Firefish School

[dloehrs]

I want to add a small school of fish to a new 175 reef. I want the fish to be small so as to not limit quantity of other fish. I've read and heard conflicting advice on Firefish (Nemateleotris magnifica). Mostly, good as a lone fish or a mated pair. A school would require at least 5-6 fish so stop aggression.
Does anyone have any experience with these guys?
Does anyone have a different idea for a small school of brightly colored small, reef safe fish?
Thanks

 

[EnderG60]

Tried it twice in my 300g. Got 8, all died. Waiting 6 months got 8 more, 6 jumped out(through the mesh top) one went missing, one is left.

I will try adding a single purple one and leave it at that.

if you want a school of something like that, scissor tails or bar gobys will work.

 

[snorvich]

Firefish don't school. They will kill each other off.

 

[29reef]

Firefish don't school. They will kill each other off.

Is this because they form pairs and then kill off the other fish; or just because they don't like each other? In a large enough tank(2-300) could you have enough space for multiple single fish or pairs of fish to be cohabitants.

 

[snorvich]

Is this because they form pairs and then kill off the other fish; or just because they don't like each other? In a large enough tank(2-300) could you have enough space for multiple single fish or pairs of fish to be cohabitants.

Bonded pairs will do ok. I don't know if a large enough tank would allow multiple territories but it will not work in a 350 gallon tank.

 

[MBVette]

I have a trio of helfrichi firefish. The store had them together for awhile and they seemed fine there. I have had them in my tank for a few weeks and they seem to all do ok together.

 

[el aguila]

I went to an LFS that had several purples in one tank. I picked out two that were hanging out together, and they now have been in my tank for 3 months with no aggression, but I was afraid to try more than two.

 

[olemiss reb]

I have a trio of helfrichi firefish. The store had them together for awhile and they seemed fine there. I have had them in my tank for a few weeks and they seem to all do ok together.

Give it time. Once they mature, you will only have two.

 

[Urchinhead]

Give it time. Once they mature, you will only have two.

And then ultimately one. They do not school and you will need rockwork placed in such a way that they do no see each other from their perches or if they do that they are far enough apart so that they don't go after each other.

 

[dloehrs]

The tank is a 175 gallon bowfront. There is 120 lbs of live rock stacked up on a base of about 75 lbs of lace and aragocrete. There is a slew of gaps, holes, tunnels and caves high and low. I'm sure a few fish won't find any problem hiding from each other though it sounds like maybe I shouldn't even try. Perhaps I'll keep researching other fish

 

[snorvich]

I have a trio of helfrichi firefish. The store had them together for awhile and they seemed fine there. I have had them in my tank for a few weeks and they seem to all do ok together.

Long term is the key, that is, longer than one year.

 

[Urchinhead]

The tank is a 175 gallon bowfront. There is 120 lbs of live rock stacked up on a base of about 75 lbs of lace and aragocrete. There is a slew of gaps, holes, tunnels and caves high and low. I'm sure a few fish won't find any problem hiding from each other though it sounds like maybe I shouldn't even try. Perhaps I'll keep researching other fish

In that size tank you may be ok with two if they settle on opposite sides. Don't give up just keep an eye on things. True schooling fish are not easy to find in the hobby and the ones that do are many times hard to keep. You might want to opt for a shoal of Anthias or Fairy Wrasse. Depending on stocking you could get 4-7 fish.

 

[snorvich]

Actually fairy wrasses do not shoal. Getting firefish out of a reef is impossible. Keeping an eye on them may be intellectually interesting but will not insure the survival of one.