peaceful firefish tankmates?

[StrategicReef]

I would like to try to keep 1 fire fish in IM fusion 40G, probably add it first and others later. What I previously experienced they are pretty timid if there are too much action and hide in the rocks and slowly fades.

do you have any suggestions? Another fish I am interested is flame hawkfish, would they do ok together?

 

[m0nkie]

I think it depends on the firefish. I had firefish and purple firefish, both very social and swims around the 100gal.

anthias, gobies, and clowns are good.

 

[CoralNerd]

Don't get a flame hawkfish.


Recommended Fish:
Small Cardinalfish like a Threadfin.
Not large buy small Zebra Dartfish.
Tailspot Blenny
Goby
Pink-Streaked Wrasse or Possum Wrase

 

[dalfed]

Pink-Streaked Wrasse
Possum Wrase
Clown Goby
Goby pistol shrimp pair
Pajama Cardinal
Bi-color Blennie

 

[hotelbravo]

i had 3 firefish that were very active and no other fish or movement around the tank could bother them. they would always be swimming in the middle of the tank out in the open. i had 1 jump out and so i ordered materials to make a screen top for the tank. sadly before the materials arrived a second jumped. now i just have the one who still is very active and not afraid of anything.. my tank has tangs, angels, clowns, and a snowflake eel which surprisingly enough they sometimes will share the same hole at night. its kinda funny seeing two little heads poking out of my pvc tunnel i made and knowing ones a firefish and the other is something that could swallow it whole if it wanted too

 

[StrategicReef]

Ok so seems like individually each have different personality.
I had a helfrichi it only came out from a hole in the rock for 30 seconds or so to feed, but eventually it perished.. and I heard they are even the less shy of the bunch.

Just saw this video is kind of the atmosphere I am looking for (doesn't have to be a school of them) but pretty neat

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4GHtX5_ODw

 

[Genera]

I like keeping fish in at least a pair, so I would get a pair. And tankmates would include non-nippy and non-predatory/aggressive fish.

 

[ThRoewer]

Don't get a flame hawkfish.

All hawkfish (with the long nose likely being the only exception) will not only harass the firefish but likely just swallow it whole. In my beginner days I had a falco that swallowed a several little fish and shrimp. The store told me he was peaceful, and he kind of was. He didn't chase or harass my other fish - he would just eat them if they would fit into his mouth.
I only realized that when I caught him red-handed with the antennae of my newly added cleaner shrimp still hanging out of his mouth.

 

[oldbones]

Have you considered a Yellow Clown Goby? Cool little guys! Mine hangs out at the glass, watching the world go by.

 

[eatbreakfast]

In most cases groups of firefish don't work out in captivity. A pr forms and gradually dispatches the rest.

I haven't had an issue with a flame hawk being kept with firefish.

Good tankmates include blue gudgeon, zebra, and scissortail dartfish, yellow assessor, possum and pink streak wrasses, clown gobies, Ecsenius blennies.

 

[serbusfish]

When I first got my Firefish he was more timid, disappearing into his cave at the first hint of me doing tank maintenance or the like, but now he is always swimming out in the open even when my hand is in the tank, the only time he disappears is when the lights go out. The fish he is with are in my sig.

 

[Dayson]

The fish in my current tank include:

Pair of firefish
Picasso clown
Possum wrasse
Royal Gramma
Yasha goby

The firefish are ALWAYS out in the open water. I would suggest a royal gramma, I absolutely love mine. They have beautiful colors, are very peaceful, relatively disease resistant, eat like pigs, and just fun to watch. Some people say they can be a little reclusive but mine is constantly out in the open.

 

[Duke4life]

I had a purple firefish in QT with a geometric hawk and royal gramma and they did fine. The purple was just moved over to my DT with my eel and is out and visible since.

 

[Dayson]

Not to hi-jack...what kind of eel. Has it ever eaten any of your fish?

 

[Duke4life]

Not to hi-jack...what kind of eel. Has it ever eaten any of your fish?

A Chainlink eel and no he has never bothered any but I do target feed twice a day. I've also got 2 skunk cleaner shrimp and have had no issues.

 

[SoloChromis]

- Assessors (Assessor sp.)
- Possum/Pygmy Wrasses (Wetmorella sp.)
- Cleaner Gobies (Elactinus sp.)
-Combtooth Blennies (Ecsenius sp.)
- Pipefish
- Clown Gobies (Gobiodon sp.)
- Tank-Bred White Spotted Pygmy Filefish (Rudarius ercodes)
- Fang Blennies (Meiacanthus sp.)
- Geometric Pygmy Perchlet (Plectranthias sp.) - Looks & acts a lot like a hawkfish

I wouldn't add the flame hawk if I were you, they can get aggressive (and even predatory sometimes)

... Good luck :dance:

 

[StrategicReef]

Hi, thanks a lot, so far I looked at all of the suggestions and researched, I would like the pink stripe wrasse or possum wrasse.

Do you think I can add 1 chromis
(black axil chromis)
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+1634+3078&pcatid=3078

I had the regular cheap green one before it was very well behave. The black axil is supposed to even better behaved and hardier.

I read the blennies is very active and needs to be fed often like anthias, and sometimes they perish due to not enough feeding.
I cannot provide this extra frequent feeding for now, tank / equip cannot handle it

 

[lifeoffaith]

I had a pair of firefish at one time, one died after a year and a half or so. I have two clowns and a fairy wrasse with him with no issues. Also have a decent sized clean up crew.

 

[snorvich]

In most cases groups of firefish don't work out in captivity. A pr forms and gradually dispatches the rest.

I haven't had an issue with a flame hawk being kept with firefish.

Good tankmates include blue gudgeon, zebra, and scissortail dartfish, yellow assessor, possum and pink streak wrasses, clown gobies, Ecsenius blennies.

What he said.

 

[StrategicReef]

Thanks, here is the roster I am putting together

1)Firefish (purple or helfrichi)
2)pink striped wrasse
3)yellow assessor (captive bred)
4) black axil chromis
or
4b) save room for 1 clown fish or add clown as fifth later on.

that should be pretty much what I am wishing for without going overboard with bioload