Pairing Purple Firefish

[Roman120G]

Hello

would like to have a pair of Purple Firefish.

have been reading about it and there is no obvious difference between male and female.

there are two options:

1. buy two of them and hope they will bond
2. buy 3-5 of them and wait for the pair to bond and get others back to LFS.

second option could work to other species, which gender is hard to identify ( bicolor blenny, royal gamma)

please, share your thoughts and experience

thank you

 

[dwalampa]

I picked up two purple firefishes. Placed them in 20G QT. One never came out, didn't eat, and died in 3 days. Fish store hooked it up and replaced the dead one. Placed it in the same QT. By the end of the day, I notice the two fishes were beating each other up. Missing/torn fins on both of them. Will swim in circles of each other and try to nip at the tail of the other. Had another 20G tank, so transferred to newcomer to its own tank. After QT-ing for 6 weeks, placed both fishes into 100G DT, on the same night, at opposite sides of the tank. I was expecting them to hang out at different corners of the tank. Next day, the two fishes started hanging out with each other. Now they sleep in the same hole. Hope luck stays on my side and they keep each others company.

 

[Roman120G]

I picked up two purple firefishes. Placed them in 20G QT. One never came out, didn't eat, and died in 3 days. Fish store hooked it up and replaced the dead one. Placed it in the same QT. By the end of the day, I notice the two fishes were beating each other up. Missing/torn fins on both of them. Will swim in circles of each other and try to nip at the tail of the other. Had another 20G tank, so transferred to newcomer to its own tank. After QT-ing for 6 weeks, placed both fishes into 100G DT, on the same night, at opposite sides of the tank. I was expecting them to hang out at different corners of the tank. Next day, the two fishes started hanging out with each other. Now they sleep in the same hole. Hope luck stays on my side and they keep each others company.

thank you for the info,
I also have 20g tank, and depending on the age of the fish, if still young they shold not fight, once maturing they start with aggression.
Probably 20g is small for them.
I will think about doing QT one by one.

did you do any preventative medication: Prazipro, Cupramine, etc?

good luch with your pair and hope they are male and female.

keep posting.

Check out the thread I started under Reef Fishes forum - " Keeping fish in pairs and groups".