Firefish question

[hvacman250]

A firefish was on my stocking list, and the LFS said it was OK if I got 2. I read a thread here last night that said 2 was bad if they are not paired. Tank has been cycled for 2 months. Two firefish were added one month ago. Only other fish are two o. clowns who were there first for 2 weeks.

Everybody gets along perfect and has from day one. Over the past few days, one of the firefish seems to be hiding more often, while the other stays close to the "burrow" in the rockwork. Firefish on sentry duty seems to take offense to crabs, snails, and an occasional clown getting near the hideout. When the hiding fish comes out, it looks fine. Swims fine, eats fine, etc.

Did I get lucky with these two? Is something going on? At first I was worried, now, after, reading, I'm more curoius than anything.

 

[hvacman250]

Testing for signature

 

[snorvich]

Well if they are in fact a bonded pair, you may get spawning behavior. If they are NOT a bonded pair, in the long run, you will almost certainly have only one. But I would look skeptically at any additional advice from that LFS.

 

[TripleT]

Sounds like one may be protecting eggs.

If they both have their full dorsal fins (not bitten up), and you see no bickering, you've got a pair.

The best way to get a pair is to buy them from a tank with only two firefish in it, that appear to be getting along, and look very healthy and stress-free.

What size tank? What are your future stocking plans?

Is the tank covered? These fish are jumpers.

+1 on being careful with LFS advice. Depending on the salesperson, it can be a mixed bag. If you find a reliable LFS, spend your money there.

No hawkfish in this tank, and some blennies could also pose a threat. When in doubt, don't buy new livestock. Research everything at home first.

Good luck with the new fish!

 

[hvacman250]

Sounds like one may be protecting eggs.

If they both have their full dorsal fins (not bitten up), and you see no bickering, you've got a pair.

The best way to get a pair is to buy them from a tank with only two firefish in it, that appear to be getting along, and look very healthy and stress-free.

What size tank? What are your future stocking plans?

Is the tank covered? These fish are jumpers.

+1 on being careful with LFS advice. Depending on the salesperson, it can be a mixed bag. If you find a reliable LFS, spend your money there.

No hawkfish in this tank, and some blennies could also pose a threat. When in doubt, don't buy new livestock. Research everything at home first.

Good luck with the new fish!

My sig now contains tank specs. Tank is only 3 months old. The firefish were added together, and were in the same tank at the LFS. If I had to guess, they lived at the LFS for a couple weeks before I bought them. I do trust this LFS, I guess they just have a different opinion on 2 firefish:hmm2:

Both have all their fins and look perfect. I was just questioning pairing up so quickly.

Tank is covered 100% by a custom hood. If they managed to jump thru the eggcrate covering the 2 openings, they would find the 2 overflows or dry up on top of the tank under the LEDS.

As for stocking this 100 gal.: Have 2 o. clowns, 2 firefish, next is a royal gramma or twelve line wrasse, or both. Then pistol shrimp/goby, maybe a lawnmower blenny, then a yellow eye kole tang. May or may not do a tang. I dont want a ton of fish, but do want some variety and color. I have spent hours researching fish, and even been approved in the "stocking list" thread here on RC.

Edit: also, in this 100 gallon, they are never more than 4" apart; always close to one another. When the lights go out, they disappear into the same general area (I'm assuming their "cave". Blue LEDS come on at 10, but they dont come out until 12, when the white LEDS come on. When they both come out, they come from the same general stated location. I'm hoping this is good news and they wont fight.

 

[snorvich]

Ok. First firefish at the LFS in their tanks have not established territory so they will not take another firefish out. You can keep 40 firefish in one of the LFS tanks with no short term issues. Second, firefish can easily get through egg crate. Egg crate is useless for keeping most fish in the tank. Some fish are more adept than others at finding "holes" be they covered with egg crate or not. And finally, lined wrasses have the potential to intimidate firefish and cause them to starve to death. However, the behavior you are describing is what mating behavior looks like: one fish in the "home" and the other guarding. However, the advice from the LFS is problematical. One should not keep multiple firefish unless they are a bonded pair. Short term, no problem, longer term, they will take other conspecifics out.

 

[hvacman250]

conspecifics...I had to look this up.

As I posted, the tank has a canopy that is un-escapable.

Nixing the wrasse, would a royal gramma work? If not, any other suggestion on a colorful fish?

 

[snorvich]

conspecifics...I had to look this up.

As I posted, the tank has a canopy that is un-escapable.

Nixing the wrasse, would a royal gramma work? If not, any other suggestion on a colorful fish?

If you have openings covered by egg crate, the tank IS escapable. In my opinion a royal gramma is likely to do fine assuming you have caves for it in your rock work. Also, you might consider Assessors as they are colorful although, like Gramma Loretto, somewhat cryptic.

 

[hvacman250]

Well, the canopy cannot be escaped. If a fish were to get thru the eggcrate, he would die under the lights, or go in one of two overflows (or fall back thru the eggcrate). Should I remove the eggcrate in case a fish gets thru the eggcrate, it will have a chance of flopping back in one of two cutouts? Or the alternative is a screen.

Im going to look up what an Assessor is, and what cryptic. I'm thinking Tales From the Crypt I watched as achild, but I guess that dates me somewhat.

 

[snorvich]

Screen with 1/4 inch holes is better than egg crate. Cryptic in this sense means that the fish is not out and about like some fish might be but roams the rock work.

 

[jechew2]

I have a firefish with a Royal Gramma in my 75g (with other larger tankmates) and although the firefish is one of the more timid eaters, it seems to be doing well and isn't being picked on by the gramma or anyone else.

It should be noted that I did originally have 2 firefish but one pestered the other one over the course of two months until it died. Hopefully you have a male and female though.

 

[Red_Blenny]

How would you tell if you have a bonded pair? I own two firefishes (purple and red/orange one) and so far I see no nipped fins or any aggressive behavior towards each other and they tend to sleep in the same spot together.

 

[TripleT]

How would you tell if you have a bonded pair? I own two firefishes (purple and red/orange one) and so far I see no nipped fins or any aggressive behavior towards each other and they tend to sleep in the same spot together.

If they have been in your tank for a while, and are displaying the behavior you describe, it sounds like you've got a bonded pair.

Unless they are more concerned about a bigger threat, like a triggerfish wanting to snack on them.

Do they swim out in the open? Are they almost always together when doing so?

When you bought them, were they together at the LFS? How many firefish in the tank?

 

[treylane]

+1 for a bonded pair - if they weren't a pair, you'd have seen some preeeettty obvious fighting way before you hit the 3 month mark, and while I've never gone poking into their cave looking for eggs, every pair I've had has exhibited this one-hiding / one-guarding behavior at intervals.

 

[wmo168]

Oh no, I was going to get a Purple firefish in a open rimless tank,.. do you think all of them will jump at some point? I hate to see my $20 investment go to the drain.

 

[TripleT]

Oh no, I was going to get a Purple firefish in a open rimless tank,.. do you think all of them will jump at some point? I hate to see my $20 investment go to the drain.

Don't do it. Standard egg-crate won't help either, the openings are too large.

These are small, easily spooked fish... meals for many other fish.

The end result is fish that are extremely likely to jump, sooner or later.

And forget the $20... suffocating on your floor is a terrible way to go.

 

[el aguila]

From my experience, sounds like you have a pair.

When I bought mine recent pair, I went to a local LFS that had just gotten in about a dozen purple fire fish. I watched for about 10 minutes and noticed two that stayed within a couple of inches of each other and off in an opposite corner from the other firefish.

 

[Red_Blenny]

Here's a picture of them:

Unless they are more concerned about a bigger threat, like a triggerfish wanting to snack on them.

The only threat in my tank are a couple of brittle sea star that's about the size of a dollar coin but skinner than a tooth pick.

Do they swim out in the open? Are they almost always together when doing so?

Yes, both swim out in the open but both also does guard duty (one stays in a rock, other just stays outside).

When you bought them, were they together at the LFS? How many firefish in the tank?

This is the lucky part for me. I didn't buy both fishes at the same time. In fact, I bought the purple firefish first at the LFS and it was the only firefish in that tank. It was housed with a few gobies, clownfishes, and a pair of anthias.

A week after I introduced my purple firefish in my tank, I bought my other firefish and that same firefish was also the only firefish in the tank but it was housed with clownfishes, chromies, and a pair of angel fishes. The reason why I bought it is because I noticed it was an aggressive swimmer that cruised around the tank looking for food... basically it wasn't timid and it didn't stay in one spot like most firefishes I've seen so far.

The day I added my 2nd firefish in my main tank, I noticed that it started digging (like how some trigger fishes dig) near my purple firefish's home and it slept in the open in day one. After that, I guess they accepted each other.