Poll: Firefish.... one or multiple?

[zamboni200000]

Hey all, what is your take on firefish being alone or in groups? Everyone I ask or everywhere I research online I get a different answer.

Are they best kept alone? Or best in a small school?

My current tank is 50g, 1 small tank bred clownfish, 1 banded sleeper goby, and 1 royal gramma. A few corals, soft & LPS. I want to add a purple firefish (or a small school) once I get this question answered once and for all....

Any advice much appreciated. Thanks

 

[Sacohen]

From what I've been told they are a schooling fish.
I had a red and purple firefish in my 55 and they got a long fine

 

[RayL]

In a tank your size, I would recommend 1 unless you can get a true bonded pair. You need a very large tank for a school. I tried 4 red firefish in my 150 gallon and they fought down to 1.

 

[Moort82]

Neither or your options listed as i'd go bonded pair. Groups fight but singles are ok. That's assuming you are talking about red firefish. Helfrich's seem to be much better in groups than the other two common species.

 

[zamboni200000]

So sounds like I will go with 1 to 2 Purple Firefish. Anybody else with firefish experience please feel free to chime in. Cheers

 

[Marshall O]

I agree with Moort82; Helfrichi's are you best bet for groups. Purple's are the worst. A true bonded pair of any will work.

 

[MIKE NY]

a have a pair of Purples in my 20 nano/frag tank...must be a bonded pair because they get along...

 

[DopeCantWin]

a have a pair of Purples in my 20 nano/frag tank...must be a bonded pair because they get along...

With a lot of these get along posts I always like to know for how long. Because from what I've read they can be fine for months then all of a sudden you have 1.

 

[madweazl]

I always stick with one because I've never had a tank over 55g to support multiples.

 

[reeferstace]

Unless you have a true mated pair one will kill the other. Firefish are very difficult to sex so getting a bonded pair is not easy.

 

[snorvich]

Unless you have a true mated pair one will kill the other. Firefish are very difficult to sex so getting a bonded pair is not easy.

I agree. If they coexist for a year, you are good. Less than a year, you may be disappointed. What happens is one becomes dominant and intimidates the other into staying hidden and then the shy one starves to death.

 

[Vrod2169]

One! I started with 3 and they fought till the one won within two weeks.

 

[Meanmike]

I have 10 firefish and 6 purple firefish in a 460g and for the first few months they all schooled together but for about 2 months now they have been pairing up and fighting. I am sure I have at least one bonded pair of purple ff and at least 2 bonded pair of firefish.

I also want to add that all those firefish were cool at first but that faded fast. If I could do it again I would keep them in a smaller tank until they paired and then removed the others only keeping a pair of each.

One more thing. IME these fish aren't nearly as shy as many claim. Maybe it's the tank size. I can have my hands in the tank doing what ever and they don't hide anymore than any other fish they're always out and all over the place.

 

[Andy_B]

I have 4 purple firefish in my 150. They all hid for the first 3 weeks, then one by one they started appearing. Now 3 hang round together, front and centre, and one is out but always off to the side on its own. Never seen any aggression between them but only had them for about 2 months.

 

[GroktheCube]

I purchased a "bonded pair" from LA DD as the first fish I put into my tank. It was ~6 months before they started killing each other.

The single remaining firefish is one of the most personable and outgoing members of the tank. He even argues a bit with my blenny and male McCosker's at times, it's pretty funny to watch them flashing fins and circling each other.

 

[Whiterabbitrage]

I thought they were a schooling fish too, due to online misinformation I guess. I got two and for a couple months they got along fine, always together, even slept in the same cave. Then one moved to a separate sleep cave. Next thing I know they were squabbling. Then it got serious. The alpha fish would not let the other fish eat. The Great Equalizer turned out to be a bristle worm. Alpha fish got a bunch of spines in him and was no longer thinking about territory. The subordinate fish became the Alpha and took over the best sleeping cave and spent his time harassing the post- Alpha fish. Then he too got blasted by bristles. After a couple Bristle worms occurrences for both fish, they have developed a truce. The Helfrichi has the front of the tank and the right side and the Purple has the back of he tank and the left side. If the truce doesn't hold, one will have to go. In the meantime I would never try to school these fish again in anything less than 100 gallons for 2 fish.

 

[MIKE NY]

With a lot of these get along posts I always like to know for how long. Because from what I've read they can be fine for months then all of a sudden you have 1.

I guess time will tell because I've only had them a few months...but I have other tanks so I can seperate them..

 

[Deinonych]

I thought they were a schooling fish too, due to online misinformation I guess. I got two and for a couple months they got along fine, always together, even slept in the same cave. Then one moved to a separate sleep cave. Next thing I know they were squabbling. Then it got serious. The alpha fish would not let the other fish eat. The Great Equalizer turned out to be a bristle worm. Alpha fish got a bunch of spines in him and was no longer thinking about territory. The subordinate fish became the Alpha and took over the best sleeping cave and spent his time harassing the post- Alpha fish. Then he too got blasted by bristles. After a couple Bristle worms occurrences for both fish, they have developed a truce. The Helfrichi has the front of the tank and the right side and the Purple has the back of he tank and the left side. If the truce doesn't hold, one will have to go. In the meantime I would never try to school these fish again in anything less than 100 gallons for 2 fish.

I love it - a piscine soap opera!