Lost Exquisite Firefish

Idoc · Dec 23, 2018

Finished 6 weeks of quarantining an exquisite firefish. Moved him to the DT and kept him in an acclimation box for a day. Released him after the other fish were showing no signs of aggression toward him in the box. After release, the Clowns and Midas Blenny were hiding around him looking but no aggression observed.

He was last seen this afternoon half inside a small tunnel my Diamond Goby uses for his nighttime tunnel. I'm concerned he may have gone into the Goby's tunnel (under a rock). Has anyone seen aggression from a Diamond Goby protecting his tunnels if the Firefish happens to be in there with the Goby?

James M · Dec 23, 2018

Fire fish are know for hiding when first introduced to the tank.

CindyKz · Dec 24, 2018

My firefish hides almost all of the time. It mostly comes out at feeding time. I had an exquisite firefish that would hide anytime there was commotion in the house

Just give it time.

Flexin · Dec 24, 2018

Agree with the comments. Give it time. I have four in my tank many times I don't see any

Happy Holidays!

Jcarvallo · Dec 24, 2018

This was muy regular firefish today's morning.

Flexin · Dec 24, 2018

Jcarvallo said:
This was muy regular firefish today's morning.

Sorry to hear that JC.

Idoc · Dec 24, 2018

James M said:
Fire fish are know for hiding when first introduced to the tank.

CindyKz said:
My firefish hides almost all of the time. It mostly comes out at feeding time. I had an exquisite firefish that would hide anytime there was commotion in the house

Just give it time.

Flexin said:
Agree with the comments. Give it time. I have four in my tank many times I don't see any Happy Holidays!

Hopefully he is just hiding. He didn't come out for food last night. But mostly concerned because he was just seen half way hiding in the Diamond Goby's under rock entrance hole. I don't know if the Goby would kill the Firefish if he cornered it in his rock cave or happily coexist in there together.

James M · Dec 24, 2018

Idoc said:
Hopefully he is just hiding. He didn't come out for food last night. But mostly concerned because he was just seen half way hiding in the Diamond Goby's under rock entrance hole. I don't know if the Goby would kill the Firefish if he cornered it in his rock cave or happily coexist in there together.

Is it possible to check with a flash light ?

CindyKz · Dec 24, 2018

Idoc said:
I don't know if the Goby would kill the Firefish if he cornered it in his rock cave or happily coexist in there together.

Firefish are timid. If it saw the goby it would probably go somewhere else. And fish can wriggle out of almost anywhere, it would be hard for the firefish to be "cornered".

saltyhog · Dec 24, 2018

Don't be surprised if you don't see him for a good while. Pretty much normal behavior for a firefish. One of the reasons it's best to introduce them first and let them get established.

Mine has been in the tank for months and he still is out of his hidey hole only about half the time.

Idoc · Dec 24, 2018

James M said:
Is it possible to check with a flash light ?

I've tried... can't find him anywhere and can't see under the rock.

Coralreefer1 · Dec 24, 2018

They are notorious jumpers...check around your tank and on the floor! Hopefully it didn’t succumb to the same fate as Jcarvallo’s!

Idoc · Dec 24, 2018

Coralreefer1 said:
They are notorious jumpers...check around your tank and on the floor! Hopefully it didn’t succumb to the same fate as Jcarvallo’s!

I looked all around the tank, nothing. But, I have a good fitting screen top.

James M · Dec 25, 2018

Idoc said:
I've tried... can't find him anywhere and can't see under the rock.

Well hopefully he’s appears out of no where like they all do !!

Idoc · Dec 27, 2018

James M said:
Well hopefully he’s appears out of no where like they all do !!

Well, he showed up last night after staying hidden for the past 4 days! So, this one has a happy ending!! The poor thing was so hungry!

James M · Dec 27, 2018

Idoc said:
Well, he showed up last night after staying hidden for the past 4 days! So, this one has a happy ending!! The poor thing was so hungry!

That’s great news !!

Flexin · Dec 27, 2018

That's excellent!!

Fastpitch · Dec 29, 2018

Outstanding. Mine went carpet surfing through a 1/2" gap in my QT lid.

Idoc · Dec 29, 2018

Fastpitch said:
Outstanding. Mine went carpet surfing through a 1/2" gap in my QT lid.

That's terrible news! I lost 2 diamond gobies during quarantine that way. One jumped through egg-crate before I attached a mesh backing to it. Then the second one found a small slit opening where the HOB filter water entered the tank! Amazing how they find the smallest possible place to sneak out!