Fire Goby

[Happy Reefer]

Hi,

Is it necessary to keep normal fire gobies or purple firegoby in pairs or is it ok to keep them singly?

If a pair is to be kept, is it necessary to get a mated pair?

Thanks.

[keithtanbb]

will be pretty hard to get mated pairs, as shipment comes in rojak!!!......Fire goby is very much easier to keep than the purple ones!! cheaper too.some info here;

http://www.marinedepotlive.com/fish-gobies.html

[Happy Reefer]

Thanks Keith, that's a great website.

By the way, I thought both purple and the normal fire goby are quite hardy. Did you have problem keeping the purple?

[hotlemond]

i find them both to be hardy but except that the purple to be more shy. Initially they are together but after a year both were seperated and the fire seems territorial towards the purple. You experience it?

[Acanthurus sohal]

I set up my tank in november last year......had a pair normal red one that lasted till now, Introduce a pair of purple ones 3 motnhs ago..MIA now....I have a 7 foot tank.with lots of crevices.(they prefer caves to sleep/hide in.Coming out to feed in the day.Like to swim against the current when feeding.they are Docile by nature.I have some damsels.Think the damsels are the culprits.Brine shrimp (live or frozen) is fine for them.

[shoelevy]

i speak this only from my experience

1)i find them hardy

2)i own 3, 2 introduced together (which later paired off since they kinda follow each other everywhere and sleep together)

3)i find that they are agressive to 3rd addition whenever it got too close...but after the 3rd learnt to stay away, all is peaceful

[keithtanbb]

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/scateg.cfm?pCatId=1636

if you will like this site for the write up of the fishes......as well.

It is good to read up 1st before experimenting with them.Also make sure your LFS fishes are healthy / treated before introducing into your tank.( I always wanted a seprate quarantine tank) with copper based medication....as 1st line of defence. as had experienced a bad ICH problem...wipe out my achilles tang, hippo tang collection.!!! my purple ones survived.

[patrick123]

Unlike the rest of the reefers, I totally don't find the fire fish hardy at all. They usually seems to disappear from my tank one by one over a few weeks or months.... May be I'm just unlucky, or I have aggressive tankmate.

[Happy Reefer]

Thanks everyone for sharing.

I had a pair of fire goby for only 1 day coz the damsels I had at that time attacked them. I removed all my damsels subsequently.

As mine is a 2-ft tank, thinking of adding 1 each of the fire goby and purple firefish rather than adding a pair of both spp. Hence, asking for opinions & experience.

However, I notice that even if the pair that I bought is not a mated pair, they somehow pair up (for more boosting each other's courage) and not fight with each other.

[ervine]

Unlike the rest of the reefers, I totally don't find the fire fish hardy at all. They usually seems to disappear from my tank one by one over a few weeks or months.... May be I'm just unlucky, or I have aggressive tankmate.

Actually they are hardy... but i lost all my firefishes due to them leaping out of the tank... (my hood covers 3 of the 4 sides) but still they leapt out...

I even found one that made it down into the last compartment of my sump... alive!

I think it's because there was a bi-colour pseudochromis which kept bugging them...

[kelstorm]

most of them will have the tendency to dart into the crevices to hide and lock themselves and refusing to budge.. u might wanna check whether do u have crabs or bristleworms (HUGE) that will devour them alive during the nite...

another common source of death is leaping out of the tank.. These fishes often take things too hard, a little bit of unhappiness only, cant take it and "jump" to their deaths.

I used to keep abt 10 of them and slowly, they disappear until once, when i did spring cleaning, i found several anchovies aka ikan bilis

[Happy Reefer]

Thanks, looks like a covered tank is important and no grammas/damsels allowed to co-exist with these docile & easily shockable fishes.

One question for those whose firefishes jump out of your tanks:

Did you notice whether the fishes jump out during the day or in the night when the lights are switched off? Does the circumstances around their deaths give you any clue that they died the night before?

Reason I'm asking is because I only cover my tank (3 sides) at night after the tank lights are switched off.

Rgds.

[kelstorm]

these fishes are the most timid that i ever knew.. easily spooked... as far as i recall, i dun remember seeing any of them jumping out during the day... anyway, if they do, i'm not ard at home anyway..

[RockLobster]

most of them will have the tendency to dart into the crevices to hide and lock themselves and refusing to budge.. u might wanna check whether do u have crabs or bristleworms (HUGE) that will devour them alive during the nite...

another common source of death is leaping out of the tank.. These fishes often take things too hard, a little bit of unhappiness only, cant take it and "jump" to their deaths.

I used to keep abt 10 of them and slowly, they disappear until once, when i did spring cleaning, i found several anchovies aka ikan bilis

Crabs???

I have some hitchhiker crabs (dunno what lah, but they size of 10cent coin and hairy). I think they attack my firegoby when they sleep coz sometimes I see them with torn fins..

You think so? If so, then have to catch them./....

[kelstorm]

IMO, all crabs are predatory...

[blackpuma]

I have a purple firefish which I have kept for already 1.5 months. He is quite hardy and eats everthing I throw into the tank.

This fish is purchased from Henry of Marine Life and I strongly beleive the way the fish is captured plays a very important part. Henry told me his fish are MAC certified and I have every reason to beleive him.

Blackpuma.

[keithtanbb]

hi. was surfing came across this article......

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/cav1i1/wormf.../wormfishes.htm

[Happy Reefer]

Will a damaged dorsal fin of a fire goby grows back?