Fire fish gobies..single or pairs.

[murph]

I am considering adding a fire fish gobie to my tank this weekend.
I noticed it is recommended to have them in pairs from this web sites fish listings. For those of you who own them do you have them as just a single or a pair and how important is it to have them as pairs if I can only find one specimen locally?
Also wondering how hardy a fish they may or may not be, any idiosyncrasies I should be aware of and ease of feeding.
I am aware they are jumpers and top of tank is secured with egg crate. Any other info would be appreciated. TIA
Tank is 75 gallons with 30 gallon fuge and 20 gallon sump and sand substrate with LR etc. Current inhabitants are two small pajamas a small yellow tang, small six line and a pair of juvie Maroon Clowns a CBS and a brittle star and your run of the mill clean up crew.
What should I expect to pay retail. In other words what did you pay for yours.
I would also like to add a Diamond Gobi down the road to move my sand around a bit but if there is a compatibility problem here with the fire fish I can opt for other forms of sand sifters.

 

[hot883]

They are jumpers. Bought my 2 same time. Hung out all the time together. One dissapeared

The other one is still doing fine.

 

[murph]

My cleaner Gobi did the same kind of disappearing act. He was tiny though and most likely when he made his jump he hit just the right spot through the egg crate and met his doom.
Never did find the cadaver and its unlikely he died of disease. Could be the CBS got him. Like I said he was tiny and as each day passed he got braver and braver. Perhaps he became a bit too brave.

 

[nm reef]

I currently keep a single......for about a year now....maybe longer. Mine stays in the same general area and seldom ventures far away from his hang-out. Most of the time it stays in some caves and pops out for a bite whenever I feed the other fish...so he is sort of reclusive.....but so far he has been a nice addition. Low maintenance.......hardy.......and stunning colors when he does decide to make an appearence.

 

[bret61081]

I just got 2 today...so far they are pretty active...but I paid 12$ each...the purple ones were 18$ each...but I like the long top fin on the red ones! has anyone ever mixed the purple and red in one tank?? just wondering....not to steal ur thread!

 

[murph]

Maybe they are less reclusive in pairs. Can one be introduced to the tank after a single is established? It doesn't sound like they are very aggressive and this would pose a problem but I thought I would ask any way.

 

[mdog30001]

I had some regular red firefish like Bret now has. I would say beware because they are well known jumpers, thats wat happened to mine. I started with 2, one jumped. Then i got another and it was eaten by a spiny lobster that i have since returned. The last one i had was also eaten. They all jumped out of my tank though and either landed on the floor or in the overflow box. They open area was about a square inch and one time both of the gobies ended up in the overflow together, cause they followed each other like crazy. Now but are more social when there are with each other.

 

[murph]

Yikes the open area of egg crate is probably a quarter inch. Now ya got me thinking maybe not on the fire fish. I definitely do not want to close up the tank with glass.

 

[rainfishy]

I love my purple firefish and think you should still try one. I have two in a small 29g tank, with an OPEN top. I knew I was taking a risk when i did this but I have had 1 firefish for a few months and added another one recently and I rarely even see them anywhere near the top of the tank. I guess I just do everything I can to make them happy so they have less tendency to jump, or maybe I've just been lucky. I did have one get eaten by a CBS once, but that CBS is still in my tank with the current firefish and everyone is ok.

 

[pitbull01]

If u can afford it, get a helfrichi.

 

[yellow ace]

I have a pair of red fire fish gobies and have had no trouble at all. I bought them this spring. My tank has a few open spots on the cover (larger that 1 sq. inch) but I have not had any jumpers. I highly advise getting a firefish, purple or red, or a helfrichi. They are wonderful fish: colorful, bold (at least mine are), and very hardy. They are also reef safe.

 

[murph]

OK guys; thanks for the replies. Fire fish Gobi is in the tank. Gave him a nice long acclimation period. drip drip. and of course headed right to the Lr to hide. We will see what happens in the next few days.

 

[murph]

Well unfortunately it is coming up on forty eight hours since adding this guy and have not seen him for the last twenty four. When I first added him he seemed to be getting over his shyness pretty quickly poping out in the open a few times but since yesterday morning I have not seen hide nor hair.
I fed some live brine this morning thinking that would coax him out but no luck. Tuesday is water change day so if no sign of him by then I think I may have to move a few rocks around to make sure I don't have a dead body in there. No sign of him outside the tank either