Fire fish schooling

[DirtDiggler2823]

I'm researching fire fish right now trying to learn if they will school with variants of each other. Like, will red fire fish school with purple ones? Do they school at all? I see a lot of conflicting information in the various forums, so I figured I'd ask here.

 

[Elegance Coral]

Fish school for protection. They may group together when first placed into an aquarium because they're afraid and nervous. Once they realize no one in the tank is going to eat them, they calm down and spread out. It's hard to obtain the schooling behavior for long in captivity. Maybe small fish like red spot cardinals, but it's really hard to get fire fish to school for long.
Peace
EC

 

[DirtDiggler2823]

Fish school for protection. They may group together when first placed into an aquarium because they're afraid and nervous. Once they realize no one in the tank is going to eat them, they calm down and spread out. It's hard to obtain the schooling behavior for long in captivity. Maybe small fish like red spot cardinals, but it's really hard to get fire fish to school for long.
Peace
EC

Super. My next question is, will they attack each other?

 

[Ted_C]

I had a helfrichi and a purple that would hang together - i suspected they were a mated pair though.

 

[GoldeneyeRet]

Firefish will not work together long term unless they are a true mated pair. Mated pairs are very difficult to obtain.

Stick with one firefish per tank.

 

[Burrito]

my exquisite firefish and watchman goby sleep literally next to each other, i have 3 dart fish, they hangout together all day, i bought them as a trio though

 

[mta_morrow]

Firefish will not work together long term unless they are a true mated pair. Mated pairs are very difficult to obtain.

Stick with one firefish per tank.

this^^^^^^^^

 

[DirtDiggler2823]

It seems as though some are more more likely to school than others. I have a 90 gallon tank, what are their footprint requirements?

 

[S-t-r-e-t-c-h]

this^^^^^^^^

I'll third this. Multiple firefish don't work long term, except for mated pairs...

 

[User1]

It seems as though some are more more likely to school than others. I have a 90 gallon tank, what are their footprint requirements?

I believe it is just the opposite. The more research you do you will find they are intolerable of one another in numbers.

 

[Burrito]

i think there is a perception of firefish schooling because so many petstores have firefish in small tanks. everytime i visit a petco there are 10 firefish in a small tank section, the firefish dont have much of a choice in the matter. as others have mentioned though, they do not school in a normal setting. i see diversden sell them sometimes as pairs but i dont not think they mention the pairs are bonded

 

[DirtDiggler2823]

i think there is a perception of firefish schooling because so many petstores have firefish in small tanks. everytime i visit a petco there are 10 firefish in a small tank section, the firefish dont have much of a choice in the matter. as others have mentioned though, they do not school in a normal setting. i see diversden sell them sometimes as pairs but i dont not think they mention the pairs are bonded

Makes sense. The LFS folks have been telling me to buy in groups, but I can see now that isn't the best advice. Would a purple and red go at it? How different would they need to be to get along?

 

[mta_morrow]

Consider a trio of zebra barred dartfish.

They will spend most of their time together mid tank, always out and in the water column.

Also, you are not likely to find any group of fish that will shoal in our home aquariums.

 

[DirtDiggler2823]

Consider a trio of zebra barred dartfish.

They will spend most of their time together mid tank, always out and in the water column.

Also, you are not likely to find any group of fish that will shoal in our home aquariums.

I want to be sure they don't murder each other.

 

[PDR]

Zebra dart fish are tolerant of each other, unlike firefish.

 

[mta_morrow]

I want to be sure they don't murder each other.

Zebra barred dart fish do best in groups. Any size.

They are not firefish, but are shaped similar. They will establish a hierarchy but will not kill each other

I have 3 and a purple firefish.

 

[DirtDiggler2823]

Zebra barred dart fish do best in groups. Any size.

They are not firefish, but are shaped similar. They will establish a hierarchy but will not kill each other

I have 3 and a purple firefish.

I was hoping to have a red or two and a purple along with the zebra dartfish

 

[4FordFamily]

Firefish will not work together long term unless they are a true mated pair. Mated pairs are very difficult to obtain.

Stick with one firefish per tank.

I agree. It would take a dozen or more I suspect for this behavior to have a chance of working, and that's a lot of the same fish. I agree, buy a bonded pair or keep them singly.

Most "schooling fish" shoal at best, in captivity.

 

[DirtDiggler2823]

I agree. It would take a dozen or more I suspect for this behavior to have a chance of working, and that's a lot of the same fish. I agree, buy a bonded pair or keep them singly.

Most "schooling fish" shoal at best, in captivity.

This is a helpful thread

 

[Burrito]

my past research came to the conclusion that the Genus Nemateleotris (firefish) are intolerant of each other, the Genus Ptereleotris (dartfish) get along fine. i have 3 zebra dartfish and as mentioned above by mta, they spend all day swimming together in the water column