The Bluespot Club

[bluespotjawfish]

Craig, I am in the process of coordinating with the technicians at Live Aquaria / Divers Den about my experiences before I introduce another one. I will try and ask them what they know about the collection process of their Bluespots and will post what I learn too. I want them to outline exactly what I should do with a new arrival. Their written instructions that come with their fish only say to put them in a QT and observe (and this is optional).

These are the specific questions that have been asked of me. I would be interested in everyone elses responses to these questions as well if you guys have the time.

1. How large is the aquarium?
2. When were the water parameters last checked?
3. What were the results of the water tests?
a. Ammonia?
b. Nitrite?
c. Nitrate?
d. PH?
e. Temperature?
f. Salinity?
4. What type of specimens are in the aquarium?
5. Do you regularly clean the substrate in the tank? How often?
6. How oftern do you spot feed the Jawfish?
7. What do you feed?

[Craig Manoukian]

Originally Posted by bluespotjawfish

Craig, I am in the process of coordinating with the technicians at Live Aquaria / Divers Den about my experiences before I introduce another one. I will try and ask them what they know about the collection process of their Bluespots and will post what I learn too.

Awseome, can't wait for your report/feedback!

[Frankie]

Great picture Scott!
I might keep a frozen BSJF but i am watching this thread still!

[Dentoid]

Originally Posted by FFrankie

Great picture Scott!
I might keep a frozen BSJF but i am watching this thread still!

That frozen BS may be the link to discovering the high loses!
Thanks Frankie!

[bluespotjawfish]

Sorry Frankie, I couldn't talk myself into putting your frozen BS in the photoshow, hope you don't mind! I thought of freezing Jaws 2 as well, but didn't. Here is what the Technical Support staff at Live Aquaria have reported back to me:

We have tried to come up with a reason as to why the Blue Dot Jawfish is no longer surviving in your tank and we not been successful. We have gone over everything and it does not make any sense as to why this may be happening. We suggest making sure there are no other inhabitants that are near the Jawfish during feedings and to watch your water parameters closely. However, it does sound as though you have been. We apologize that we are not able to help any further. If you are unable to keep the Jawfish you currently have and wish to try one more time. The ones that show up in our Diver's Den are quarantined for at least a month before they are available for ordering. This helps keep the excellent success rate and every fish is guaranteed to survive for 14 days.

The Blue Dot Jawfish is collected in Mexico. The two methods of collection that are used would be by netting or by using an Alvin Slurp Gun, which is a gun/vacuum that gently sucks the fish in to a collection container.

I'm also asking them for step-by-step instructions about what to do with a new arrival.

[bluespotjawfish]

BTW, I reported my experiences with the 125, 50, and 30.

[Craig Manoukian]

Awesome job and great news on the slurp gun! Support slurp gun caught fish for sure!

[mps9506]

Originally Posted by Craig Manoukian

Is there any way we can find out the method of capture from reputable sellers, the Diver's Den for example?

Hehe, that question always opens up a can of worms when I see it

Briefly I don't think most sellers (live aquaria included) can tell you how a majority of their fish are captured until there is a major change on the collection/tranship/wholesale side of the business. And honestly I don't think much will happen short of government intervention.

That being said I'm pretty sure all BSJ are slurp gun collected.

[Craig Manoukian]

Mike,

If the majority are slurp gun collected, and quarantined for a month, how come the mortality rate experienced in this thread is so high? Thanks in advance for your insight.

[bluespotjawfish]

I'm still stumped about why I didn't ever have problems with these guys before. Well other probs to deal with today so the answer will have to wait.

[Frankie]

Originally Posted by Craig Manoukian

Mike,

If the majority are slurp gun collected, and quarantined for a month, how come the mortality rate experienced in this thread is so high? Thanks in advance for your insight.

Maybe it's not the catchers or wholesaler's. Maybe the lfs is to blame. You have to keep in mind that most lfs have people putting there hands into the aquarium all day long catching fish. People coming and going. Kid's tapping on the tank. It must be more stressful there then anywhere else during the whole process for a newly captured fish.

[Dentoid]

I was doing some more research of the literature and came across this.

CAS_Jawfish

I was tempted to copy and paste it here, but it really isn't anything that hasn't been covered in previous posts. However, it shows that the Blue Spot jawfish is not a special species requiring expert husbandry skills, chilled water, or some of the other anecdotal voodoo that has been suggested. It is lumped into the Genus Opistognathus as a whole and its needs are the same as that of any other jawfish, in the aquarium. The most intriguing hypotesis is problems with collection/shipping and/or internal parasites from the wild.

[Techno-Vicki]

I just landed on this thread. I am sorry, but I did not have time to read all of the pages. I read the first 5 and the last two. I get a sense that I am not the only one to have trouble with blue spots. My mom's 175 recently saw the loss of 4 of the in the course of 2 months. Yes, rather expensive and sad. 2 jumped and 2 we never found. We are not sure what happened to them or who might have eaten them. Mom was having trouble with bristle worms for a while, but we added a Dragon wrasse and the worms seem to be under control. I would like to get a blue spot, but not until my 180 is up. That will be about 6 months. I don't think my mother could stand anoth one disappearing. I will keep an eye on this thread and see how you do.

[cheeks69]

However, it shows that the Blue Spot jawfish is not a special species requiring expert husbandry skills, chilled water, or some of the other anecdotal voodoo that has been suggested. It is lumped into the Genus Opistognathus as a whole and its needs are the same as that of any other jawfish, in the aquarium. The most intriguing hypotesis is problems with collection/shipping and/or internal parasites from the wild.

I would disagree Scott. This thread here at RS and all the others I have read in different sites indicate to me this is a very difficult sp. to keep and the success rate is abysmal. If the issue is internal parasites then this is something that can easily be dealt with in a QT. Although the requirements and behaviour is similar the depth at which the Blue spotted is collected is not the same as the other species and keeping them at the typical reef temps may make them susceptible to these parasitic infections to begin with.

[Craig Manoukian]

I copied this from the article. Can the issue of reluctant eating be attributed to this, wher live foods were not introduced first? I know it can be very difficult to get Lionfish to eat non-live foods.

"Initial foods should be live, but with time, your jawfish may learn to accept frozen and prepared food."