jawfish story (part)
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Forum Name: Fish
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Topic: jawfish story (part)
Posted By: jason sabey
Subject: jawfish story (part)
Date Posted: March 24 2007 at 12:00am
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Ok, this is a start if anyone is interested. The set up. Pearly jaw fish (Opistoganathus aurifrons) the fish were just picked out at a local store. I bought them two years ago. The sand bed is 6 and one half inches deep. I have them in a sixty gallon tank filtered with a bio wheel on each side with about 20 pounds of live rock and lots of grape colurepa. Lighting about six to ten hours of natural sunlight a day temp of eighty to eighty three each day at nights I let the temp drop down to seventy eight degrees. The tank received three to five hours of direct sunlight a day. (I am embarrassed to say I left out the hair algae that grew quite profusely I still do not know why. The jaw fish quickly paired off and used the same hole by the time a month was up they were happily eating whatever food I put into the tank (they especially liked PEmysis) they were not shy at all as time went on they would come out when I came to watch them they were hopping for few a tender morsel it seemed as though they were begging. I know that they recognized me somehow because when my wife or kids came by they would run and hide only poking their heads out at them. (I cannot blame them for hiding from my kids four and six at this time) About three months later I saw the first sights of them dancing they would shake at each other then lock jaws something like kissing or fighting kiss-fighting (I don�t know) soon it happened eggs the larger of the two, though only slightly larger had eggs in his mouth what a sight too see. The eggs were a light brown (My wife said cream) in color and at times I could clearly see the eggs. He became shy and much more reclusive at this time barely poking his head out of the hole. They were still sharing the same hole the female also became more skittish at this time but as I feed them she quickly became �normal�. Responding to me as she had before (still afraid of the kids, I cannot blame them I am too) the male would spit the eggs out of his mouth about half the way spin them and suck them back in. I am out of time if anyone is interested i'll write the rest of my saga later. ------------- sabey |
Replies:
Posted By: griffith
Date Posted: March 24 2007 at 12:22am
| Sounds good - keep going |
Posted By: Mike Savage
Date Posted: March 24 2007 at 10:22am
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Jason, I am very interested. Please keep writing. What substrate did you use?
Are there any other inhabitants?
Mike -------------  |
Posted By: Shane H
Date Posted: March 24 2007 at 12:28pm
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Very cool.
Do you have any pics? Have you tried to keep the fry? Do they hatch? Have you seen free swimming fry? Keep writing. Its very interesting to hear about this type of thing. I can't believe you have a 10* temp swing each day! Doesn't seem to be causing a problem though!
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Posted By: jason sabey
Date Posted: March 24 2007 at 6:42pm
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mike subtrate is large crushed coral on top and about 1 inch of sand on bottom.
other inhabitants are cleen up crew whitch the jawfish moved around quite when they ventured close to the hole
shane my hard drive crashed with the pictures
yes to hatching
no to fry to a point
the temp could change 10 degrees i don't think it changed that much in short spaces like a day but it did over the course of weeks and months. ------------- sabey |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: March 25 2007 at 2:19am
| How often have they had eggs like this? |
Posted By: Mike Savage
Date Posted: March 25 2007 at 2:21am
I haven't had good luck with them and large crushed coral but I had no smaller sand with it. Their den kept colapseing. It is funny to see them pick up a hermit crab and move him half way across the tank. 
In my next tank I am planning on using CaribSea Super Reef which has shells mixed in to help them build their burrows.
 Mike ------------- |
Posted By: Bob Kripfgans
Date Posted: March 25 2007 at 10:50pm
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I think it is way cool. Keep writting!!
I thought about and researched what type of marine fish we as small scale hobbiests could be successful in breeding. I know a few members are in fact breeding clownfish and seahorses. Gobies if given the proper conditions will breed readily. But there seems to be problems getting from the egg, larva then to the adult stage. Tank raised fish as a whole are healthier and seem to prosper. I hope you will be successful.
I recently acquired 6 baby Benaggi Cardinals from fish-4-you. These are tank raised babies from parents that were tank raised a few years back by another avid hobbiest. They are growing fast feeding on tiger pods and gut loaded BBS. Live quality enriched food is the key. I used my exsisting 25 gal planted cube by partitioning a quarter of the tank using plexi and mesh. The mesh allows for circulation and transfer of food from the main tank. My thoughts were by utilizing the exsisting natural filtration and food scources that they would benefit from a stable enviornment. Benaggi Cardinals are difficult to ship and there survival rates are low. IN the wild thier populations are dwindling. My goal is to sucessfuly breed them and to keep the tank raised strain going. Hopefully to share with other members who may want to try their hand at breeding.
Sorry to steall your thread but I thought some of this information might help you later if you eggs should hatch. Wouldn't it be great to be able to raise a few and later down the road protect the wild stocks. If you need any more info send me a PM.
Bob
------------- WMAS is da place! Save the Banggai's! Tooele,Ut. |
Posted By: jason sabey
Date Posted: March 28 2007 at 7:29pm
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THanks for the offer I really appreaciate it. I too have some baby cardnels and have raised seahorses and peppermint shrimp that is what makes this message bord so cool is you can get all kinds of information from other members ------------- sabey |
Posted By: Mike Savage
Date Posted: April 08 2007 at 10:54pm
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Hey Jason. We're ready for the next chapter!
Mike ------------- |
Posted By: pmpt
Date Posted: April 10 2007 at 9:58am
| The suspense is killing me!! More! More! |
Posted By: jason sabey
Date Posted: April 12 2007 at 11:36pm
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working on it I am working too many hours to transfur alout notes right now ------------- sabey |
Posted By: Mike Savage
Date Posted: April 13 2007 at 8:10am
Well, okay, I'll try to be patient.  ------------- |
Posted By: Bob Kripfgans
Date Posted: April 15 2007 at 10:03am
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Times up! JK
Any new happenings on the post? ------------- WMAS is da place! Save the Banggai's! Tooele,Ut. |
Posted By: Mike Savage
Date Posted: June 06 2007 at 7:55pm
Hey Jason. It's tough being patient 
Mike ------------- |
Posted By: Jamison
Date Posted: June 07 2007 at 11:58am
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Sequels are never as good as originals. I'm guessing that funding was pulled for part 2. Oh well! ------------- Educate. Inspire. Conserve. http://[email protected] |
Posted By: Mike Savage
Date Posted: June 07 2007 at 5:09pm
I was afraid that would happen. 
Mike ------------- |