Dear CP:
Thank you very much for sharing your experience with the beautiful helfrichi firefish! They certainly sound like they would make stunning additions to any seahorse tank, and the fact that you can obtain them in mated pairs does indeed add a lot to their interest since you get to observe a lot of fascinating social interactions between the pair that you wouldn’t see otherwise.
Their gentle, inoffensive disposition, their shy, retiring nature and the way they tend to seek shelter amidst the rockwork briefly whenever they are alarmed is quite reminiscent of the behavior of their more common relatives, the Firefish Goby (Nemateleotris magnifica) and the Purple Firefish Goby (Nemateleotris decora). The behavior of my Royal Gramma (Gramma loreto) is very similar as well, and all of these small, very colorful fishes make excellent tankmates for seahorses.
You’re correct — I haven’t included them on my list of compatible tankmates up to now due to their rarity and the high price tag they command when available. But I shall amend my list to include these spectacular specimens from now on for the sake of those who can afford them.
Best wishes with all your fishes, CP!
Happy Trails!
Pete Giwojna
Ocean Rider, Inc. is an Organic Hawaiian-Based Seahorse Aqua-Farm & Aquarium that Follows Strict Good Farming Practices in Raising Seahorses and Other Aquatic Life.
