Anyone knows how to sex firefish?

[danmhippo]

The topic says it all. Intending to keep a pair as a group will almost eventually fight among each other to leave just a pair.

 

[Grandczar]

try lighting the reef by candle light
maybe even dose with a little red wine...
If all else fails play some barry white.

 

[danmhippo]

LOL...........

If that's the case, I might as well just pour a bottle of vodka into the tank and perform artificial insemination......

 

[SPC]

LOL twice!
I tried to find out the answer to this also, everything I came up with was there is no way to tell.

Steve

 

[Minh Nguyen]

If they are adult and don't kill each other, then you have a pair. Juv. firefish will stay in group until they mature, then they will fight.

 

[danmhippo]

Great Minh, so basicaly, I should
1. buy a few, say 5 juvenile
2. wait for the sign that they are fighting
3. sccop out the weak (indication that its not a part of the pair)
4. the last 2 left is the bonded pair!

Cool, (back to square one)......

 

[SPC]

That is unless all 5 go carpet surfing first.

Steve

 

[Minh Nguyen]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by danmhippo:
<STRONG>Great Minh, so basicaly, I should
1. buy a few, say 5 juvenile
2. wait for the sign that they are fighting
3. sccop out the weak (indication that its not a part of the pair)
4. the last 2 left is the bonded pair!

Cool, (back to square one)......</STRONG><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
No, I would not buy five so three got kill and end up with a pair. Just buy two that seem to hang together at the LPS. I asked them to put two together for a few days. If they get along then get them. Be prepare to get one out if they fight. If you have to get one out, just added another one then keep your finger cross. You will eventually end up with one pair. I fot two small ones that sleep together for six months then start fighting. I traded one to the LPS and got a pair now.

This would be easy if you have a q tank.

 

[davelin315]

That guy David Mohr once sent me a reply e-mail in which he said he was breeding firefish, but he has stopped posting here since I got here (I wonder if it's my fault, he expressed a bit of irritation that I didn't ID fish by their scientific names, and said that I must be new since I didn't know that he abhorred the use of common names - kind of smug, although he did answer my question). I would guess that he would know how to sex them if he's breeding them. Maybe if you run a search you can find his name out there and ask him, but don't use the common name of firefish, call them Nemateleotris magnifica/decora/helfrichi when you ask him.

 

[danmhippo]

Thanks Dave, I will try that.

BTW, the helfrechi is a gorgeous fish, just too damned expensive in some location.

 

[arnjer]

I have had a pair of firefish now for about a year. I have noticed that I rarely see both of them out together during feeding. I know they are "shacked up" under a rock, I have been wondering if they have mated. I haven't seen any babies as of yet but it's also a mixed tank so I know I may not see any.

Jerry

 

[davelin315]

David Mohr's e-mail address: <A HREF="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</A>