another firefish

tranboy · #1 05/21/2007, 03:01 PM

i am wondering if i could add another firefish to my fish tank. I've had one in there for about 2 months. How could find out if they are male or female?

MDeth · #2 05/21/2007, 03:11 PM

Firefish are pretty passive and I think you could get away with it. A 38g is pretty big and you have a lotta LR.

See what others say, but I think you're good. What other fish ?

tranboy · #3 05/21/2007, 03:18 PM

I have a mandarin goby, true percula clown, and i also have a small damsel

snorvich · #4 05/21/2007, 03:41 PM

If you add a second, you will likely end up with one eventually. They don't like each other much.

TIMMYE · #5 05/21/2007, 08:34 PM

They are best to be kept alone or mated pairs from everything I have read.

walt13 · #6 05/22/2007, 09:17 AM

I added 2 at the same time to my 55 and they seem to get along great. They hang pretty close together and share the same bolt hole. I have never seen them go after each other. Even in the QT tank they hung together. This is my only experieince with firefish but it seems to work for me and it looks real cool with a pair.
Walt

karid · #7 05/22/2007, 09:28 AM

It sounds like Walt got a mated pair - or a pair that became a mated pair.

From what I've heard, this is very difficult unless you get lucky adding 2 at the same time. Adding 2 at different times I don't think will work.

cowboyswife · #8 05/22/2007, 10:20 AM

I have two in my 40 that are not a mated pair, and they get along fine. As long as you have enough rock work for them to hide in, you should be OK. I added them at the same time, and they have been living peacefully for like 3 1/2 months.

Amazon4 · #9 05/22/2007, 10:31 AM

I have two that I added at the same time. I'm hoping they are a pair, but it's hard to tell male from female.

The guy I deal with at the LFS took a lot of time to find what he thinks was the only female in a tank of 20+ firefish. He said he has pretty good luck spotting them by the shape of their flag/dorsal fin. He said the females tend to have a slightly shorter and broader fin than the males. (I've not confirmed this)

I've had them about 2 months in a 46. They hang out together. So either they are a pair, or two of the same gender that just happen to get along.

Good luck!

snorvich · #10 05/22/2007, 06:56 PM

Sorry Becca, but 3 1/2 months is not a test. If they become mated you are fine, but if they do not, you will lose one. Also, they tend not to like other species of firefish.

IanInDC · #11 05/22/2007, 11:29 PM

Yeah, it's all anecdotal, but there's very little evidence of males "getting along" for extended periods of time among just about any of the nemateleotris species, whereas there are countless examples of one male eventually ticking the other off and ending up Mark Fooing the carpet.

cowboyswife, I'm just curious, what makes you think your two aren't a male-female pair.