Are all firefish kind of inactive?

Daniel@R2R · Dec 9, 2016

I've owned firefish a couple of times. Usually I have had the red variety, but this time I have a purple firefish. Each time they seem to just lay around (maybe they are trying to imitate me). Is this pretty normal behavior? I would have thought they would be more active based on how they're built. Just curious if that's pretty common behavior or if I should be worried.

kschweer · Dec 9, 2016

I would say it's fairly normal. They are known to be fairly reclusive and skiddish. Some will become more "outgoing" as they get used to tank life, but it seems to depend on their tankmates among other things.

Adam113 · Dec 9, 2016

Mine is the same way. He found a little cave that he loves and spends most of his time in there. Comes out to eat and to swim around every now and then, but then back to the cave.

Tori · Dec 9, 2016

I only see mine during feeding time. Other than that he's usually hiding in a cave. It could be because one of my Clownfish is a jerk though.

Ljaus · Dec 9, 2016

Mine was very skittish for the first few days but now spends a fair amount of time free swimming, I can even walk up to the tank now and he will stay out.

Mike_J · Dec 9, 2016

A fairly inactive group of fish it seems. I had a Hellfrichi that was basically an ornament in my tank. Sometimes it would dart into its cave when I came too close and then of course he was very active in order to catch enough food. Otherwise, he was a very expensive decoration.

Nano man · Dec 9, 2016

What they said!
But they love to carpet surf so make sure the lid is on.

john.m.cole3 · Dec 9, 2016

Mine was a recluse for about a month. Then he would just swim into the flow. It looked like he just hovered in one area but he was out all the time. I want to try a school of 5 one day.

Ljaus · Dec 9, 2016

john.m.cole3 said:
Mine was a recluse for about a month. Then he would just swim into the flow. It looked like he just hovered in one area but he was out all the time. I want to try a school of 5 one day.

This is what mine is doing now.

Daniel@R2R · Dec 10, 2016

Thanks guys! Mine is still in QT, and he seems pretty inactive. He does move around a little at times, but mostly just lays around. When I do the tank transfers (I'm using TTM as QT procedure), he's pretty feisty then, but otherwise doesn't move much. Glad to know that's normal, but it kinda sucks too. LOL

john.m.cole3 · Dec 10, 2016

I think you'll like him after a while. Just another personality that makes a reef the diverse place that it is

hybridazn · Dec 10, 2016

When I had one in my tank he would hang out just outside his cave and would hide if anything moved by him lol. what a goofy fish

NanaReefer · Dec 10, 2016

With colors like that is it any wonder they hide all the time. Must stick out like a sore thumb in the wild. They do "Dart" around don't they [emoji38]

mort · Dec 10, 2016

They are sometimes called magnificent hover gobies because they "hover" in the water column. They would naturally just stay over their boltholes and wait for food to be brought to them in the current. I'd imagine they are tasty so won't venture far from cover. I don't think any goby or similar species is a good swimmer but they are definetly built for speed.

eatbreakfast · Dec 10, 2016

mort said:
They are sometimes called magnificent hover gobies because they "hover" in the water column. They would naturally just stay over their boltholes and wait for food to be brought to them in the current. I'd imagine they are tasty so won't venture far from cover. I don't think any goby or similar species is a good swimmer but they are definetly built for speed.

Agreed. When comfortable they hover near their bolthole, but definitely not a fish that will use the whole length of the tank.

john.m.cole3 said:
Mine was a recluse for about a month. Then he would just swim into the flow. It looked like he just hovered in one area but he was out all the time. I want to try a school of 5 one day.

Groups of firefish don't work long term, as they are intolerant of conspecifics, unless a bonded pr.

Deinonych · Dec 11, 2016

eatbreakfast said:
Agreed. When comfortable they hover near their bolthole, but definitely not a fish that will use the whole length of the tank.

+1

In the wild, they hover over their boltholes and retreat when threatened. They are not active swimmers like wrasses for example. Mine used to be out and about (i.e. hovering close to his bolthole) most of the day. Now he spends most of the day in the bolthole, emerging at feeding times. This started when my pink-margin wrasse started taking an active "interest" in the firefish.

ReefMama · Dec 11, 2016

Purple firefish are pretty lazy! Like Deinonych pointed out, their instinctive behavior is to stay within darting-distance of their boltholes to avoid becoming some other fish's appetizer. They also tend to be very, very shy. It can take a few months for them to feel comfortable enough to come out of hiding and surf around in the current. In my experience, no firefish does well with any aggressive fish sharing his tankspace. The same goes for shrimp gobies. I have had a gorgeous Stonogobiops nematodes for 3 years now, and I see him at feeding times, or early morning before the tank lights brighten up too much. I guess he feels like he's safe in the semi-darkness and will surf in the sand looking for munchies. He shares his tunnel space with a Randall's pistol shrimp (which is very neat to watch) and shares tankspace with an Oscellaris clown fish.
It's kind of a shame, because they're gorgeous animals, but you usually only see their faces sticking out from the rocks when they're hungry!