I Think I Have A Pair Of Firemouths

[1411939]

i read somewhere that 2 males will kill each other however i bought 3 then when i left i saw one firemouth floating at the top it wasnt dead but it looked like either he was beat up or sick with tuberculosis, or my senegal bichir attacked its head but it couldnt swim so i fed it to my 8" needlefish in my other tank, anyways..... right now the lights are on in my 55 gal tank and one of my firemouths is much more darker/colorful than the other it has red on its belly and its head is darker, while the other more aggressive firemouth is completely pale with no outstanding colors, that pale firemouth is the aggressive one it KIND OF chases the other firemouth but not even a ripped fin yet its been 3-4 days... like this
details:

each fm is 1"-1.5" big
is a 55 gallon tank
play sand
some hiding places(like 3-4 good sized caves)
big rock in the middle
temp is 78-80F.
diet is bloodworms/pellets/krill/shrimp pellets

 

[star4]

Female firemouths are usually a little less colourful than the male, does sound like you could possibly have a pair.

 

[snowflake311]

But when spawning the male and female will both show really good color. Pale color normaly means stress. But I have seen some pale FM that were just that way.I would keep a close eye on them and watch for any big fights. It could be a pair. Do you have photos.

One thing I want to add it's never a good idea to feed a sick fish to a healthy one. If you don't know what the fish died of you could Have just gave your needlenose an illness.

 

[1411939]

But when spawning the male and female will both show really good color. Pale color normaly means stress. But I have seen some pale FM that were just that way.I would keep a close eye on them and watch for any big fights. It could be a pair. Do you have photos.

One thing I want to add it's never a good idea to feed a sick fish to a healthy one. If you don't know what the fish died of you could Have just gave your needlenose an illness.

yes but if the fish gets eaten in less than 3 seconds the disease gets killed inside the belly, right now though both of the firemouths look EXACTLY the same but is just one is much more colorful than the other and the pale one is the aggressive one

 

[Glenbo1981]

Ahhhh the 3 second rule lol

 

[kaivalagi]

right now though both of the firemouths look EXACTLY the same but is just one is much more colorful than the other and the pale one is the aggressive one

At 1-1.5" long there may be nothing to go on to sex them yet...they may well look exactly the same and be male/female, mine were before they grew some more and I was forced to re-home the female due to her picking on others in the tank.

Ahhhh the 3 second rule lol

+1
New one on me that
I'll have to remember that when eating my mother-in-law's cooking

*disclaimer, Mum, if you're reading this it's a joke, I promise, I love your food, that's why I eat it so fast

 

[snowflake311]

Never heard of that kind of 3 second rule. I don't think the stomch can digest disease.if it was fish tb you with out a doubt just gave it to your healthy fish. Fish tb is a nasty disease that can even effect us. But true fish tb is no all that common.

 

[1411939]

it is common in feeder fish some rosy red minnows i bought turned all skinny and inactive, this is either tb, or internal parasites, either way i have had this needlefish for years and fed it a goldfish the first day i got him, he eats them in less than 5 seconds, mine never chases it just launches itself and in a blink is alraedy in its teeth

 

[Glenbo1981]

ROTFL I love this thread this should be renamed 'advanced fish keeping'

Are you trolling?

 

[kaivalagi]

Needlefish must be immune to disease or something?

 

[Glenbo1981]

lol yes, they must be sterile needle fish

 

[kaivalagi]

lol yes, they must be sterile needle fish

 

[1411939]

ROTFL I love this thread this should be renamed 'advanced fish keeping'

Are you trolling?

no is true, other fish forums like this one the people told me as long as the feeder fish doesnt stay alive in the tank for a while and it gets eaten inmeadetly the eater fish should kill the bacteria inside as it hasnt acclimated yet... how do you think oscars live for YEARS and those owners have at least fed them sick feeder fish by accident one time

 

[Glenbo1981]

lol this is awesome

 

[kaivalagi]

I'd love to see the proof, sounds bogus to me (and I think I speak for everyone when I say that)