Folks w/ Firefish, do they eventually get more interesting?

NJBillyV · Nov 12, 2020

I have an Exquisite Firefish (beautiful looking fish) and he's the most boring fish I've ever had. All he ever does is hang in the water column or hide.

He's about 3.5 inches long so he could be replaced by 3.5 inches of interesting fish! What's your experience, is this all I can expect?

Right now I'm leaning toward replacing his boring butt.

Thrashed · Nov 12, 2020

Haha welcome to owning a fire fish. It’s a lot like owning a school of cardinals. They do very little moving but don’t look as good while doing it

StlSalt · Nov 12, 2020

Folks w/ Firefish, do they eventually get more interesting?

In my experience people who own Firefish never do get any more interesting.

J/K They are pretty fish I've never owned one but they are on the list of fish I'd like to keep when the tank inhabitant situation is right, but not if they're boring. I have enough PJ Cardinals.

NJBillyV · Nov 12, 2020

The fish NEVER swims around, ever, she just hangs, still, or scurries under her rock and hides. Funny, my Cardinals never bothered me when they just hung out, but at least they were OUT!

Idoc · Nov 12, 2020

Beautiful fish for the minute they come out of their rock hole to eat. Then, they are awesome if you like to only see a fish head hiding deep in a hole.

piranhaman00 · Nov 12, 2020

Firefish were my reason for getting into the hobby!

But yes they just chill.

RobB'z Reef · Nov 12, 2020

I have a pair of helfrichi firefish and they are almost always out and roaming about throughout around a 1/3 of the tank. They stick somewhat close to their nightly hiding spot but they are far from boring during the day

DWPhilli · Nov 12, 2020

Mine comes out for a few hours a day, but hangs out near his hiding spot. Even when its feeding time, he just hangs out there and hopes some stray food comes his way

RobB'z Reef · Nov 12, 2020

I thought this would be more helpful with regards to how they are normally. Just took this a few minutes ago. They're out and about pretty much all day long when the lights are on. I mean, they're not exactly putting on a Broadway show, but they seem interesting enough.

sacutshall · Nov 12, 2020

They are not known to dance a jig for you ;Yawn. I just added a second one today and now they are active more than when it was just one. So maybe yours needs a friend to be bit more active. you can always get a Dottyback to chase him around. I have an orchid DB he keeps things moving.

reefingBeAmazin22 · Nov 12, 2020

I own the standard just red firefish and he’s one of my favorite, I love seeing his fins flicking searching for vibrations in the water, I think, I also feel like my personality is similar to theirs, just wanna hide in a hole lol

fishface NJ · Nov 12, 2020

NJBillyV said:
The fish NEVER swims around, ever, she just hangs, still, or scurries under her rock and hides.

My Exquisite does the same thing. Even when he eats, he just hangs in one spot. If food moves 1/2" from his face, the fish won't swim to it.

blitzkragz · Nov 12, 2020

No. Boring fish. I've have 4 for 2 years, they usually just swim in place like a live decoration. Looking for living cartoon level interesting-ness? Get a starry blenny.

NJBillyV · Nov 13, 2020

I am really beginning to regret this purchase. Perhaps I can find someone who wants one and could provide her with a happy home.

Now getting my wife, who loves her, to sign off, may be tricky. Ideally, the wifey will take a trip for a couple of days so I can ship her out and tell the wife she, unfortunately, expired. Is that bad?

NeonRabbit221B · Nov 13, 2020

NJBillyV said:
I am really beginning to regret this purchase. Perhaps I can find someone who wants one and could provide her with a happy home.

Now getting my wife, who loves her, to sign off, may be tricky. Ideally, the wifey will take a trip for a couple of days so I can ship her out and tell the wife she, unfortunately, expired. Is that bad?

Lies fix nothing. Just regularly exclaim "Where is that firefish?!" whenever she is in the room. Make it obvious for a week or so that it hides and is boring. Bringing it up that you want to rehome it and let her help choose the new fish.

My firefish took about a year before it would adventure around the tank but if I do any sort of maintenance or add something it goes back to hiding for several days.

fishface NJ · Nov 13, 2020

If you tell her she died, then she'll just buy another one.

AmaleeC · Nov 13, 2020

My firefish only hid all day when my damsel was beating it up. Once my damsel was banned to the sump he still stays close to his burrow, but he’ll come out and swim a little. But if you’re looking for more active fish, try a wrasse

NJBillyV · Nov 16, 2020

So get this, she's in a QT tank with just a YWG. YWG digs a cave and she moves in with him. They both lived in the same hole for weeks. Had to give the QT a good cleaning so I took out the rocks to clean and put them back in in a different pattern so she'd have her own cave. After a couple of days, dang if she's not back in the YWG's hole.

She just waited for him to make it big enough and then moved on back in. That's the most interesting thing she's ever done!

RobB'z Reef · Nov 16, 2020

NJBillyV said:
So get this, she's in a QT tank with just a YWG. YWG digs a cave and she moves in with him. They both lived in the same hole for weeks. Had to give the QT a good cleaning so I took out the rocks to clean and put them back in in a different pattern so she'd have her own cave. After a couple of days, dang if she's not back in the YWG's hole.

She just waited for him to make it big enough and then moved on back in. That's the most interesting thing she's ever done!

Definitely a female...