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

[vlangel]

O man, I think that is really cool about your firefish moving in with the YWG. It's more unique than the goby pistol shrimp pair??? In my 25 years of marine fish I have never heard of that and I maintained tank accounts for a LFS and have seen a lot of tanks.

Just choose a different goby( yasha or prawn goby) to go with a pistol shrimp.

 

[Arabyps]

My purple firefish is always out and about.

 

[Viking_Reefing]

No, they never get less boring

 

[Sharkbait19]

Seriously, if you give it a reason to always be out, it will be.

 

[Sharkbait19]

Right now she's in my QT with just the YWG. Next week I dump them both into my new DT so we'll see if her activity increases. I'm curious to see if she continues to live in YWG's hole or will they split up.

The next fish in intend to add are: Snowflake Clown, Pink Stripe Wrasse, and last, Black Cap Basslet. Perhaps some more active fish will get her out and about, or maybe she'll just hide 100% of the time.

This is all my dang wife's fault, she picked the Fire-fish out in the first place because of how colorful it was, now she's lost interest and I'm stuck with inviso-fish.

Ooh, good, you’re getting a basslet. I’m telling you, when I added a basslet my firefish was ALWAYS out because he got scared out. Before that, he was boring. Trust me, give it time, let him feel safe, maybe even hand feed him, and you’ll see results. At least that’s my experience with firefish.

 

[Jedi Knghit]

The first week mine hid most of the time. The next few weeks it was out, but hide quickly when started. Now it is out from a few minutes after lights on until just before lights out.

Give it time.

 

[NJBillyV]

O man, I think that is really cool about your firefish moving in with the YWG. It's more unique than the goby pistol shrimp pair??? In my 25 years of marine fish I have never heard of that and I maintained tank accounts for a LFS and have seen a lot of tanks.

I thought that was kind of odd actually. I'm going to post it on the main board and see if anyone else has experienced anything like it.

 

[Ippyroy]

Mine hides in the back behind the rocks. I only see her once a month or so. beautiful fish though.

 

[AKreefgirl]

Mine purple ff was out and commanding the tank when the lights were on. It wanted to be front and center and dominated over clowns, chromis, diamond goby, nothing boring about mine.

 

[Trever]

I just got a fire fish too. Two things with my new little guy:

1. He's a good dither fish in that he likes the channel in back along the wall. I have a cube and left a pretty big back channel so water can swirl around the tank, problem is, the fish never ever go back there. But for the fire fish it's home and it's bringing the other fish back there in their travels, so that's pretty cool.

2. He's dumb as rocks. I have to drop pellet food right to him, and he can't seem to get the concept of "here comes food", rather, he just floats there like an air head and when it's in front of him, he eats it. But if it gets a little behind him, he's clueless, and unless I make the effort, I'm afraid the thing is going to starve because he'll never figure out the feeding ring and that the others are eating.

He's the smallest and added last and got chased around a bit at first, and still gets shown whose boss, but he hangs in there and does come out to play with the others in the front of the tank sometimes. It's weird and random. I've only had him for 4 days so we'll see what time brings. He's pretty and more boring than the others, but per #1, I'm ok with him. His colors make for a great display when all the fish are together, and he is kinda cute when he peers at me with his big eyes, which he does- he'll turn and stare. Someone else here said that too.

There is also such a thing as too much activity. My clown fish is driving everyone crazy. He's constantly sprinting all over the tank. I don't know where he gets his calories but that fish needs some massive ritalin doses.

 

[madlos123]

My fire fishes area always out. Even when I am cleaning my tank or feeding they are the first one out. Here's my receipt.

 

[Bjg]

I have one very interesting fish very very tough I lost all my other fish due to either Ich velvet and I don’t know what it was but I can’t catch the little guy he’s a fine and don’t have no signs of being sick or nothing it’s good just Cannot catch it so I can go fishless

 

[drblakjak55]

Tried three times. Buy four firefish. By day 1 down to three. Day three down to two. They last a while than one than none. Pretty fish

 

[Bjg]

Tried three times. Buy four firefish. By day 1 down to three. Day three down to two. They last a while than one than none. Pretty fish

 

[Bjg]

I had mine with no problem that’s the toughest fish I’ve ever seen I lost clown fish Nas Thang coral beauty even a clown trigger I don’t know what happened but I also lost some snails trying to catch it so I can go fishless they are really hearty fish or the one I have is

 

[Fishingandreefing]

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

I love my school of 7 bangaiis.

 

[KWT]

We have 4, they move from one end to the other, along with the cardinals.

 

[McPuff]

This behavior really isn't much different than many other fish. Royal gramma, several basslet species, some blennies, etc. My swissguard basslet comes out at feeding time and otherwise stays pretty well hidden. The gramma is out a bit more but not much. I actually like this aspect of those species because it's cool when I do get to see them. They're my little hidden gems. I'm considering getting a bunch of firefish because of how pretty they are. Figure that in groups they are also more likely to be out more often.

 

[Sharkbait19]

This behavior really isn't much different than many other fish. Royal gramma, several basslet species, some blennies, etc. My swissguard basslet comes out at feeding time and otherwise stays pretty well hidden. The gramma is out a bit more but not much. I actually like this aspect of those species because it's cool when I do get to see them. They're my little hidden gems. I'm considering getting a bunch of firefish because of how pretty they are. Figure that in groups they are also more likely to be out more often.

Just be sure it’s a large tank if you’re getting them in groups. They often pair off and fight others to the death.

Also, I agree. I do like the behavior that grammas and dartfish have to offer. It’s more unique, and those sudden movements that cave dwellers exhibit can be really fun, especially when its that one pretty fish that catches your eye.

Maybe I just got lucky, but my firefish was always in the water column. In fact, it was the only fish I had that was consistently out. Not even the clownfish was as active.

 

[saltyhog]

My Exquisite Firefish is out all the time if the lights are on. Of course he is not in my 6' tank but in my 25 gallon IM Lagoon with the only other fish being a Randal's Assessor and 3 Panamic Barnacle Blennies. I think those kept in large tanks with lots of active fish (wrasses, tangs, anthias, etc.) will always be less active and less "interesting".