September Fish of the Month: Firefish
Lifespan and size: 2-3 years to 3"
Location: Coral Sea(Red Firefish and Purple), Indonesia (Red Firefish and Purple), Maldives (Purple Fire Fish), Marshall Islands (Helfrichi Firefish only)
Care Level: Easy
Temperament: Peaceful
Tank Size: 15 gallons
Since there are a few fish that we commonly keep in our reef tanks that belong to this group of fish we'll concentrate on all three instead of just one. The 3 most common from this genus kept in our aquariums are the Red Firefish (Nemateleotris magnifica), Purple Firefish (Nemateleotris decora) and, the Helfrichi Firefish (Nemateleotris helfrichi). All are very peaceful fish and excellent choices for just about any reef aquarium. All will readily take to aquarium foods like, Pellets, Flake, Mysis shrimp, prawn eggs, and Brine shrimp. Firefish can be kept alone or in small groups. They typically feel more comfortable in small groups and this encourages them to be out and about in the tank more. Firefish are also notoriously known as jumpers! It's very wise to keep your tank covered if you don't want to find your Firefish on the floor! Keeping several easily accessible hiding spots such as caves, cracks, or holes under your live rock will help give these fish an alternative choice to dart to should they be startled by another tank occupant. When it comes to compatibility, Firefish can be kept with just about any other fish, although they do prefer more mellow tank mates. The Red Firefish and Purple Firefish are commonly found on shallow reefs and tend to be less timid than the deeper water Helfrichi Firefish.
Please feel free to post your own photos and experience with this fish!