multiple firefish

[treesprite]

I have a single firefish only now, having found that one was missing when I went to put my critters in the temp tank they were in.

 

I don't want to get rid of the ff I already have. What is the liklihood that a new younger ff would make a pair with this current ff (I've had it for a couple years)? If there is a pair would a pair do ok with a single even though unpaireds do not get along with singles? Could I just put several ff in there and the number keep them ok with each other?

 

Tank Note: 65g and only other fish are a cherub angel and a royal gramma.

[ChrisTran]

interesting questions. I am tagging along.

 

Also, what is the difference between males and females?...anyone?

[capsfan]

My firefish doesn't like new firefish in his house.

[lhcorals]

Everything i have heard about Fire fish is they should be kept in odd #'s. I would go with 3 or 5.

[sde219]

I've seen pairs - usually resulting from two leaving a larger group. It is usually very difficult to force a pair in a tank. IME, 65g is large enough to have an odd numbered group but depending on how territorial the existing one is, you might not have luck adding any number. If you rearrange the rockwork or temporarily remove the current one, my guess is you could add additional firefish but I think it'll prove fairly difficult.

[treesprite]

I got mine from a BZA group buy, not ordered as a pair. They always stayed together whether under a rock or in open water. It's sad to see just one alone in there. I thought perhaps the other went into the overflow and down to the sump because such a thing happened a couple of times with one of the ff, but I emptied the sump and there was no fish.

 

They had some ff at Aquarium One the other day and now I can't stop thinking about them.