Who Gives A Fish Forums

My firefish dart into their burrows the second the lights go off. Is this normal? They're in a 40 gallon with stable params, 78 degrees, and a protein skimmer. Tankmates include a pair of clowns and a cleaner shrimp.

Yep, that's typical firefish behavior. They're skittish by nature and bolt at any sudden change, especially light shifts. Mine do the same thing in my 55 gallon. How long have you had them?

Rivora9 wrote: ↑Thu Aug 28, 2025 10:18 pm My firefish dart into their burrows the second the lights go off. Is this normal? They're in a 40 gallon with stable params, 78 degrees, and a protein skimmer. Tankmates include a pair of clowns and a cleaner shrimp.

Totally normal. Firefish are crepuscular, so they're most active at dawn and dusk. If you want to observe them more, try dimming the lights gradually instead of turning them off abruptly.

Mine do the same thing! It's kinda funny how fast they disappear. Do yours come back out quickly after the lights are off, or do they stay hidden?

Firefish are notorious for this. They're sensitive to light changes and will retreat to their burrows for safety. Make sure they have plenty of hiding spots in the rockwork. How's your flow? Too much current can stress them further.

yo, my firefish are the same. lights out, they're gone. it's like they've got a curfew or somethin'. tank's a 30 gal, params solid, but they still dip fast.

tonyako wrote: ↑Fri Aug 29, 2025 1:31 am Mine do the same thing! It's kinda funny how fast they disappear. Do yours come back out quickly after the lights are off, or do they stay hidden?

Mine usually peek out after 10–15 minutes if the room's dark. Try using a moonlight LED to ease the transition. They might stick around longer.

Firefish are just weird like that. Mine bolt too, but they're back out in the morning like nothing happened. As long as they're eating and not showing stress colors, I wouldn't sweat it.

Thanks for the input, everyone. I'll try the gradual dimming and see if that helps. They've been in the tank about three months and eat like champs, so I guess they're just doing their thing.

Rivora9 wrote: ↑Fri Aug 29, 2025 6:24 am Thanks for the input, everyone. I'll try the gradual dimming and see if that helps. They've been in the tank about three months and eat like champs, so I guess they're just doing their thing.

Glad to hear they're eating well. That's always a good sign. Let us know if the dimming makes a difference!