Why can’t I keep a BSJF alive?

alton

alton

New Member
I have gone through five of these, including one that I spent an arm and a leg from Live Aquaria. They have lasted from two days to one month in my aquariums. One was eaten by a very large rock crab in my 200.
A little about me; I have been keeping saltwater fish since 1991 with a brief try in 1982. Since I have had as many as five aquariums set up from 10 to 200 gallons. In that time I have raised a juvenile Blue Face, Juvenile Chrysurus, and two juvenile Imperator Angels to adult hood and sold them back to fish stores or friends. I have a pair of Mandarins in my 200 along with an adult Chevron Tang that I raised as a baby. I sell frags of Frogspawn, Bright Green Candy Cane and Mushrooms to my local fish stores. I am not saying I am a master saltwater person but, I feel I can keep anything except my favorite BSJF.
The tank that I am trying to keep one in is a 29 gallon with a hang on the back refugium, two nano power heads, and four 24 watt T5HO lamps in a hood with a small fan for cooling. I placed base rock on the glass and filled in with a course sand in and around that and then placed well established live rock on top of the base rock and added more sand with rubble. The depth of the sand ranges from four to five inches. I have three SPS Corals, Mushrooms, Small Frogspawn, Candy Cane, and GSP doing very well in this tank. ¾ of the water and live rock in this tank came from my 200 which has been set up since 2000. The only fish in this tank is a couple of Ocellaris Clown Fish that I have had for a year, some scarlet reef crabs and a few bristle worms. The Refugium is full of copepods and mysis.
I feed Mysis, FW Mysis, Blood Worms, and Spirilina enriched Brine Shrimp. The tank temperature stays between 76 and 78 degrees. Ammonia is 0, Nitrite is 0, and Nitrate ranges from 2 to 10. In trying to keep my BSJF happy, I may over feed causing the jump in Nitrates. All of the BSJF ate when I first put them in, but in time they either stop or slow down. I do a 5 to 6 gallon water change every week and after a BSJF dies I do another one. Clownfish and Corals are always happy.
Am I just snake bit or am I missing something?
 
Basser1

Basser1

Member
WOW!! Almost 70 views and no reply.

Bluespots can be very sensitive to keep. But once they are acclimated and comfortable in their surroundings, they are quite hardy to keep. I had my BSJF for well over a year and a half (before I killed it by leaving the pumps off all night). :cry1:

I don't know if you purchased all of your BSJF on-line or not, but mine came from my LFS. If you have one, see if they can get you one. They seem to be more readily available now. Have your LFS keep it for a couple of weeks to make sure it's not diseased and is eating, and what it's eating. This way, you know what you're getting. The imporatnt part is to get a healthy specimen to start out with.

Make their tank as stress free as possible. Some people claime their BSJF wouldn't eat until they had their burrows dug. So provide them with plenty of rubble, all sizes, and a proper sand bed.

Don't give up and try again, Good Luck!
 
lcstorc

lcstorc

Well-Known Member
I am so sorry to hear of the difficulties.
Have they been eating? IME the two most important things are to make sure they are eating and keep the top completely covered.
Wish I could offer more help.
 
bluespotjawfish

bluespotjawfish

Well-Known Member
Alton, if you have lost this many, I would wait a while before adding another one. Do you run a UV sterilizer on your tank? Have you ever tried one in your larger system?
 
alton

alton

New Member
I will try and answer all questions, sorry if I leave one out.
Bought one on-line (Live Aquaria), the rest at local stores. One at the local store was there for three weeks before I bought em, ate like a pig but withered away in a couple of weeks. ( I believe he had worms)

One jumped

All have eaten, but then slowed down to not eating

(I have read this site from front to back)

I added one to my 200 and after two days he disapeared. Came home day three and there was a large rock crab in he location where the BSJF hung out. I don't know if the BSJF died and was cleaned up by the crab or if the crab killed and then ate him. I caught him after I tore half my tank apart and took him to the fish store. In two years I lost 3 other fish in this tank and where never found.

I do not run a UV on any of my systems

Last week I spoke with one of my LFS and changed my coarse sand out and replaced it with 4" to 6" of rubble, crushed coral, shells that one of the national chains produces. A customer of his has a pair of BSJF and uses this mix. This tank contains SPS, two shrooms, candy cane

Thanks again for the replies and I will wait a little more before trying again

PS - Welcome to San Antonio Lorraine
 
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