# Murphy's laws regarding jaw fish



## Crayon (Apr 13, 2014)

Murphy's first law for jawfish:
If you have a lid on your tank, the jawfish will wait until you start to remove the lid to jump out.

Murphy's second law for jawfish:
When they jump, they will find the 1/2" gap between the back of the tank stand and the wall.

This morning I went to clean up in the tank a bit. Started to move the glass, and the first and second laws came into immediate effect.

We spent 10 minutes wildly trying to get this fish out from behind the tank, trust me there was massive panic.

We did get him out, he is now in a quarantine box in the tank, with a dark cover. It is 3 hours later, he is still alive, but his condition is currently listed as critical.
I hate days like today.......


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## TBemba (Jan 11, 2010)

Sorry to hear, I hope he recovers.


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## MPreston (Nov 11, 2013)

Sorry to hear about your jaw fish. 
Odd, my jaw fish is in a completely open topped mixed reef and has had not interests in the surface; mainly sticks to his cave.


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## Crayon (Apr 13, 2014)

Unfortunately, after a 4 hour tank side vigil, our black cap jawfish passed away. 😢


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## Bullet (Apr 19, 2014)

Crayon said:


> Unfortunately, after a 4 hour tank side vigil, our black cap jawfish passed away. &#128546;


Very sorry for your loss.


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## Atzau (Aug 17, 2012)

so sorry for your loss.


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## PaulF757 (Dec 9, 2013)

Very sorry for your loss. I love that fish and its on my wish list but waiting to figure out what i'm going to do for a lid on my tank.


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## Crayon (Apr 13, 2014)

Thanks everyone. I was really bummed yesterday. We have this tank entirely covered just so he didn't jump. I had just fed everyone, saw that he was in his burrow, and this whole thing happened faster than superman. I had only moved the lid about 1/4" before he rabbited.

I will get another. Not just yet. We have a pearly jaw fish in that tank, too, so for now I'm going to get a second pearly cause they will hang out together. The black cap and pearly never had issues. As a matter of fact, we found them in the same burrow together sometimes.


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## TBemba (Jan 11, 2010)

Crayon said:


> Thanks everyone. I was really bummed yesterday. We have this tank entirely covered just so he didn't jump. I had just fed everyone, saw that he was in his burrow, and this whole thing happened faster than superman. I had only moved the lid about 1/4" before he rabbited.
> 
> I will get another. Not just yet. We have a pearly jaw fish in that tank, too, so for now I'm going to get a second pearly cause they will hang out together. The black cap and pearly never had issues. As a matter of fact, we found them in the same burrow together sometimes.


How deep is your sand bed? Did you put shells an rubble in the tank for them?

Just asking because I really wouldn't mind having one.

But having a favorite fish die like that is always painful.


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## Crayon (Apr 13, 2014)

Sand bed varies, cause I have diggers. This jawfish had a couple homes. There was the downstairs beach side leisure home (under the rocks with a sand bed built up around them, and the uptown high rise condo (he had a place high in the rocks that he hung out in as well). Lots of rubble, and he would move stuff around to create a little cave.
This one was really really timid, and didn't venture far from the rocks ever. Our pearly is much more active and will go around the tank scavenging for additional building materials.
Both lived in the 30 gallon tank and were very happy. I think the black cap got scared when I started to move the cover. It was just Murphy's law........


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## gtareef (Feb 19, 2012)

Sorry to hear that. 

I bought brs clear mesh and did not make the covers until flame wrasse, clown and spotted jaw fish all jumped out 

I could have prevented all of this, but I was too lazy to make to the covers.

If you want to pick up another jawfish, I would recommend to add a small pvc pipe where you want it to hide and it will not move from the pvc. The key is to place the fish close to the pvc.


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