Firefish in Mixed Pairs?

['Ric]

I heard firefish will fight with their own genus, but then I've also heard they can be kept in pairs. Does that mean "mated pairs" only? I have a Helfrich's Firefish and was thinking about getting a Purple Firefish if a pair is ok. My tank is 40 gallons, so it's probably not big enough for two territories.

 

'Ric

[HowardofNOVA]

Ric

How do you like the Helfrich?

 

My 30g tank I had 2 firefish and I believe they where spawning but never saw any babies?

 

My 75g I had 2 FF and 1 Purple FF and they seemed to be ok?

 

My 90g tank, I worked up to 2 ea FF/P FF. 1 FF went MIA, then P FF when carpet surfing in firsy 3-4mo period then no problems until I lost another FF that went surfing a couple weeks ago when I believe the Tailspotted Blenny chase him out.

 

I like Pairs when I can and still have hopes that I can have both Pairs again?

[jason the filter freak]

hey ric' what are those fish that are your avatar

['Ric]

hey ric' what are those fish that are your avatar

 

 

They are a mated pair of Pearly Jawfish (a.k.a. Yellowheaded Jawfish)

 

I love 'em, even though the undermine everything in my tank, bury stuff, and cause sink-holes. They have great personallities though! I started uploading some video clips on Photobucket...

 

http://s179.photobucket.com/albums/w295/Bictures/Saltwater40/ ://http://s179.photobucket.com/albums/.../Saltwater40/

 

'Ric

[jason the filter freak]

Nice vids, are those fake plants?

[tygger]

They are a mated pair of Pearly Jawfish (a.k.a. Yellowheaded Jawfish)

 

I love 'em, even though the undermine everything in my tank, bury stuff, and cause sink-holes. They have great personallities though! I started uploading some video clips on Photobucket...

 

http://s179.photobucket.com/albums/w295/Bictures/Saltwater40/ ://http://s179.photobucket.com/albums/.../Saltwater40/ ://http://s179.photobucket.com/albums/.../Saltwater40/

 

'Ric

 

Those guys are funny. Do they just hide all day long???

['Ric]

Those guys are funny. Do they just hide all day long???

 

You almost always see just their heads bobbing up and down in their holes watching you. They only completely dissapear for a few seconds (except when they go to sleep for the night.) If their not actively building, they mostly have their poking out of the holes "people watching" or hover near them. Feeding time the pop out, grap a few nearby bites, then lightling-bolt back into their hole. If a crab or snail wanders around the mouth of their hole, they'll grab them with their mouth and 'relocate them' further away. They are really fun to watch. My only problem with them is that when I set up my tank I put the substrate in first, then rocks and such. They undermine the rocks to the extent they sink or fall over, so I had to try to wedge rocks under and prop them up. I should have built legs under my rocks of other rocks and then added the substrate so if they dug out under something it would still stay up. All-in-all they are truely entertaining to watch.

 

'Ric

 

Nice vids, are those fake plants?

 

Mostly. I have no sump, so I made a "fence" out of long reddish plastic plants along the back and tucked varius sorts of macro algae behind them. The plastic plants keep the marco from blowing around the tank (mostly, anyway.) It seemed to work for a few months, but now I had a whole bunch of Red Gracillia back there, but it's almost all gone now. Not sure why - maybe lack of light?

['Ric]

Ric

How do you like the Helfrich?

 

My 30g tank I had 2 firefish and I believe they where spawning but never saw any babies?

 

My 75g I had 2 FF and 1 Purple FF and they seemed to be ok?

 

My 90g tank, I worked up to 2 ea FF/P FF. 1 FF went MIA, then P FF when carpet surfing in firsy 3-4mo period then no problems until I lost another FF that went surfing a couple weeks ago when I believe the Tailspotted Blenny chase him out.

 

I like Pairs when I can and still have hopes that I can have both Pairs again?

 

I like the Helfrich! Once he got settled in he had no problem hanging out in the open - until yeserday. I was looking at the tank and he came up close to the front expecting to be fed. While he was looking at me, the McCosker's Flasher Wrasse 'snuck' up behind him and either nipped him or just startled the bejeebees out of him. The shot like a rocket aournd to the back of the tank and hid. He's come out to a modestly open area in the back corner a couple times, then hides again - I suspect when he see's the wrasse, but I'm not sure.

 

Carpet surfing might be a sign of non-compatibility in that the "surfer" is probably jumping out of the water in desperation to get away from someone coming after him.

 

'Ric

 

PS If anyone ever visits, please refer to my Helfrich as a P FF when in front of my wife! :wink:

[lanman]

I like the Helfrich! Once he got settled in he had no problem hanging out in the open - until yeserday. I was looking at the tank and he came up close to the front expecting to be fed. While he was looking at me, the McCosker's Flasher Wrasse 'snuck' up behind him and either nipped him or just startled the bejeebees out of him. The shot like a rocket aournd to the back of the tank and hid. He's come out to a modestly open area in the back corner a couple times, then hides again - I suspect when he see's the wrasse, but I'm not sure.

 

Carpet surfing might be a sign of non-compatibility in that the "surfer" is probably jumping out of the water in desperation to get away from someone coming after him.

 

'Ric

 

PS If anyone ever visits, please refer to my Helfrich as a P FF when in front of my wife! :wink:

 

What is a P FF ?? Oh.. never mind - I just saw Howard's post.

 

And if your wife asks, I'll just tell her I don't understand why you keep getting such cheap fish - do they die a lot in your tank? Then I'll proceed to tell her there are some really nice angelfish for only $2000 down at BRK - if she's trying to think of a good present for you for your birthday.

 

bob

Edited March 27, 2007 by lanman

['Ric]

What is a P FF ?? Oh.. never mind - I just saw Howard's post.

 

And if your wife asks, I'll just tell her I don't understand why you keep getting such cheap fish - do they die a lot in your tank? Then I'll proceed to tell her there are some really nice angelfish for only $2000 down at BRK - if she's trying to think of a good present for you for your birthday.

 

bob

 

Thanks! You are truely a marriage-saver!