Firefish relationships

jasonrusso · Aug 30, 2018

I haven't seen one of my firefish for 3 days. He wasn't in the rear sump (I've pulled him out 4 times), so I'm considering him dead. Maybe my pistol shrimp got him, I don't know.

Either way, the other firefish is out and about. Can I just get another one, maybe a purple one (the one I have now is a plain red/white one). Can I get 2 more or will they pick on the other?

The tank is a 32 gallon red sea.

cloak · Aug 30, 2018

Unless the fish jumped you might have an unwanted lurker. I would definitely look into that first.. Don't forget about the Pistol shrimp though. It might take some doing and it would suck to sacrifice a fish for this. Get the flashlight and do some homework IMO. GL.

BTW how big is the tank and what else do you have in it?

jasonrusso · Aug 30, 2018

cloak said:
Unless the fish jumped you might have an unwanted lurker. I would definitely look into that first.. Don't forget about the Pistol shrimp though. It might take some doing and it would suck to sacrifice a fish for this. Get the flashlight and do some homework IMO. GL.

BTW how big is the tank and what else do you have in it?

2 clowns and a blue spot goby. The pistol shrimp has been in the tank since May. The firefish since December.

What kind of lurker?

eatbreakfast · Aug 30, 2018

Firefish are intolerant of congenerics in captivity.

jasonrusso · Aug 30, 2018

eatbreakfast said:
Firefish are intolerant of congenerics in captivity.

I had 2 in the same tank for 9 months. They slept in the same hole together.

eatbreakfast · Aug 30, 2018

jasonrusso said:
I had 2 in the same tank for 9 months. They slept in the same hole together.

I should have added, unless they are a pr.

cloak · Aug 30, 2018

jasonrusso said:
2 clowns and a blue spot goby. The pistol shrimp has been in the tank since May. The firefish since December.

What kind of lurker?

Did you use live rock?

jasonrusso · Aug 31, 2018

cloak said:
Did you use live rock?

Yes

Grsfish · Sep 2, 2018

MAke sure you have a cover. I used to not have one and came home to it about 5 feet away from my tank

jasonrusso · Sep 2, 2018

Grsfish said:
MAke sure you have a cover. I used to not have one and came home to it about 5 feet away from my tank

I have a Red Sea Max C-130. It has a top.

jasonrusso · Sep 2, 2018

So, I had one response saying that I can't add another firefish. Does every one agree with that?

jporter17 · Sep 2, 2018

I added two purple fire fish a few months ago and they are doing great in my 130G tank. They were in different tanks at the LFS and one was bigger in hopes they would pair. They do sleep next to each other next to my clams. That’s my short term experience. JP

jasonrusso · Sep 2, 2018

jporter17 said:
I added two purple fire fish a few months ago and they are doing great in my 130G tank. They were in different tanks at the LFS and one was bigger in hopes they would pair. They do sleep next to each other next to my clams. That’s my short term experience. JP

Did you have an existing firefish or are those the only 2?

PatW · Sep 2, 2018

I have a pair of firefish. They do fine together. I had two pair in a 300 gallon. They took separate wings of the tank. But one pair asserted itself and the other pair became more and more reclusive...... I have heard that multiples can be housed, but it has not worked for me.

ScooterV · Sep 2, 2018

My blue spot watchman ate my firefish

They were fine in the DT, but during a fallow period and in QT it didn't take long for the firefish to be missing one morning and the goby with a visibly distended belly and a guilty look on that grumpy face. My blue spot is large though, even if it still looked like the firefish had to be a tight fit. Just another possibility if yours is also large.

jasonrusso · Sep 2, 2018

PatW said:
I have a pair of firefish. They do fine together. I had two pair in a 300 gallon. They took separate wings of the tank. But one pair asserted itself and the other pair became more and more reclusive...... I have heard that multiples can be housed, but it has not worked for me.

Wow, they found the other pair in a 300? I have a 32 gal.

I'm just wondering if I can add 1, or will the other fight with him.

jasonrusso · Sep 2, 2018

ScooterV said:
My blue spot watchman ate my firefish They were fine in the DT, but during a fallow period and in QT it didn't take long for the firefish to be missing one morning and the goby with a visibly distended belly and a guilty look on that grumpy face. My blue spot is large though, even if it still looked like the firefish had to be a tight fit. Just another possibility if yours is also large.

My blue spot is bigger than them, but I don't think that's the case. He doesn't look any fatter and was still hungry that day.