in.X24in.). I have a rather open aquascape: 1/3rd of the tank is a rounded slope; narrow at the top to almost the top of the tank, widening in a rounded fashion as it meets the substrate. In the middle, a islandic bommie to maybe 1/2 the heighth of the tank. The right third is a series of caves to about 2/3rd the heighth of the tank. The substrate is sugarfine sand and moderately coarse aragonite 5 to 7 inches deep.There are many, many nooks, crannies and hiding places. I have had a Opistognathus rosenblatti in the tank for better than 8 months. Unfortunately he died when he jumped out of the tank (stress related to the capture of another fish?). He had no trouble burrowing, and hiding when necessary.
At any rate, I have purchased another Opistognathus rosenblatti, and have read that when acclimating a jawfish one should leave the lights on at least overnight, or some sort of night light (re: Scott Michaels). I put him in the tank this past Sunday A.M. and made sure ALL possible exits from the tank were covered. He swam around and retreated to the back of one of the caves, he never displayed any gasping. Only my Harlequin Tusk showed any interest in the Jawfish, and whenever the Tusk came near the Jawfish, the Bluespot flared at the Tusk, but never ran. Only once did the Jawfish display any jumping behaviour.
On this past Monday morning, the Opistognathus rosenblatti was on the opposite side of the tank, near the bottom. Although I could not see that he had actively burrowed, he was using one of the crannies in the rockwork and had piled up some rubble in front of this area. Interestingly this is right next to another small cave-like area (the previous jawfish had excavated this) that the tusk uses to hide and sleep in. The jawfish has eaten enthusiastically each day. Monday afternoon I noticed that the Bluespot was up in the upper left corner of the top of tank, and mainly seems to have remained there. He does seem stressed, he eats, he is not gasping. As I have mentioned the rock work reaches almost to the top of the tank on this side, and the jawfish bounces in and out of the rock work in the same manner as jawfish bounce in and out of a burrow.
Okay, so the Opistognathus rosenblatti has been in the tank 3 days, but should I be worrying about his hanging at the top of tank, rather than actively burrowing? I noticed that even with the previous jawfish I had, would occasionally swim about the top of the tank, not just hang around his burrows (Opistognathus aurifons seem to stay near their burrows much more than Opistognathus rosenblatti). There are really too many hiding places in the tank to get a fish out without completely dismantling the rock work. The Tusk doesn't even seem interested in the jawfish any longer.
I guess what I'm wondering is should I be worrying, and is there anything I can do it about it anyway?
Any thoughts from anyone?
I hope I've not been too long-winded.
Thanks so much,
Dave Harvey
p.s. any thoughts, hints, tips regarding jawfish care would be greatly appreciated.
DH
At any rate, I have purchased another Opistognathus rosenblatti, and have read that when acclimating a jawfish one should leave the lights on at least overnight, or some sort of night light (re: Scott Michaels). I put him in the tank this past Sunday A.M. and made sure ALL possible exits from the tank were covered. He swam around and retreated to the back of one of the caves, he never displayed any gasping. Only my Harlequin Tusk showed any interest in the Jawfish, and whenever the Tusk came near the Jawfish, the Bluespot flared at the Tusk, but never ran. Only once did the Jawfish display any jumping behaviour.
On this past Monday morning, the Opistognathus rosenblatti was on the opposite side of the tank, near the bottom. Although I could not see that he had actively burrowed, he was using one of the crannies in the rockwork and had piled up some rubble in front of this area. Interestingly this is right next to another small cave-like area (the previous jawfish had excavated this) that the tusk uses to hide and sleep in. The jawfish has eaten enthusiastically each day. Monday afternoon I noticed that the Bluespot was up in the upper left corner of the top of tank, and mainly seems to have remained there. He does seem stressed, he eats, he is not gasping. As I have mentioned the rock work reaches almost to the top of the tank on this side, and the jawfish bounces in and out of the rock work in the same manner as jawfish bounce in and out of a burrow.
Okay, so the Opistognathus rosenblatti has been in the tank 3 days, but should I be worrying about his hanging at the top of tank, rather than actively burrowing? I noticed that even with the previous jawfish I had, would occasionally swim about the top of the tank, not just hang around his burrows (Opistognathus aurifons seem to stay near their burrows much more than Opistognathus rosenblatti). There are really too many hiding places in the tank to get a fish out without completely dismantling the rock work. The Tusk doesn't even seem interested in the jawfish any longer.
I guess what I'm wondering is should I be worrying, and is there anything I can do it about it anyway?
Any thoughts from anyone?
I hope I've not been too long-winded.
Thanks so much,
Dave Harvey
p.s. any thoughts, hints, tips regarding jawfish care would be greatly appreciated.
DH
