Firefish school

[Bojangles]

Ever since I had first started, firefish have been among my favorites. So naturally I wanted to keep a few of them together in my tank. At the time there was a whole mess of debating as whether or not you could keep multiple firefish together.

Almost everyone said that they either had no luck keeping multiples or that you shouldn't even try. Keep one or try for a pair, no more. Anyway I had seen them on special in the lfs so I bought 5 for my 200...heres what happened.

First 8 days they schooled, kept to the right side of the tank.
Day 9 they (assuming) killed one and remaining 4 seperated into pairs but still mostly together.
Day 12 I reaquascaped my tank
Day 14-present Seperated by a toadstool leather coral that sits slightly off center left in my tank, each pair took a side and used the coral as a marker.

I've had them about 3 months now and the four are doing great. Each pair has its side by day and strangely by night they all share in the same resting area. Just a thread to share my experiences

 

[Bojangles]

I really want to hear experience from everyone else. Post up if you want.

Hell post pics! I love pics!

 

[Anonymous]

I had a pair that stayed together for as long as I had them, which was maybe 2.5 years. They were causulties when I had to move my tank when I moved into a new house. Ouch.

Louey

 

[Anonymous]

That's the first time I have ever heard of a group getting along!


Please keep us updated long term. I really want to know how this works out.

 

[Anonymous]

What I hear is that juvies get along, and adults don't except in pairs. Congeners definitely don't work out. I think if you really want a shoal of similar fish a mix of Ptereleotris spp. with maybe one or two Nemateleotris spp. would work out.

 

[bergamer]

I had a red and a blue - red one is dead and I think the blue one had something to so with it

 

[Rikko]

I had a couple that I hoped were a pair (nope) that got along for a few months, but started to bicker. There was one at the store that was looking pretty sorry so I brought him home as well (my philosophy has always been if I don't think it's going to make it anyways, might as well see if I can save 'em in my tank... Sadly they all seem to survive and I'm having bioload problems... )... The three schooled together for several months, then they got a little snappy again.. Finally the new (smallest) one disappeared, and the two others are hanging out together again...

I think the approach of having a larger (by aquarium standards) group is the way to go. I've had the same experience with freshwater discus - a small group will always harrass the smallest one, often to death (and then the process begins anew). Once there are more than about 8 of them everything is kosher.

 

[Bojangles]

What was funny is, the day the one disappeared, the largest one disappeared and the smallest one got his dorsal fin nipped to almost nothing.

It has since grown back and they all seem to be roughly the same size. What I'm worried about is if I try for different dartfish what will happen. They are my favorite family of sw fish, but if these seperated into territories I wonder how fiercely they will defend them.

 

[npaden]

I tried a group of 7 when I first setup my 415g four years ago. Over the course of a few months they all ended up MIA.

Not for sure that they killed/stressed each other, but I've never heard of anyone keeping a group of firefish together in a tank long term.

FWIW, Nathan

 

[Bojangles]

I'll keep this updated incase anyone wants to hear.

May 2, 2005 bought 5 firefish
May 4, 2005 one dead
May 5 - Aug 11 2005 everything the same still have the 4

 

[Anonymous]

So, of the 4, are any hanging out like they might be a pair?

It would be cool to see some spawning behavior.

 

[Tackett]

I had 5 in my 55 gallon.

3 reds and two purples, and they all got along fine.

You have to watch when you feed them though, make sure everyone gets food because one species will try to starve the other species out.

no joke man, mine did it constantly. Though that was only my tank, dunno about any others.


Scrap the school idea and get one helfrichi firefish. Id love to see some shots of one.

 

[Anonymous]

I had 5 in my 55 gallon.

3 reds and two purples, and they all got along fine.

You have to watch when you feed them though, make sure everyone gets food because one species will try to starve the other species out.

no joke man, mine did it constantly. Though that was only my tank, dunno about any others.


Scrap the school idea and get one helfrichi firefish. Id love to see some shots of one.

That is so contrary to my experience. I had a single purple and red in an 80 gallon. The purple would never let the red out of its hole, and the red was the established fish. I've heard from others that the purples are much more aggressive as well.

 

[Anonymous]

Tackett,

8)

 

[Tackett]

I guess mine were freaks or something. Because both groups were contantly trying to starve the others out. Like the sharks and the jets. I just couldnt see them walking and snapping their fingers I guess it just comes down to the fish.

god that is a good helfrichi pic.

my next dart even if it breaks the bank.

 

[Bojangles]

So, of the 4, are any hanging out like they might be a pair?

It would be cool to see some spawning behavior.

They split my tank in half...well more like 60/40

One pair stays on the right side and one on the left side during the daytime. During the night they all share the same rock for "sleeping"