MANGROVE JACK-Scientific name: Lutjanus argentimaculatus

[SammyJack]

Hi! I also have a jack he's around 11" now and he's wild caught. He was sold to me by a collector who bought two jacks but they ended up hurting each other so he had to let go of the smaller one (mine). He was badly wounded when I first got him but he's getting better and better. My problem is he's extremely skittish. I leave feeder goldfishes in his tank for him to eat because when I approach his tank he curls up to a corner and his colors go pale.

How long did your take before he got comfortable and eventually, confident?

 

[SammyJack]

Hi! I also have a jack he's around 11" now and he's wild caught. He was sold to me by a collector who bought two jacks but they ended up hurting each other so he had to let go of the smaller one (mine). He was badly wounded when I first got him but he's getting better and better. My problem is he's extremely skittish. I leave feeder goldfishes in his tank for him to eat because when I approach his tank he curls up to a corner and his colors go pale.

How long did your take before he got comfortable and eventually, confident?

 

[Rhyno8]

Hi! I also have a jack he's around 11" now and he's wild caught. He was sold to me by a collector who bought two jacks but they ended up hurting each other so he had to let go of the smaller one (mine). He was badly wounded when I first got him but he's getting better and better. My problem is he's extremely skittish. I leave feeder goldfishes in his tank for him to eat because when I approach his tank he curls up to a corner and his colors go pale.

How long did your take before he got comfortable and eventually, confident?

Hey, mine can still be skitish sometimes, Depending on its mood. There colours always change. Id discontinue the feeders or atleast trade the goldfish for something else. Try prawns or baby squid then work your way to pellets.

 

[DannyDovii]

Mine has its scatty moments like this aswel. Not so much now though..While he had places to hide he was never really seen!(ghost jack) Even at feeding time he’d rush out like a nutter and miss his food half the time! And when he did grab a mussel he’d make an absolute mess of it.. he behaved like something was out to get him all the time. All I did to change this was take his hiding places away.
I kept no light on the tank to help it gain confidence and the rest is history. Now as soon as I get to where I keep him and he sees me,he bites at the spot where I drop his mussels...he will become more aggressive biting until I feed him.
Also Rhyno8 is right! I’d stop with the feeder fish. Giving him some time without food will make him hungry and eventually see you as the food source and hopefully bring your jack out of its shell.
Id leave him without food. Feed him on every 3rd day like I do till your happy with his personality and behaviour..Then you can feed him small amounts daily or just keep him as he is( 3rd day like I do)..
If you can try and take a couple pics of your jack we wouldn’t mind a look. Always good to see other people’s fish.

 

[SammyJack]

All right, I'll try to take a picture when I get home.

Last night was a different story however, he was doing a stare down with me. I think melafix, although many think it doesn't work, finally took effect since I can see his wounds getting smaller and smaller, and his fins are now 100% recovered. He usually just curls up to the corner when I come close to his tank, this time he was a bit cautious but more curious about me.

also I'd like to ask,

Why are feeder fishes a no-no though? It's the most available food that I can give him and it's pretty obvious to me that the pellets will be completely ignored. Prawns and squids costs a lot here, but there are feeder shrimps available for like 50 pcs a dollar. Is that a better option?

 

[Rhyno8]

All right, I'll try to take a picture when I get home.

Last night was a different story however, he was doing a stare down with me. I think melafix, although many think it doesn't work, finally took effect since I can see his wounds getting smaller and smaller, and his fins are now 100% recovered. He usually just curls up to the corner when I come close to his tank, this time he was a bit cautious but more curious about me.

also I'd like to ask,

Why are feeder fishes a no-no though? It's the most available food that I can give him and it's pretty obvious to me that the pellets will be completely ignored. Prawns and squids costs a lot here, but there are feeder shrimps available for like 50 pcs a dollar. Is that a better option?

Theres next to no nutritional value in gold fish risk of parasites disease etc the shrimp would be a better option. He wont starve himself to death you dont need to feed a huge amount of a high quality pellet its actually quite economical.

 

[DannyDovii]

Yep can agree with you on that aswel mate. Goldfish are probably as bad as it gets as far as food goes for your jack! for all the points that rhyno8 just mentioned. Usually Full of intestinal worms etc. Do you get things like frozen tilapia where you are? That would make a good diet for your fish. Or white bait? Thing with white bait is that it’s quite oily!!! But they like it..
It might be a good idea to treat your jack for intestinal parasites worms etc. Like you said he was a wild fish! This is just a suggestion.

Also R Rhyno8 hows your jack doing on the NLS pellets now? Is he more greedy accepting them now?

 

[SammyJack]

Hi! I'll try to change things up once he gets comfortable enough. I've been trying really hard to get him to eat, and he now just started to eat quite well.

How about feeding the feeders quality food before I give them to the jack for the meanwhile?

 

[SammyJack]

Here's the best pictures I can get with the lights off, or else he'll avoid me at all cost lol

 

[Rhyno8]

Hi! I'll try to change things up once he gets comfortable enough. I've been trying really hard to get him to eat, and he now just started to eat quite well.

How about feeding the feeders quality food before I give them to the jack for the meanwhile?

Try other forms of food trust that your fish will ultimately suffer from living on goldfish. They live 30plus years so quality nutrition is key to keeping them going. Goldfish also have high levels of Thiaminase so even clean and fed on quality food the goldfish still arent good for the health.

As for the nls since hes grown hes dissasociated the small pellets with food he smashes all larger pellets the massivore, some extreme and the ocean nutrition marine pellets when i run low im going to order some nls float in the larger size its seems as if hes more predatory now hes getting bigger and the teeth are getting more and more serious.