Add another fire fish
- Thread starter wen tom
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HermitTheCrab
New member
It is my understanding that you need to get them in mated pairs or they can harass each other.
Reeferz412
Coral Hoarder
Even if you buy 2 at one time they may not pair up and one will kill the other. its a gamble really.
I'm in the same boat. Had a pair, and then one died under mysterious circumstances. I think he/she was murdered by an angel who has since been banished from my little slice of heaven. I would like to replace the deceased, so my firefish can move on with his/her life. Do you see the problem? My problem is I don't know if I was left with a widow or widower. And I don't think my firefish is into having an alternative lifestyle. 
When one of the pair of fire fish I had died, I asked my LFS about it. They said I could bring my one remaining fish in and they would give me an established pair (only having to pay for one). See if you can do that. It was tough getting the fire fish out of the tank. In the end I actually siphoned him out when he went into his bolt hole. He did great considering. Then I got a brand new pair. I can't remember if they matched him up or just gave me a new pair.
Too late for that. Wife has already named it. Once it's named, it becomes part of the family. I could put it in my frag tank, where my CB Shrimp got banished to. Wife won't let me get rid of that either. I wonder if she'd feel differently about the shrimp if she saw him trying to ambush "Nightmare" the firefish. :hmm2:
IME it depends on tank size. I had 2 Helfrichi's in a 20L because my 90 was doing the fallowing thing. In the 20, the larger FF would harass the smaller one. Once being moved back to the 90, they are both out pretty much anytime the lights are on with no notice or aggression of the other, but certainly not what I would call a mated relationship.
Spyderturbo007
New member
My wife named ours Fiona. She is the same way. Once it's in the house it's party of the family.
Reeferz412
Coral Hoarder
thing 1 and thing 2 here. The lady also calls them tick ticks because they flick their little fin on the top. These two are really social as well. They stick around with my hand in the tank and get super close to all the action in the tank.
Spyderturbo007
New member
Mine is a little scaredy fish. When it was just her and the clowns after a few weeks she began swimming around the tank a little. But if anything happened, she would fly back into the hole she dug in the sand under the rock. Now that the Tang is in the tank swimming around, she isn't out much anymore.
He has never bullied her but every time he gets near her she darts back under the rock.
He has never bullied her but every time he gets near her she darts back under the rock.
gone fishin
New member
This is asked alot on the Check your fish purchase thread in the new to hobby section. Steve(Snorvich) recommends a mated pair or one will kill the other. It is very hard to sex them due to not really an differences in appearance.
Reeferz412
Coral Hoarder
Mine is a little scaredy fish. When it was just her and the clowns after a few weeks she began swimming around the tank a little. But if anything happened, she would fly back into the hole she dug in the sand under the rock. Now that the Tang is in the tank swimming around, she isn't out much anymore.
He has never bullied her but every time he gets near her she darts back under the rock.
My previous firefish was exactly like this. It would only come out for food. The lady would always ask me if I had actual fish in the tank :facepalm: when they are all just hiding!
dRockReefer
New member
Would she really notice? Just tell her you got a new one, when you really got two.
SantaMonica
Well-known member
I wonder if a lack of food particles is also the problem, like with chromis.
Makes sense. Still new to the hobby so I am trying to learn something every chance I get
