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mling

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I have been getting conflicting information regarding compatibility of firefishes. One says there should only be one while another says they are a good choice for schooling fishes.

Has anyone have, say, 4 fire fishes school in a 100G or larger tank ?
 
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Anonymous

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Firefish don't school. Juveniles will get along together for a while and then start beating the hell out of each other until you're left with two (if you're lucky) or one. This happens pretty much regardless of what size tank they're in.

If you want a very similar fish that will form peacable social groups, Ptereleotris zebra (or any in the Pterelotris genus) would be a much better selection. P. zebra in particular is a very rugged fish that adapts easily to captivity. The adults will constantly display at each other and spawn if you keep them well fed.

g093a.jpg

zebraHZ.jpg
 

SlipperMan

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Matt_":135leery said:
If you want a very similar fish that will form peacable social groups, Ptereleotris zebra (or any in the Pterelotris genus) would be a much better selection. P. zebra in particular is a very rugged fish that adapts easily to captivity. The adults will constantly display at each other and spawn if you keep them well fed.

Very interesting. I've never dealt with these fish. Look pretty cool!

Anything else to know about them? Like what not to keep with them, are they jumpers, etc?
 
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Anonymous

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These are very common fish at LFSs. Around here they are $10-15 a piece at most.

Husbandry info is pretty straightforward and about the same as that for firefish. They will eat just about anything that floats by and should be fed twice a day. They will need a "bolthole" which is typically a depression underneath a rock, just above the sand. However, they will acclimate just fine without sand as well. Aggressive fish like lunare wrasses or large dottybacks will chase them and cause them to hide and not feed. In general these fish will be the lowest in any community pecking order. Adults are about 4-5" long so a 75 gallon tank would be appropriate for a group of 4-6.
 
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SlipperMan":2f0luh7q said:
Like what not to keep with them, are they jumpers, etc?

Missed this part the first time. I wouldn't keep them with aggressive wrasses or dottybacks. Angels and tangs should be fine.

All fish save seahorses can jump, so you ought to prevent your fish from jumping in any case.
 

SlipperMan

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Thanks Matt.

Wasn't sure if they were prone to jumping like a lot of fish we hear about (wrasses as an example). My tanks are mesh covered. :wink:
 
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Anonymous

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SlipperMan":2m9zveph said:
Thanks Matt.

Wasn't sure if they were prone to jumping like a lot of fish we hear about (wrasses as an example). My tanks are mesh covered. :wink:

They're high up on the list of good jumpers, probably after tilefish and wrasses.
 
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Anonymous

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Could a small group of these be kept with a single firefish in the same tank? I think I remember that keeping different varieties of firefish together is a no-no for inter-species aggression reasons, but would that include these, given the similar body shape/habits?
 
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The Escaped Ape":20i4l6s1 said:
Could a small group of these be kept with a single firefish in the same tank? I think I remember that keeping different varieties of firefish together is a no-no for inter-species aggression reasons, but would that include these, given the similar body shape/habits?

Shouldn't be a problem. Firefish tend to play well with other fish, it's just members of the same genus they have a problem with.

FWIW I've kept a firefish with a yasha shrimp goby in a 6 gallon tank; they shared the burrow that the partner pistol shrimp excavated. With a group of dartfish I would expect the firefish to either shoal with them and hide in the same group bolthole or ignore them completely.
 
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Anonymous

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FANTASTIC suggestion, Matt. That's one of my favorites. :D However! I have found them to be even more "jumpy" and agile than firefishes. About like longnose hawks, none of which I EVER found save one poor crispy one that was wrapped in carpet fibers (we didn't find him til we moved). :(

You know, I think I still have a photo on my h/d of that yasha goby and shrimp. Sorry, had to nab it, hope you don't mind.
 
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Yep.
 

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Anonymous

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Matt_":2jlseycp said:
The Escaped Ape":2jlseycp said:
Could a small group of these be kept with a single firefish in the same tank? I think I remember that keeping different varieties of firefish together is a no-no for inter-species aggression reasons, but would that include these, given the similar body shape/habits?

Shouldn't be a problem. Firefish tend to play well with other fish, it's just members of the same genus they have a problem with.

FWIW I've kept a firefish with a yasha shrimp goby in a 6 gallon tank; they shared the burrow that the partner pistol shrimp excavated. With a group of dartfish I would expect the firefish to either shoal with them and hide in the same group bolthole or ignore them completely.

Thanks Matt. I really like this idea. The Ptereleotris zebra can be really beautiful (those photos you posted are perhaps the best I've seen - maybe not all will look that good, but still...) and I love Firefish. The idea of one schooling with the P zebra is pretty wild. I can't believe it lived with the Yasha Goby in the same burrow! Another beautiful fish. I'm a real sucker for gobies.

BTW, nice pict Marina. 8)
 
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Anonymous

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If I recollect, that's Matt's photo (I'm fairly certain, but no guarantee). I love those barred gobies, m'self. As far as I'm concerned they're as pretty as scissor-tail gobies, which means gorgeous in a holding tank. But, I am fond of sublime beauty, such as is found in the Scopas tang.
 
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Anonymous

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seamaiden":14okproi said:
If I recollect, that's Matt's photo (I'm fairly certain, but no guarantee). I love those barred gobies, m'self. As far as I'm concerned they're as pretty as scissor-tail gobies, which means gorgeous in a holding tank. But, I am fond of sublime beauty, such as is found in the Scopas tang.

FWIW none of the photos in this thread are mine.

The one of the displaying dartfish is the only one I could find on the net, which is a shame because they do it quite often and it looks veeeeery cool.
 
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Anonymous

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I notice the first one has a Japanese name on it. I assume that means I'll be able to buy some in Japan when we move back. 8)
 

mling

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I have a good size pistol shrimp, about 2". Will it have most of these small fishes for dinner ? :?
 
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Anonymous

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Matt_":1ht918n9 said:
seamaiden":1ht918n9 said:
If I recollect, that's Matt's photo (I'm fairly certain, but no guarantee). I love those barred gobies, m'self. As far as I'm concerned they're as pretty as scissor-tail gobies, which means gorgeous in a holding tank. But, I am fond of sublime beauty, such as is found in the Scopas tang.

FWIW none of the photos in this thread are mine.

The one of the displaying dartfish is the only one I could find on the net, which is a shame because they do it quite often and it looks veeeeery cool.
Are you sure I didn't get that yasha goby photo from you? I could have sworn it was yours (and have been saying so for quite some time now). :?
 

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