Added a clown pair and my jaw isnt eating

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keeps looking up and hovering nervously over his burrow.

Isn't that pretty normal for a jawfish? My understanding, and I may be wrong, is that they don't stray to far from their burrow. They may dart out for food at feeding time but for the most part stick close to the safety of their home.
 
I realize im talking to myself here, but he has stayed in his original; burrow all day. However, he looks like he is going to try and jump which he has never done. keeps looking up and hovering nervously over his burrow. Id really like to get these clowns out but theyre not eating food just catch them in the back eating pods.

Im scared if i pull apart the rockwork ill damage his burrow and stress him more

Jaw fish are jumpers so you definitely need a lid on this tank.
 
What you’re describing sounds like normal behavior for this fish type from my reading. They will mostly stay near the hole but come out and hover looking for food. Then dart back into the hole.

When you see it doing this again it mite be a good time to drop some food in the tank and see if it eats.
 
First of all yes, they are jumpers. Yes io have a lid. It would be normal behavior if it wasw his normal behavior which it is not. He has never tried to jump and has always been a voracious eater. So eating very little and literally continously trying to jump out of the tank is not normal for him
 
So cookie monster looked good a few days ago. Went back to his old burrow. Well for the last 2 days he has stayed IN his burrow. Not poking his head out or anything. I only know he is alive because i can see him move when i shine a loght down there :-(
 
Hmmmmmmm
Well if you still have the clowns in the tank then I would say its probably time to remove them. It could be that he is P’d off just because the clowns are there not because they are harassing him.
 
Jaw fish should do well in a peaceful tank but in the wiled they mostly live a solitary life style. If they see any fish coming their way Ill bet they just dive into there holes until its passed. The clowns are not passing, there staying.

Unfortunately this is not a fish that many people have and many others probably buy this fish think its cool or cute and don’t know anything about them and they end up riding the drain back the sea.

You’ve done your research and seem to know your fish. You tank is set up for one and you’ve been feeding it successfully in the past and now its been a problem since the clowns have been in the tank I say its time to remove them (the clowns) into a time out tank and hopefully get Cookie back into a good feed pattern with his favorite food and just give him some time by himself for a while.
 
I removed the clowns first thing this morning ( hard with all my LR but didnt have to take anything out because im a ninja)

Assuming me lived through the night which i think is the case when he realizes he is alone again hopefully he will do back flips!!

Thanks for the advice and support. If hes dead (ill cry) ill be saving up for another BSJ because i cant imagine a life without cookie monster :)
 
I can see him deep in his burrow. Breathing heavily. Clowns are gone, brought back to blue sierra. Hopefully he realizes theyre gone. Becomes unstressed and recovers wonderfully.
 
Well keep a close eye on him. Breathing heavy is not a good sign but it could be the stress. If you have a power head in the tank try moving it to blow across the top of the tank to get as much O2 in the tank as you can. Hopefully it will help.
 
I did try and get as much o2 in the tank as possible. This morning after nto seeing him leave his burrow for 2 days i found him frantically, almost spasming around the tank. I put him in the quarantine tank and he died a few hours later. Im sad, but i learned from this. I wont be keeping any other fish than a jawfish in a small setup. No matter the success stories i read. I believe that the ich from the clown got to the jaw, and coupled with the stress from the new additions he just didnt make it.
 
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