New blue spot jawfish disappeared

beginnerreefer04 · Oct 15, 2023

I added a blue spotted jawfish on Friday and the last time I saw him was Friday night he found a place to hide under the rocks, in a pretty hard place for me to see, and dug himself a hole I have read that they are escape artists, I will attach a pic of our lid, doesn’t seem like he jumped out but do they have a tendency to hide for long periods of time?

blaxsun · Oct 15, 2023

Take a flashlight out and check all around the tank - he may have dug out a cave where one previously didn't exist. There are three possibilities: in the tank, in the overflow/sump or on the floor.

brclark82 · Oct 15, 2023

More than likely he’s still hiding but I had a diamond watchman jump out of a much smaller opening than that…I’m still not sure how it happened it was so small but I found him a room away the next morning after my cat had played with him a bit

RabidDragon · Oct 15, 2023

I had a blue spot jawfish that would "porpoise" his head out of the water to investigate the top. There was no gap on lid big enough for him to jump out. He ultimately forced his way out of the tank by pushing a piece of plexiglass up enough to slip out. This piece of Plexiglas was the lid/port to feed the tank. It died on the floor before being discovered.

I wish you luck in finding your jawfish, it was our favorite fish... tons of personality.

beginnerreefer04 · Oct 15, 2023

blaxsun said:
Take a flashlight out and check all around the tank - he may have dug out a cave where one previously didn't exist. There are three possibilities: in the tank, in the overflow/sump or on the floor.

He wasn’t in the overflow/sump doesn’t appear to be on the floor but we will look out for an ammonia spike and check the tank a little better thx

Mr. Mojo Rising · Oct 15, 2023

unless its being bullied, they are super curious fish, almost "nosy". They will often move to a spot where they can see you best, and they always watch you and your family. Very interesting fish. But they are also super expert jumpers. I usually don't keep lids on my tank, but for this fish I did, and they both jumped out anyway. They are real heart breakers, I won't try again. Good luck to you.

flashsmith · Oct 15, 2023

I had a good size exquisite wrasse jump out of a small gap like that multiple times but was able to get him back in each time until one day I found him cooked under my lights on top of the cover. Just yesterday in my other tank I found my naoko wrasse who vanished a month ago. Thought he was long gone. Changed out my return pump on my IM SR80 and there he was in the back return pump chamber. Pretty skinny but alive and back in the display eating like nothing happened. I gave up on sand sifters long ago. Never had one that didn't carpet surf.