Finally found my favorite fish!

Son Of Skyline · #1 11-24-2003, 11:13 PM

It's been awhile, but my search is over...behold my new prize

This is the only shot I could get of this guy. He went straight for the rockwork and I haven't seen him since. I'm hoping to see him again by Christmas

dekay · #2 11-24-2003, 11:18 PM

where did you find them? i've been looking all over town and have yet to find any.

kari · #3 11-25-2003, 12:46 AM

Cool fish. I bet it can see really far considering the proportion of eyeball/body

Can you save me the pain of flipping through the books with an ID? Curiosity is getting the best of my.

Kari

dekay · #4 11-25-2003, 01:02 AM

i think it's a pearly jaw fish

Delphinus · #5 11-25-2003, 01:41 AM

Pearly headed or yellow-headed jawfish .... neat fish. I had one for about two years.

Be careful, they are nervous fish (i.e. startle easily) and are jumpers. The first week while mine was getting settled in he jumped out of the tank just about every day when I fed the tank. Open the canopy, squip! flop flop flop. Picked him up off the floor and threw him back in. He found his way into the overflow once too. So cover up any opening in your canopy and cover your overflow. Oh yeah BTW they can slip through eggcrate (my overflow had eggcrate over top ... NOWADAYS my overflow is covered with eggcrate and fiberglass window screening over the eggcrate!)

They tend to settle down after a few days to a week, assuming there are no tankmates that stress them out.

So that he won't be stressed, he should be able to make a burrow where he can see 360 degrees all around him. He needs a deep sand bed with various grain sizes as he will need the different pieces to make his burrow. He may even use a small pebble as a "cover" for his burrow and he'll clamp the lid shut just before lights-out. You will need a constant supply of small rubble on hand as he will use up what you offer in no time. They are amazing workers, constantly renovating their burrow. Amazing to watch them, skilled like a brick layer. They'll find the "perfect" spot for a rock and place it ever so. Then they'll adjust it. And adjust it again. Fix fix fix. Fix fix fix. Fix fix fix.

Make sure your rocks are resting on the bottom of your tank, and not the sand bed, as he WILL burrow under the rocks. If the rocks topple he can be crushed to death.

I hope you don't have a plenum (does anyone have a plenum anymore), if so, unfortunately it just got defeated.

If you have just a fine sand bed (sugar sized) you definitely need to get ahold of a bag of small crushed coral (1/4" size or thereabouts for the most part, but a broad spectrum of up to say 1" is probably best).

This fish has a LOT of personality and I hope he does well for you. Good luck!

Son Of Skyline · #6 11-25-2003, 01:44 AM

Yup, it's a pearly jawfish

King Ed Pets just got them in and there was one more when I left.

As I suspected I haven't seen it since it left the bag. It'll probably be at least a few days

Son Of Skyline · #7 11-25-2003, 05:03 AM

Thanks for the tips Tony! Yes, he's already found his way into my sump, through the eggcrate! I had tons of rubble from a previous jawfish but I'm not sure where it is in the tank anymore. Under the sand and behind the rockwork I guess. Time to get some more!

Quinn · #8 11-25-2003, 05:08 AM

I've mentioned this to a few Calgarians, but I've found a product that eclipses eggcrate in fish-restricting overflow performance.

Phone a local nursery and ask if they grow lilies. Ask if the lily bulbs come in plastic crates. Ask if you can buy one. What you'll end up with is a lovely latticework crate, with slats about half as large as in eggcrate. It consistently stops my orange diamond goby from sump-surfing.

EmilyB · #9 11-25-2003, 05:23 AM

Gutter mesh works too.

Buccaneer · #10 11-25-2003, 06:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by teevee

I've mentioned this to a few Calgarians, but I've found a product that eclipses eggcrate in fish-restricting overflow performance.

Phone a local nursery and ask if they grow lilies. Ask if the lily bulbs come in plastic crates. Ask if you can buy one. What you'll end up with is a lovely latticework crate, with slats about half as large as in eggcrate. It consistently stops my orange diamond goby from sump-surfing.

Would Golden acre or that type carry it too Quinn ? ... I have a Ocelaris that just cant help himself < 6 times and counting going over the overflow

... I am starting to think he really likes the ride

> just netted him out of the sump again tonight

Cheers