Helfrechi firefish, single or pair?

[Conigs]

15 gallon tank, want to keep a Helfrechi firefish, should I keep just one ? Or should I keep two of them ?

 

[Conigs]

planning on keeping a pair of frostbite clowns as the only other fish in the tank

 

[Whiterabbitrage]

Just one, unless you can get a mated pair.

 

[LobsterOfJustice]

Single.

 

[snorvich]

Single.

This. Even theoretically bonded pairs often dissolve after about 4 months leaving just one.

 

[steelersfan]

This. Even theoretically bonded pairs often dissolve after about 4 months leaving just one.

This exact scenario happened to me. I had a bonded pair from Diver's Den, which turned into a single after about four months.

 

[bat21]

The pair of clowns will take ownership of the whole 15 gallons. I'd add the firefish first and make sure he has a nice small secure cave to call his own. He'll never be comfortable without that.

 

[MellowReefer]

The pair of clowns will take ownership of the whole 15 gallons.

Yes. In a 15 gallon tank, the clowns eventually won't let the firefish come out to eat and it will die. Clowns are cute and peaceful when they're young, but once mature they get pretty aggressive.

 

[ThRoewer]

I would go with a pair, but only if I put them together myself and am certain that I got a male and a female.

I wouldn't trust Diver's Den on their mated pairs - to me they disqualified themselves when they offered a "mated pair" of skunk cleaner shrimp - really?

Though I would advise against keeping a firefish in a 15 gallon tank - it may be too tight. And if these guys feel cornered or crowded they jump - not that they need much reason to jump to begin with.

 

[snorvich]

I would go with a pair, but only if I put them together myself and am certain that I got a male and a female.

So nice of you to volunteer to pick out a pair for him.

 

[ThRoewer]

So nice of you to volunteer to pick out a pair for him.

Sure, why not. Though he needs to come and pick them up here.

 

[Deinonych]

I would go with a pair, but only if I put them together myself and am certain that I got a male and a female.

How would you be sure of that? Firefish are not sexually dimorphic, so telling male from female would be guesswork at best.

 

[snorvich]

How would you be sure of that? Firefish are not sexually dimorphic, so telling male from female would be guesswork at best.

According to a previous post, he "bends" them.

 

[ThRoewer]

You can tell the difference on their genital papillae: male thin, female thick.
If they are well fed you don't necessarily need to bend them, only those half starved you find in stores.

 

[hotelbravo]

i started with 3 firefish one jumped and the other two are still constantly swimming sidebyside and sleep in the same hole. its only been about 3 months so unfortunetly im prepared to come home one day to only find one. i just have a little faith that they can remain in coexistance