Should I worry yet...

[twicklund]

I added a firefish this weekend (Saturday). The last time I saw him was Sunday, behind a rock...Now I know these are timid fish, but how long should I wait before I go looking for his remains...I have a 75 with about 125lbs of live rock, so lotsa hiding places...I have looked real hard for him, but can't seem to find him...Even at night he stays hidden...
Thanks,
tw

 

[mr. bubbles]

How long have you had him in the tank and what are your levels? I wouldnt be to worried. i have 2 purple fire fish and they hid for 3 days. then i finally saw them. i woould say if you dont see them with in 6 days, go looking for them.

 

[zack schwartz]

When I got mine it jumped out of the tank. Look behind the tank or on the floor just incase! <img src="graemlins//eek.gif" border="0" alt="[eek]" />

 

[broomer5]

twicklund
Same thing happened to me.
My firefish was a shy-baby and hid in my 75 tank for about a month - yes - a month.
You could just barely see it, if you looked just right, under a rock ledge/hole.
Talk about feeling like you wasted some money.
My girlfriend nicknamed it little "Stealth" fish.
Now it's always out an about, but never strays too far from it's favorite hiding place in the rockwork - except at feeding time.
Cool fish - but I would still look for it around the floor as Zack said, or try and find it in the rock.

 

[twicklund]

Forutnatly, he is no where to be found outside the tank...Thanks for the advice, guess I will just have to have a little more patience!!!
tw

 

[krusk]

we assume you have a good water paramters.
And a good cleaning crew
JIC, the firefish can not be found at all in the next few months
and I don't think you want to rib more then 100 lbl rock to looking for a small fish
I too love those firefish
just a though

 

[twicklund]

Yes, params are perfect...And I have a great clean up crew (bought from this site...I highly recommend them!!!)...
And your right, I really DON'T want to move all the live rock looking for him...But I will try to stay optimistic at least for a little while longer...
tw

 

[joe's reefer]

they take a while.but my firefish came out before the purpple did.

 

[richierich2000]

I have one and when I first got it it hid for like 4 weeks i thought that it was long gone and then one day it was there and it has come out ever since I have a 150 gallon with about 275 pounds L/R so I was not going to look for him

 

[von_rahvin]

if you have more than one they become more active. they are schooling fish so they like to have company. Also mine hid for the first 2 weeks they were in the tank. it is a normal thing for them to do.

 

[twicklund]

So since they are schoolers should i add another? And if so, can I add it now, or should I wait until the other shows its face again?
tw

 

[wrassecal]

Well, I'm glad this topic is here cause I was going to post the same question. My red fire fish was out quite a bit the first few days I bought it a couple weeks ago but we haven't seen it in probably 4 or 6 days. Water parameters are fine, so I guess he's just hiding. Problem is I never found his hidey hole before he decided to go live there all the time so I don't have a clue as to whether or not it's OK.

 

[susiepan]

Deb
LMAO...I had to read your post twice...I thought you said Hiney hole...not hidey hole....
Im still laughing..
Thanks, that was cute..
But anyway guys...JM.02 Mine did the same..and even when they are out and about...if ANYTHING goes near the tank too quick...they are gone in a flash....
~Susie

 

[deucey]

Hey twicklund.....i too had a firefish..red one....that jumped out of the tank but not in to the floor but into my over flow......the got sucked up and was stuck to my prefilter... so look around for it in there.....just a thought....i looked for mine for three days b/f i finally found him in there...it sucked.....good luck....

 

[twicklund]

I am giving up on the firefish...Don't know what happened, but I havent seen him now in almost a month...
<img src="graemlins//dead.gif" border="0" alt="[dead]" />

 

[wrassecal]

Hey susiepan, I think somethings hiney hole must have had something to do with it cause the fish is still missing! I gotta believe after all this time something ate it....if it went carpet surfing probably the schnauzer!

 

[shootonsite]

twicklund,
It must be hard not knowing what happened to your firefish. I'd imagine that its tendency to remain in the rockwork could have left him vulnerable to predation. Depending on the size of your brittlestars, they will catch fish that are sleeping. Also, pink-tip condys or bubble-tip anemones have a very powerful sting. Simply brushing against a tentacle would catch a fragile firefish. At least you've come to terms with it.

 

[wrassecal]

sheet, I have a condy, a brittlestar and a couple bubble tips cause one split a couple weeks ago. maybe that's why it was so healthy it ate my firefish, but I can't see the tomato clown letting another fish that close, not to mention bristleworms might of goten it. No tellin who ate mine! <img src="graemlins//eek.gif" border="0" alt="[eek]" />

 

[shootonsite]

DAB,
The thing I enjoyed so much was watching my clown feed his anemone. I've since exchanged my bubble-tip in fear of it stinging my corals, but he did leave 4 tiny bubble-tips behind. My clown has now adopted my Horn Coral as a host.