firefish question

[nightfire]

ok guys me again with another question...i have a 55g and was thinking of firefish....but i like the purple ones and the regular ones.....some have told me not to mix them in, but what do you guys think....also i have bout 70ish lbs of LR and 2 clowns and a a royal grama....thanks guys

 

[NatureNerd]

Well, okay, I'll try to answer this one too. Firefish are among my favorite fish for reefs. They are extremely peaceful except to other firefish. They will harass other firefish (helfrichi, common, and purple) unless they are a bonded pair.

I would not risk it. Firefish can be bullied enough to not come out of hiding and slowly starve. I do wonder if a purple and common firefish could form a pair bond, assuming opposite genders, of course. Again, I would not risk it.

When I was just getting into this hobby, I had a yellow tang harass a firefish until it starved. It was not something I would want to repeat.

 

[Jim.mer]

I tend to stay away from these guys mainly because they love to carpet surf, If you got a closed tank thats different

 

[O3reefer]

I am in the exact same situation and was wondering the same thing. I will be following this.

 

[NatureNerd]

I tend to stay away from these guys mainly because they love to carpet surf, If you got a closed tank thats different

Over the last 20 years, I have had four firefish. None have "left the building". I have a canopy that is open in the back. Not saying they don't jump but rather that a canopy probably helps and that in a peaceful tank they don't have a reason to launch themselves.

One of mine did get killed by a fairly large crab but in all that time none of mine or any of my friend's have jumped.

 

[Lynnmw1208]

I wouldn't mix them either. you take a risk of one bullying the other to the point of starvation or carpet surfing. I believe the purple is much more shy than the regular too.

 

[nightfire]

ok so i wont mix them though whitch is better as being not so shy?

 

[Dream2aReef]

I have a purple and it comes out during feedings and is sometimes seen out in the evenings after my halides go out for the night. I always spot feed some pellets to where I know it hides to make sure some of the food makes it to him. It gets scared back to his rock if any of the other fish in the tank come over to its side and try to eat while it is eating.

 

[NatureNerd]

I think the shyness level is dependent on tankmates. I have a tailspot blenny, a twospot tang, 2 occ clowns, and a pipefish in my reef tank. My firefish is always out in front all the time feeding on whatever the current brings his way. In a tank with small peaceful fish, firefish tend to be out in the open but ready to shoot into their home cave at the slightest disturbance. I have only had a handful of these guys (4) over the years but my experience has been consistent for all of them regardless of purple or common. I have never owned a helfrichi.