Helfrich's firefish

[Ruth]

Does anyone have one or more of these fish or have you kept them in the past? I am getting a couple and have researched them and can't really see where they are that much different from the purple and orange firefish that are commonly seen. Like all firefish they have a tendency to go carpet surfing and don't seem to tolerate warm water that well as they are a deeper water fish.
Any one else have some advise they can offer from first hand experience?

[Ruth]

Here is a link to more information and a picture.
http://www.marinecenter.com/fish/gobies/helfrichsfirefish/

[nanoreefer]

they sure look nice but at J&L there $150 and a littel pricey for me

but good luck with them:biggrin:

[mark]

remembered this post http://www.reefs.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=65092&highlight=helfrich.

Doesn't answer your question but thought was neat.

[Chin_Lee]

Does anyone have one or more of these fish or have you kept them in the past? I am getting a couple and have researched them and can't really see where they are that much different from the purple and orange firefish that are commonly seen. Like all firefish they have a tendency to go carpet surfing and don't seem to tolerate warm water that well as they are a deeper water fish.
Any one else have some advise they can offer from first hand experience?

Hi Ruth
from my experience.....
I had four firefish in my tank at one point in time (2 purples, 2 regular) and they all lived only from 4-6 months. They didn't appreciate the high flow rate in my tank and feeding them was difficult because the faster fish would get to the food first. They were also skittish so they would hide in rocks when I tried to squirt food down to where they were and as the bigger fishes come by to try to eat the food. I believe they eventually just starved away due to lack of food consumption.
I would only try again in a LPS tank maybe where the flow won't be as high.

[Xtasia]

Not that this helps much either...

but I've had my Fire fish for 1.5 years and he was the only one to survive my tank hyposalinty/ich wipe out.. he lived in a crappy half filled 10g with an air stone for 2 months under quarantine.. and when I put him back into the tank, he was the KING of the tank... lording his MASSIVE porportions over the baby tang (less than a quarter size), baby perc clowns, baby royal gramma... He would bully the other fish, and swim out in the open. I have never seen such a tiny fish throw his weight around so much! I knew in a few months he would be in for a BIG surprise. hah!

Months later.. now that the "kids" have grown up.. he's dug himself a neat little tunnel underneath a rock and is shacking up with a pistol shrimp (weird! I know!). He's more of a shy eater and less of a tyrant these days.

I think firefish have seriously awesome personalities and you should definitely get it!