Purple Firefish

[Yuki Rihwa]

So I got this purple fish in my tank for almost 3 months but its hiding all the time and pretty much came out snack some brine shrimp 1x a week then quickly goes into hideout mode for another week, sometime more than a week. I got Bangai Cardinal, Royal Gamma, Six line Wrasse, Yellow Eyes Kole tang. The purple firefish was added to the tank same time with other fishes (the tang just recently added), the Royal Gamma was in hide out mode for 3 weeks then come out in open water a lot more often or at least stay near the edge of rock work and looking out but actively compete for food with other fishes at feeding time, while I saw the fire fish less than 5 times in past 3 months, I kept skittish fish before and they all become bold less than 2 months but this firefish is different, I can't do anything about its skittish but if it keep going with this behave soon it will get malnutrition issue and die lol. Does anyone having same issue with firefish?

 

[Crabs McJones]

So I got this purple fish in my tank for almost 3 months but its hiding all the time and pretty much came out snack some brine shrimp 1x a week then quickly goes into hideout mode for another week, sometime more than a week. I got Bangai Cardinal, Royal Gamma, Six line Wrasse, Yellow Eyes Kole tang. The purple firefish was added to the tank same time with other fishes (the tang just recently added), the Royal Gamma was in hide out mode for 3 weeks then come out in open water a lot more often or at least stay near the edge of rock work and looking out but actively compete for food with other fishes at feeding time, while I saw the fire fish less than 5 times in past 3 months, I kept skittish fish before and they all become bold less than 2 months but this firefish is different, I can't do anything about its skittish but if it keep going with this behave soon it will get malnutrition issue and die lol. Does anyone having same issue with firefish?

That's pretty much what firefish do. I have one that hides about 99%of the time.

 

[Baldguy]

Firefish are very shy to begin with. With a six-line in the tank too you might never see the firefish. Six lines can be very agressive and downright evil fish.

 

[Salty1962]

Is it getting bullied? As mentioned, Six Lines can be very aggressive to shy fish. How big is your tank? Mine stay out in the water column all day.

 

[Bluecbs]

Pretty sure hes afraid of somebody in there. If not, will be out in the open water most of the time and only dart into hidey hole when sensing danger

 

[JAWS 32]

My Firefish lives under the rocks in the tunnels that one of my pistol shrimps digs. He has been living under there for well over a year. Sometimes when the shrimp clears the sand completely in the tunnel, I look under the tank and I can see the firefish swimming through. Good luck with yours!

 

[rich nyc]

my firefish that i got in pairs seems less shy

 

[eatbreakfast]

Firefish should be hanging out 3-12" from their bolt hole. If they are hiding, then they are intimidated. Sixlines and firefish are not a good combo.

 

[Yuki Rihwa]

Is it getting bullied? As mentioned, Six Lines can be very aggressive to shy fish. How big is your tank? Mine stay out in the water column all day.

No, my six line don't even bother to look at the firefish, the six line more one on one with the royal but after its lost the fight few months ago its very peaceful.
The firefish just skittish to everything moving in the tank for the most part.

 

[eatbreakfast]

A firefish doesn't need to be actively being bullied to be intimidated. I will reiterate, firefish and sixlines do not make good tankmates.

 

[Yuki Rihwa]

Pretty sure hes afraid of somebody in there. If not, will be out in the open water most of the time and only dart into hidey hole when sensing danger

My guess he afraid of fast movement fish like six line that cruising around the rock constant, I can see the fire fish through the rock hole sometime and tang retreated in same area if it got spooked so its knew everyone in the tank but just afraid to come out.

 

[Yuki Rihwa]

A firefish doesn't need to be actively being bullied to be intimidated. I will reiterate, firefish and sixlines do not make good tankmates.

you're right! Even my six line don't bother or pay attention to the firefish but the six line fast movement around the rock work can be intimidating the firefish. its sometime come out to get food and no one care about it but its still skittish and dart into its hole after grabbed some foods.

 

[Yuki Rihwa]

At this point, I'll just don't pay attention to it anymore. I can't take it out nor the wrasse out without taking my tank a part.
Also, I forgot to mention that all 4 fishes minus the tang were in QT (bare tank with few small rocks for the royal to feel at home) for 2 months together and they don't even bother each other in there and the firefiah was in the open water all the time until it went into main tank lol. If I see aggression while they are in QT I would remove them at that point already.

 

[marktea]

How long has it been in the display tank?

 

[Yuki Rihwa]

How long has it been in the display tank?

3 months

 

[Gareth elliott]

They are deeper water dwellers than a lot of reef fish 100-250 feet. They get spooked easily by shadows with our bright lights. You can attempt to move some rock work around its borrow area to add options for darting into might entice it to hover in its small territory.

 

[Awesome Dennis]

I'm pretty sure my purple fire fish leaves its dart hole and watches tv with me at night...

 

[Stephen Glover]

My purple firefish is out all day and is about 1/8 the size of my Tang and wrasse. Maybe it's because they all grew up together. He even picks on a clownfish that is about equal his size. He was the bully in tank at the lfs.

 

[TheLadyCrash]

My firefish was TERRIFIED of the Bangai Cardinal to the point it would barely come out to eat. Moved the cardinal to a different tank and Torpedo the firefish is out and about all the time.

 

[Bluecbs]

Yup, banggai looks can be intimidating. For me, its my two spot blenny, he was out most of the time until i added the banggai. The banggai couldnt care less about him, but he kept hiding until one day, just gone...