Firefish super scared of clownfish

[GiannisK]

I have a 20 gallon thats been set up for about three months. I have a 2 inch firefish thats been in since the beginning. I've added lots of inverterbrates since, but just added more fish a couple days ago, a pair of clownfish. They are about 3 inches each.

As soon as the clownfish were added, the firefish has been totally freaking out, darting around all over the tank and breathing very rapidly. It's even tried to jump out a few times. The clownfish are not chasing the firefish or displaying aggressive behavior, they're just minding their own business. The rockwork has a ton of hiding places that the firefish darts into often. I'm afraid it's not doing it enough, and is just freaking out in the water column instead. When it finally goes to a hiding spot, it's breathing really hard from how scared it is.

It still grabs a few pieces of frozen brine shrimp when I feed, but I'm quite worried about pellets. It's always eaten only a small portion of them even when it was the only fish in the tank. Now, I'm afraid it won't eat any due to how they don't stay in the water column and being so scared of the clownfish. I'm worried because I'm going on vacation for a couple weeks, so I'll be relying on an autofeeder, and I'm afraid it won't get anything to eat.

Is there anything I can do to get him used to the clownfish? Will it just naturally happen over time? I'm worried about how much he's being stressed out. Any help would be appreciated!

 

[Widdlyscudds]

add some more hiding spots if possible, over time it should learn to chill out but there is no guarantee.

 

[littlefoxx]

Is it scratching and darting against rocks?

 

[GiannisK]

Is it scratching and darting against rocks?

It's not scratching. It's darting against rocks only so much as it's quickly darting into an escape hole within the rocks so it can hide.

 

[littlefoxx]

It's not scratching. It's darting against rocks only so much as it's quickly darting into an escape hole within the rocks so it can hide.

Ah okay good, making sure it wasnt displaying any signs of an illness. I think you should watch after lights out for a little and see if the clowns go after him in the dark. Mine never bother anyone but you never know with clowns

 

[Lemons]

Some fire fish are scared of their own shadows, my current one will only venture out of their cave when its near supper time lol.

But my first ever didnt care about nothin...

Each fish is different

 

[GiannisK]

Ah okay good, making sure it wasnt displaying any signs of an illness. I think you should watch after lights out for a little and see if the clowns go after him in the dark. Mine never bother anyone but you never know with clowns

I've been watching intensely. They don't (purposefully) even go near him, they just kinda waddle around all over the tank at a slow speed. Especially at night, they stay in the other end of the tank in a corner. At night he is in his hole, staying glued to the rock, I'm guessing because he's so scared. I'm hoping he'll just get used to them? Sometimes he's more casually swimming away if they're not too close to him and breathing normally, sometimes he's darting like crazy and I'm worried he'll hurt himself because he sort of crashes into the rock, glass, etc. and I have a bta in the tank and don't want him to crash into it and possibly get eaten or aything. Maybe if I had added smaller clownfish, or kept them in an isolation box in the beginning, he would have done better.

 

[GiannisK]

Some fire fish are scared of their own shadows, my current one will only venture out of their cave when its near supper time lol.

But my first ever didnt care about nothin...

Each fish is different

Yeah that's what mine is like too, super shy.

 

[gbroadbridge]

I have a 20 gallon thats been set up for about three months. I have a 2 inch firefish thats been in since the beginning. I've added lots of inverterbrates since, but just added more fish a couple days ago, a pair of clownfish. They are about 3 inches each.

As soon as the clownfish were added, the firefish has been totally freaking out, darting around all over the tank and breathing very rapidly. It's even tried to jump out a few times. The clownfish are not chasing the firefish or displaying aggressive behavior, they're just minding their own business. The rockwork has a ton of hiding places that the firefish darts into often. I'm afraid it's not doing it enough, and is just freaking out in the water column instead. When it finally goes to a hiding spot, it's breathing really hard from how scared it is.

It still grabs a few pieces of frozen brine shrimp when I feed, but I'm quite worried about pellets. It's always eaten only a small portion of them even when it was the only fish in the tank. Now, I'm afraid it won't eat any due to how they don't stay in the water column and being so scared of the clownfish. I'm worried because I'm going on vacation for a couple weeks, so I'll be relying on an autofeeder, and I'm afraid it won't get anything to eat.

Is there anything I can do to get him used to the clownfish? Will it just naturally happen over time? I'm worried about how much he's being stressed out. Any help would be appreciated!

I'm scared of clownfish

They can be aggressive little buggers.

 

[littlefoxx]

Yeah that's what mine is like too, super shy.

I have a yellow watchmen goby that will not come out for anything if Im in the room. I can see him from OUTSIDE my back door through the window but the second the dogs bark BOOM back in his burrow he shares with the shrimp. Maybe your firefish is just super shy, gobies are weird

 

[Lemons]

I have a yellow watchmen goby that will not come out for anything if Im in the room. I can see him from OUTSIDE my back door through the window but the second the dogs bark BOOM back in his burrow he shares with the shrimp. Maybe your firefish is just super shy, gobies are weird

"That weird big thing is still out there.... OH ITS COM'IN BACK"

 

[littlefoxx]

"That weird big thing is still out there.... OH ITS COM'IN BACK"

Right? Thought he was dead for months until I saw him one night!

 

[Lavey29]

How many fish do you have in the 12g tank? (20g with rocks =12g)

 

[GiannisK]

How many fish do you have in the 12g tank? (20g with rocks =12g)

I wouldn't say my rock and sand take up 40% of my tank, more like 25%, but in any case I have the firefish and the two clownfish.

 

[InactionJackson]

Clowns are bullies, they’ll eat your finger if you cut it off for them…and firefish are shy…tough combo in a 20

 

[GiannisK]

I have a yellow watchmen goby that will not come out for anything if Im in the room. I can see him from OUTSIDE my back door through the window but the second the dogs bark BOOM back in his burrow he shares with the shrimp. Maybe your firefish is just super shy, gobies are weird

This brings up another point.

When the firefish was freaking out the first day, it jumped into a small hole between the sandbed and a piece of rock. It has adopted it as its new favorite hiding spot, and is where it sleeps at night. Because of all its moving around in there, its made the hole quite larger.

I added a pistol shrimp over a month ago and had never seen it since. But, I rediscovered it inside this very hole! Turns out the firefish has adopted the pistol shrimp's hole as its own, and has made it quite a bit larger as a result.

I have not seen any interaction between the two, the pistol shrimp is still not visible for 95% of the day. I wonder though, could the pistol shrimp show any aggression towards the fireshrimp? Or might it adopt it as a sort of "shrimp goby?" Right now they seem to just ignore each other.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

Do you have any caves and hiding spots, or pillars and arches type of aquascape? A tank pic might help.

 

[Lavey29]

I wouldn't say my rock and sand take up 40% of my tank, more like 25%, but in any case I have the firefish and the two clownfish.

Ok obviously 2 clowns and a firefish don't work in a 15g nano tank.

 

[littlefoxx]

This brings up another point.

When the firefish was freaking out the first day, it jumped into a small hole between the sandbed and a piece of rock. It has adopted it as its new favorite hiding spot, and is where it sleeps at night. Because of all its moving around in there, its made the hole quite larger.

I added a pistol shrimp over a month ago and had never seen it since. But, I rediscovered it inside this very hole! Turns out the firefish has adopted the pistol shrimp's hole as its own, and has made it quite a bit larger as a result.

I have not seen any interaction between the two, the pistol shrimp is still not visible for 95% of the day. I wonder though, could the pistol shrimp show any aggression towards the fireshrimp? Or might it adopt it as a sort of "shrimp goby?" Right now they seem to just ignore each other.

My firefish would try to sleep in their hole (watchmen and pistol) and I would hear a bunch of popping and the firefish would come out looking all dazed. Mine did not like my firefish at all. I did find what was left of my firefish inside the pistol shrimp’s hole. Not sure if he died in there or what happened! I guess if the shrimp isnt constantly shooting water bullets at him then its fine lol

 

[Chris Spaulding]

I have a Fire fish a High Fin Goby and a Candy Pistol shrimp that are all bonded and live together in the same tunnel system. They have been together for almost 2 years.Still to this date the Fire Fish only comes out at feeding time and when he thinks there is absolutely no one in the room.