How many firefish can I keep?

[Shilpan Patel]

Hey guys I have a 105gallon tank with soft coral planning to add LPS. Other inhabitants include a juvenile sailfin tang, 2 clowns, a chromis, a bullet goby, a scooter dragonet, a boxer shrimp and a large hermit crab. I’m aware once the tang is adult size it’ll big too big for his tank.

If I get a foxface, how many firefish can I add to make a school? Alternatively if I don’t get a foxface, how many firefish can my tank safely support in a school?

Thanks for any advice

 

[eatbreakfast]

Firefish don't school. Unless they are a bonded pr they are intolerant of each other.

 

[nereefpat]

2, if they happen to be male & female.

@eatbreakfast , are there some dartfish that can live in groups? For example, I frequently see trios of the zebra barred (P. zebra) on Diver's Den.

 

[andrewkw]

I kept a group of maybe 7 a few years ago. It took less than 2 years for them to go down to 2.

 

[eatbreakfast]

2, if they happen to be male & female.

@eatbreakfast , are there some dartfish that can live in groups? For example, I frequently see trios of the zebra barred (P. zebra) on Diver's Den.

Nemateleotris species, any of the firefish, are pr forming. Pteleotris species, such as zebra, scissortail, blue gudgeon, etc, are social.

 

[nereefpat]

Hmmm, a group of scissortail dartfish may be in my future.

OP should look into the Pteleotris spp you mentioned.

 

[Makers Marc]

I kept 3 red firefish for the past year or so. They all slept in the same darthole in my rock until a few weeks ago, when I returned from vacation two had paired off. The other one relocated to the other side of my 180g.

I knew it would eventually occur. But since I'm not overstocked they are still surviving, just not all together anymore.

 

[Marine Hobby]

Foxface is not a problem, one is the number for firefish...

 

[Shilpan Patel]

Ahh ok thank you guys! So I’ll stick to 2 firefish and try to grab a pair if possible.
Maybe I’ll go for a school of bangaii cardinal then. I think anthia schools are hard to look after and chromis schools often don’t succeed well.
I’ll also look into the other species mentioned
Thanks team!

 

[eatbreakfast]

Ahh ok thank you guys! So I’ll stick to 2 firefish and try to grab a pair if possible.
Maybe I’ll go for a school of bangaii cardinal then. I think anthia schools are hard to look after and chromis schools often don’t succeed well.
I’ll also look into the other species mentioned
Thanks team!

NO! Bangaii cardinals are also pr forming. 2 will pr up and kill the rest.

 

[Shilpan Patel]

Dangit, I’ve got all this misinformation from a LFS about 2 years ago and I’ve never bothered to double check it.

Ok so, is there anything that’s good and small enough for a school?

 

[Shilpan Patel]

If not I’ll stick with a pair of something then.

 

[eatbreakfast]

Zebra and scissortail dartfish are social.

 

[Jesterrace]

Hmmm, a group of scissortail dartfish may be in my future.

OP should look into the Pteleotris spp you mentioned.

As mentioned either Scissortails or the Zebra Dartfish are the only schooling members of the group. Personally though I am not a fan of any dartfish as they are super skittish and often spend lots of time in hiding (who wants a fish that hides most of the time). If you want a good schooling fish that won't bother each other and will hang out in the open, then I would go with Pajama Cardinalfish. They don't establish order via aggression like the Banggai do. They just hang out and float around, but are visible more often than not and have a unique coloration and aren't aggressive towards other fish or one another:

https://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+1500+5142+5199&pcatid=5199

I have one in my tank and it does hide a bit (though usually still visible in the back of the tank), but it's by itself. It probably would be more bold with a group. Oh and as for Firefish, due to their skittish nature and bright coloration they are often the number 1 target of bullies. When I had a Flame Angel it literally targeted my Purple Firefish within about 20 seconds of being introduced in the tank and would never let it out of it's cave unless it wasn't looking. Just saying with a Tang and the Clowns it may be a problem.

 

[Tft12]

I've always seen firefish kept in groups at many LFSs...so I tried that at home in a large tank...didn't work out. My experience has been what @eatbreakfast has posted. I've had a group of zebra dartfish for a few years that have always done well together but firefish won't last as a group for long.

 

[eatbreakfast]

As mentioned either Scissortails or the Zebra Dartfish are the only schooling members of the group. Personally though I am not a fan of any dartfish as they are super skittish and often spend lots of time in hiding (who wants a fish that hides most of the time). If you want a good schooling fish that won't bother each other and will hang out in the open, then I would go with Pajama Cardinalfish. They don't establish order via aggression like the Banggai do. They just hang out and float around, but are visible more often than not and have a unique coloration and aren't aggressive towards other fish or one another:

https://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+1500+5142+5199&pcatid=5199

I have one in my tank and it does hide a bit (though usually still visible in the back of the tank), but it's by itself. It probably would be more bold with a group. Oh and as for Firefish, due to their skittish nature and bright coloration they are often the number 1 target of bullies. When I had a Flame Angel it literally targeted my Purple Firefish within about 20 seconds of being introduced in the tank and would never let it out of it's cave unless it wasn't looking. Just saying with a Tang and the Clowns it may be a problem.

Zebra and scissortail dartfish are pretty bold.

 

[nereefpat]

As mentioned either Scissortails or the Zebra Dartfish are the only schooling members of the group. Personally though I am not a fan of any dartfish as they are super skittish and often spend lots of time in hiding (who wants a fish that hides most of the time). If you want a good schooling fish that won't bother each other and will hang out in the open, then I would go with Pajama Cardinalfish. They don't establish order via aggression like the Banggai do. They just hang out and float around, but are visible more often than not and have a unique coloration and aren't aggressive towards other fish or one another:

https://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+1500+5142+5199&pcatid=5199

I have one in my tank and it does hide a bit (though usually still visible in the back of the tank), but it's by itself. It probably would be more bold with a group. Oh and as for Firefish, due to their skittish nature and bright coloration they are often the number 1 target of bullies. When I had a Flame Angel it literally targeted my Purple Firefish within about 20 seconds of being introduced in the tank and would never let it out of it's cave unless it wasn't looking. Just saying with a Tang and the Clowns it may be a problem.

Thanks. I think cardinals are a good suggestion. I've thought about a pair of bangais. Pajama cardinals, although interesting and different, are just so ugly to me.

 

[PDR]

@eatbreakfast Can pajama cardinals be kept in a group?

 

[eatbreakfast]

Pj cardinals can be kept in groups.

 

[BoBoBREWSKI]

There are several people here who have successfully kept more than 1 firefish. I've have a regular firefish and a purple firefish in my nano without any issues.