firefish

[reefnoob]

Anyone have any experience with firefish? I want to add some to my tank. Can 3 get along fine? I want them to sorta school cuz I think it would look pretty cool. I heard they are jumpers so are glass tops ok?

 

[Smitty]

They are definatly jumpers, but they tend to do well as long as you have a secure top. It's best to get them in a small group, so three will be fine.

 

[reefnoob]

ok thanks. Have you had any experience with them before?

 

[Bifferwine]

Mesh tops are better than glass tops. Glass tops will block light, accumulate salt creep, increase temperatures and decrease gas exchange.

 

[reefnoob]

But mesh tops aren't like a requirement or anything right?

 

[Bifferwine]

They are only a requirement if you don't want to lose fish that are known to be jumpers. ;)

I never used any tops (I ran my tank completely open top), but I had to deal with fish that jumped now and then.

 

[reefnoob]

If I use a glass top and the fish try to jump, will the glass injure the fish or something? Possibly causing internal injury or something?

 

[Smitty]

The glass top won't hurt them because there isn't much space between the glass and the water level. I have had experience with them a few times, but I've lost all of them to jumping out, so now I have a mesh top that I've replaced from my glass top.

 

[little_fish]

However, the glass top will restrict light to corals, keep in heat and prevent gas exchange and you will have to clean it very frequently to deal with the salt creep. Make a mesh lid, its very simple to do and MUCH better for your tank.

 

[justanotherfishhead]

Piggybacking on this thread - how well do firefish do in pairs? Any risk of them fighting? Can I get one purple and one pink or should they be the same color?

 

[Bifferwine]

Firefish do well in pairs, but they should be the same type. They will also do well in small groups.

 

[reefnoob]

Firefish do well in pairs, but they should be the same type. They will also do well in small groups.

Would 3 be considered a small group? Just want to verify with as many people as possible so they won't kill each other.

 

[Bifferwine]

Yes, three is a small group, I'd say. I've heard a couple stories of firefish being aggressive to one another, but honestly that seems really rare. They are such docile fish.

 

[tridacna666]

Firefish are jumpers only when stressed. To reduce any stress put many crevese to hide in. three will do fine if in a 40 gallon tank and introduced at the same time!
(Nemateleotris decora) good luck!

 

[little_fish]

Not totally true, they tend to jump when they are frighten or startled, which is impossible to totally eliminate so make sure you have a screen

 

[Bifferwine]

Yep, they have been known to jump just from the lights turning on or off.

 

[joshuashih1]

they do jump but and are good in a small group so 3 would be fine and you will need a secear lid

 

[tridacna666]

the problem with screens is when one of my fire fish jumped he injured himself. :frustrat:

 

[little_fish]

better injured than as fish jerky on the floor

 

[tridacna666]

but then the next day he ...........:death: died!