[e_baer]

Unfortunately, I do not have the firefish anymore, but around a year ago I did.

Basically, my tank was doing fine, and then one day, one of my firefish jumped out and died. then the other one stopped eating, and would always hide in the rocks. then a month pased by, and i was thinking how the fish must be dead cuz i have not seen it for a while. then all of the sudden, i see the fish swimming around, but incredibly skinny! so i try to feed it, wont take any food.

it goes and hides again, and i think, alright, its gonna die soon. so get this, 3 MONTHS go by, and i still dont see it. I am feeding my fish one day, and it comes out skinny as a toothpick!!! It still would not eat any food! unfortunately that was the last time i had seen it. and i know its dead now.

my questions are:
why would it do something like this?

why would it not eat?

how did it live so long if it was not eating?

[glampka]

The fish may have been terrorized by something in the tank causing it to hide & become stressed. Stress plays an important part in tanks.

[Lowej82]

I had 2 firefish, 1 didnt make it, the other one just sat in 1 little area of the tank (the area the other on hung out in before it passed) took along time before it came around doing great now. Trys to school with my percula clowns now and then. as soon as the lights go out and the moon lights come on it heads for its hole in the rock doesnt come out untill lights been on for about 15 min. spends most of the day in front of the powerheads.

[plecosword]

i think it was sick probably. this happens in freshwater too. but it did last a very long time. it must have been internal. sorry about your fire fishes

[Azreal]

I had put a few in my tank, none survived, but it was still fairly new. Love the way they look, might try them again.

[plecosword]

maybe you need to do more reasearch. did you add them all at once?

[sarha]

what were they housed with? from what i have read about them they do best with docile species. larger or agressive, active species may cause them to hide and refuse to eat.
a preferred food is cyclop-eeze

[e_baer]

well the thing is, i had them in the tank with the same tankmates for many months (3-4) then all of the sudden all that happened.

[sarha]

maybe they were a pair and life just wasn't worth living in captivaty without the other or maybe the stress was tolarable as a pair but not as a single in other words i haven't a clue but i do sympathize with you and your firefish delema

[Lowej82]

they tend to hang out directly in the curent waiting for food to pass by swiming with in a 2"area. I feed frozen mysis shrimp, micro crab color enhancing flakes, Then it tends to catch other stuff floating by.