Can you mix a regular and purple firefish without having aggression?

[dzovi]

Title says it all. I'm wondering if you mix a regular and purple firefish will they be aggressive toward each other. I've read that they are aggressive toward their own species. The tank is a 30g (not the one in my signature) that is in the planning process. Thank you.

 

[VoidRaven]

Hmm...that's a tough one. I had a pair of regular firefish in a 30g extra-tall and they were fine....but they were introduced at the same time and were the same species. If they were introduced together you might be able to pull it off, but I wouldn't say for certain.

 

[CrystalAZ]

I have seen tanks that had both types and they just hung out together with no issues.

My LFS has them in the holding tanks together so you might want to look at your LFS and see if there are some that are already together that you could buy.

Crystal

 

[dzovi]

CrystalAZ, how large of a tank were the different species firefish in? A 30g tank is pretty small. I just want to rule out tank size as being the enabler.

 

[CCarlson8]

I have 3 regular firefish and 3 purple firefish in my 55g reef. They seem to mind their own bussiness for the most part. I had a firefish die a while back and the 2 remaining ones went and schooled with the purple firefish. They can be kept together, but I agree with dzovi, the 30g is pretty small. I would just get a couple purple firefish (my favorite) so they can school together. Hope that helps.

 

[Sk8r]

We have an original red and added a purple a few weeks later. There was some fuss, some threat display, and one nipped tail, but now the red hangs high in the tank and the purple down low among the corallined rock, which if you consider their coloration may be exactly where they like being.

 

[CrystalAZ]

CrystalAZ, how large of a tank were the different species firefish in?

Both of the tanks I saw with mixed firefish were large tanks - one was huge (200g??) and the other was probably a 75G.

Crystal

 

[Flyflicker]

I have both sets in my tank and they will not leave each other... in fact one of the red and one purple hang out together more then they do with their own kind.

 

[SpaceAce]

They are fine together. Ive had several of each that slept together under the same rock... in a 30 gal tank. No concerns with tank size or mixing firefish.

They are skitish to fast movement out side the tank and can be jumpers until they get used to the new tank.

 

[Bfoot]

Firefish aggression

Firefish aggression

I added a red and purple firefish to my 30g at the same time. At first the purple was shy and the red dominated the tank. After some months the purple got more brave and now the red keeps a low profile except to come out and feed

 

[GimpyFin]

I have a purple and a helfrichi in mine and they are buds and hang out together. The purple acted a little funny when the helfrichi was first added, but no problems.