How to QT a burrowing fish?? Beth?

[tang_man_montreal]

Hey guys,
One of the first fish that I will QT will probably be a Jawfish..
Since QT's are barebottom, how do you QT a burrowing fish?
Do you have to put a bottom in the QT just for that fish?
Thanks.

 

[mpgt]

Do they have to be bare bottom? I thought reflections from the bottom would distress fish anyway.

 

[tang_man_montreal]

From what several reliable sources have told me, a painted black bare bottom, or dark will suffice..
By bare, I meant, no substrate (ie: sand, etc...)

 

[mpgt]

What's wrong with having substrate in it?

 

[tang_man_montreal]

Terry,
You say keep a tight lid on...
I have a canopy with an open back on my display tank... Will he find a way to jump out the back? If so, what do I do?

 

[beth]

I have had jawfish that have managed to find its way out of the tank thru 1" opening. That is why I don't get jaws anymore.
As for the substrate, you can use substrate in a QT, but, as trojan advised you have an absorption and potential leeching effect if you end up needing to medicate with copper. Its a Judgement call.

 

[beth]

Terry is your tank DSB? Would you recommend a burrowing fish such as a jawfish or wrasse in a DSB? Have any exp with such fish in a DSB?

 

[reef aquaria]

We have a pair of blue spotted jawfish in our DSB. They moved around the first month building several burrows until they found a spot they liked. Once they build their permanent burrows, the DSB will be fine. We joked about having a DRB if they didn't settle (deep rubble bed). They do not eat anything from the sand. I can see spaghetti worms all around their burrows. You must have all openings covered with screen or netting, they will try to jump when scared. Be sure to give your jawfish rubble when you put it in its permanent home.

 

[beth]

Reef, did your spagetti worms come in as hitch-hikers? I've been thinking of adding these to my DSB. How do you like them?

 

[reef aquaria]

We got the spaghetti worms from a fellow reefer, along with other critters. At some reef meetings people brought a cup or 2 of sand; it goes in a bucket and then you scoop out equal to what you brought. The spaghetti worms have multiplied and are all through the DSB. You can see part of them sticking out of the sand; looks like red hairs. Only seen one completely out of the sand - UGLY! But they do a good job.

 

[mpgt]

Reef Aquaria, thanks for that last post. My wife said "no" and yuck to the idea of a DSB when I told her about it. I'm not sure we want layers of gasses and mud with very unattractive clean up crew members slithering around in it.

 

[beth]

It sounds "yuk", but really, the DSB is facinating. It really clues you in into the nitty critty of this hobby on the miro level!