fire fish / Nemateleotris magnifica

[jhale]

thanks to Jim and Russ I have a small shoal of fire fish now.
I was looking for smaller reef fish to keep and I'm happy with
these little guys so far.

they stick together and like to line up in front of a tunze pointing into the flow.

link by Deanos: Family Microdesmidae, the Worm- and Dartfishes

 

[jhale]

 

[nycmat]

sweet photos jhale

 

[jhale]

 

[jhale]

thanks Matt, all the above shots were without a flash, the battery was about to die. they are great little subjects so I'll shoot them again soon.

As far as eating they all ate right away. they chased the food all over the tank.

 

[Deanos]

Family Microdesmidae, the Worm- and Dartfishes

 

[Quang]

Awesome J!

Would you be able to add a Nemateleotris decora?
or better yet, if you can find/afford, a Nemateleotris helfrichi?

would different species tend to fight?

It would be cool to have one fish to differentiate...make him/her the king/queen of the firefish community in your tank. ... just my personal, stupid, hierarchical suggestion.

 

[fritz]

How funny! I added two to my tank today as well. They did the same thing until about an hour ago when they decided "there can only be one!"

I don't have high hopes for tomorrow.

 

[jhale]

Q, reading the link Dean provided it says that the species don't liked to be mixed. I'll be happy with the regular plain firefish and look for some peaceful tank mates for them.

 

[gnatp2]

nice. I've been considering getting a couple for my tank and i think those shots made the decision for me.

 

[Dace]

something in my tank kills them when i add them so no more for me..... i feel like a murderer if i buy them..but yours look great jon. good luck with them.

 

[herman]

Ive had two of them in my tank from the beginning and i could not be happier with them. peacefull, not shy. Cool fish!!

 

[scarf_ace1981]

from what i have heard they are not schooling fish. in jhale's case it may work since he has a big tank. pairs are 50/50, if you have a male and female it may work but if they are of the same sex they will fight.

i added one to my seahorse tank and he just went missing the other day. from day one something started attacking it but i wasn't sure what it was. i could tell it was @ night time since i would see him the next day w/ a piece of fin missing or a wound on his side. i think they are awesome but they don't seem to work for me.

good luck J

 

[meschaefer]

These little fish are at the top of my list, I too am trying to stock my tank with small reef fish.

What other fish have you added, or are thinking of adding.

 

[scarf_ace1981]

matt i think your question was towards jhale but in my 120 i have a trio of bangaii that i think are cool. i'd also like a small school of vanderbilt chromis

 

[jhale]

These little fish are at the top of my list, I too am trying to stock my tank with small reef fish.

What other fish have you added, or are thinking of adding.

I should mention the fish I took out first. I removed four tangs, a 6" sailfin, a 3" yellow, a 5" hippo, and a 3" scopas, and a 3" blue throat trigger. I gave then to mike/slamma to hold because he has the giant BK skimmer to deal with the enormous amount of poop those fish created.
I also took out a killer psuedocromis and pesky yellowtail damsel.

My fish list is now, one 5" 7 year old blue damsel, 2" ocilaris, 1" black goby, 2 1"
neon gobys, 3" mandarin, 3" Copper Band Butterfly, and the 5 2" fire fish.

 

[JHOV2324]

Dude that looks soo cool....my first fish was a firefish and he's the coolest...he survived the cycle, ick epidemic of '06, harrasment of Green Chromis, and now once in a while he slaps around my Yellow Watchman....lol...very cool fish...

 

[meschaefer]

I gave then to mike/slamma to hold because he has the giant BK skimmer to deal with the enormous amount of poop those fish created.

Where you having trouble keeping up with the waste removal?

 

[jhale]

they are tough little fish. back in the day when I had my first reef tank I had a couple of them. the tank had an ehiem canister filter running carbon. one day the fish disapered I thought they had jumped and went behind the dresser the tank was on. about a month later when I opened the canister filter I found them at the bottom alive! they had lived in about a 1/2" of water in the dark with no food. I was shocked, and I felt so bad for them. they went back into the tank like nothing had happened.

 

[Quang]

they are tough little fish. back in the day when I had my first reef tank I had a couple of them. the tank had an ehiem canister filter running carbon. one day the fish disapered I thought they had jumped and went behind the dresser the tank was on. about a month later when I opened the canister filter I found them at the bottom alive! they had lived in about a 1/2" of water in the dark with no food. I was shocked, and I felt so bad for them. they went back into the tank like nothing had happened.

J, that is ridiculous. Those guys are soldiers. Crap, Now I want to start my tank already :frown:.