Fire fish/dartfish

[James5214]

So I added a fire fish to my salt tank and let me tell you he is one good hider! No dried up fish around the tank and I've been looking all over for him so Im guessing he found him a little nock or cranny and calling it home because I cannot find the guy. Are your guys firefish a good hider as well?

 

[Sharkbait19]

Firefish are really good at 2 things: hiding and jumping

Once it gets more settled you should see it more. Make sure no fish are being aggressive towards it.

 

[SlugSnorter]

So I added a fire fish to my salt tank and let me tell you he is one good hider! No dried up fish around the tank and I've been looking all over for him so Im guessing he found him a little nock or cranny and calling it home because I cannot find the guy. Are your guys firefish a good hider as well?

they need time to adjust. Don't move stuff around to look for em or you may just crush or trap him

 

[James5214]

I didn't move any rock structure I was just using phone light to try and look for him

 

[James5214]

All the other fish are out and about swimming around but him so I'm sure he found a good hiding spot and is making sure the ghost is clear lol

 

[Nemo&Friends]

yes they hide very well. Sometimes for 2 or 3 days.

 

[James5214]

The firefish came out last night before I turned the lights off. Haven't seen him today yet hopefully he gets more comfortable and starts to come out more

 

[James5214]

Hey guys quick question. How long should I wait before actually going to look for my dartfish I know he will hid for good periods of time but if I don't see him come out for feeding and things when should I start getting a little nervous? Haven't seen him since last night but there isn't a dried up fish outside of my tank so he is in there somewhere. Thanks guys happy reefing

 

[Sharkbait19]

Usually two weeks is the time for me to start getting worried, though many fish can hide for a lot longer.
Unless any of your fish were getting aggressive with it I wouldn’t be too concerned about it getting killed (yet).
What is the current stocking?

 

[James5214]

The other fish of course checked him out when I added the firefish but there was no aggression. All the fish went about their own business swimming around. I have a white flurry ocellaris clown a RG and a six line wrasse. All of them are out and about. They get along they all have there own home/spot in the tank.

 

[James5214]

I know the firefish love to hide in rock structure which I have over 20pds of rock in there. And my peppermint shrimp is about and same with hermits and snails if it was dead I'm sure my CUC would be eating away at him

 

[Sharkbait19]

Wrasse and clown can get mean, but they’d usually make aggression more visible. My clown killed my firefish (though it was a mocha, the black morphs are typically the meanest and the white ones are more laid back for whatever reason). It’s probably still hiding.

 

[vtecintegra]

If you are broadcast feeding it's probably peeking out of a hole and getting food that comes by. I have a bonded pair that only come out about every three days. They look well feed though. I've noticed they love newly hatched brine shrimp and will come out for a while when I put those in.

 

[James5214]

Oh yea I have read about the wrasse and how it harass people's tanks but I added the wrasse last after the RG and ocellaris we're in there for over a month. And like I said I watched the tank when I added the firefish. Everybody went up to check him out and then went about their business. Like I said I don't have a dried up fish but I want to make sure he eats and doesn't starve

 

[James5214]

Yea I have a brine shrimp hatchery for my triple red apisto fry I'm raising. I just don't want to go moving rocks around and possibly hurt him so that's why I was asking how long before I should start to worry

 

[Sharkbait19]

They naturally will eat pods and the other microorganisms in the tank - it’s feasting off of those probably.

 

[James5214]

Ok awesome. And I don't have a spike in my levels so that means there isn't a decaying fish somewhere in the tank

 

[Nemo&Friends]

I had some in the past who hid for a week or so.
Now my pair came out only at feeding time, even though they were the only one in the tank for about 6 month.
I just added 2 pajama cardinals and it seems that surprisingly they are out a little more often and stay out after feeding a little longer.

 

[blaxsun]

A lot of fish will initially hide for the first week or so to get the "lay of the land". They actually do venture out - it just happens at night or when we're conveniently away. I'm still looking for a goby, but knowing gobies he probably found an awesome cave at the back of the tank where I can't see him.

When they're hungry, they'll usually throw caution to the wind - so sometimes feeding time is the best time for close observation (you may just see a tiny head poking out now and then).

 

[James5214]

I was thinking same thing he found a good hole somewhere in a rock in back of the tank I cannot see. But no dried up fish yet and no ammonia spikes from decaying fish