What is the rational behind keeping odd number of certain fish? - Page 2

KarenLR75 · 01/07/2018, 03:13 PM

Wow, timely discussion! I had another thread asking about fire fish we have. The LFS told us to buy them in the 'odd #' pattern that this thread was started about. We bought 7 and due to mistakes we made (1 jumped out and was too traumatized to survive, we have egg crate now & we didn't realize 2 were at the 'bottom' of some rock we moved)..we were reduced down to 4...but it wasn't from the fire fish fighting or being attacked by other fish.

We had been told '4' (i.e. 'even' #) was not a good #. I'm unsure with fire fish if one fish becomes dominant fish and what the gender of the dominant fish is..or becomes..and if the rest are the 'harem'. We did notice that although the 4 often 'shoaled' together, they often also divided up into '2's' (did they pair up?). There was no aggression ever seen between the duo's and as I mentioned before, they often swam in a 'group'.

We recently lost the 4th when we added our largest fish acquisitions to date and fire fish #4 panicked and dove into a burrow where a goby and his shrimp lived (they had food for days I guess). The other 3 fled back to the rock work where they always sleep.

The remaining 3 swim together fine. I opened the other thread to see if I could 'replenish' their #'s like you do with freshwater neon tetras or if the 3 fire fish I have left have basically formed their own 'tribe' & adding even the same exact fish would be seen as 'invaders' ..so in this they'd be unlike freshwater tetras as I've never seen an issue w/additions.

All this being said, since most posters feel adding more of the same fire fish could be asking for trouble, we had been discussing buying several blue-green chromis. I had NO clue that so many people have had issues with rapid attrition of chromis! I realize I had rapid attrition w/my fire fish but again, the first 3 lost were our fault.

Now I'm really stumped about what to do....but thanks for starting this thread and all of the people who have given input/posted...and maybe it's just me and I don't mean to be disrespectful of anyone's feelings - but I've seen many threads where someone interjects a bit of levity..so I chuckled at the 'Pi' comment. Honestly, I needed a bit of a chuckle today....AND I have so enjoyed reading everyone's thoughts and input as this topic is right on point with what we're struggling to decide with our current fish/future fish

der_wille_zur_macht · 01/07/2018, 06:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KarenLR75

I chuckled at the 'Pi' comment. Honestly, I needed a bit of a chuckle today....AND I have so enjoyed reading everyone's thoughts and input as this topic is right on point with what we're struggling to decide with our current fish/future fish

This is a hobby, it's supposed to be fun! If we can't occasionally laugh at ourselves or each other, we're doing it wrong.

KarenLR75 · 01/07/2018, 07:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by der_wille_zur_macht

This is a hobby, it's supposed to be fun! If we can't occasionally laugh at ourselves or each other, we're doing it wrong.

Great point!!

Punchanello · 01/07/2018, 09:40 PM

Ok, so Chromis' actually live out the plot of Highlander. That's pretty badass.

01/07/2018, 03:13 PM	#26
KarenLR75 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Fort Worth, TX Posts: 140	Wow, timely discussion! I had another thread asking about fire fish we have. The LFS told us to buy them in the 'odd #' pattern that this thread was started about. We bought 7 and due to mistakes we made (1 jumped out and was too traumatized to survive, we have egg crate now & we didn't realize 2 were at the 'bottom' of some rock we moved)..we were reduced down to 4...but it wasn't from the fire fish fighting or being attacked by other fish. We had been told '4' (i.e. 'even' #) was not a good #. I'm unsure with fire fish if one fish becomes dominant fish and what the gender of the dominant fish is..or becomes..and if the rest are the 'harem'. We did notice that although the 4 often 'shoaled' together, they often also divided up into '2's' (did they pair up?). There was no aggression ever seen between the duo's and as I mentioned before, they often swam in a 'group'. We recently lost the 4th when we added our largest fish acquisitions to date and fire fish #4 panicked and dove into a burrow where a goby and his shrimp lived (they had food for days I guess). The other 3 fled back to the rock work where they always sleep. The remaining 3 swim together fine. I opened the other thread to see if I could 'replenish' their #'s like you do with freshwater neon tetras or if the 3 fire fish I have left have basically formed their own 'tribe' & adding even the same exact fish would be seen as 'invaders' ..so in this they'd be unlike freshwater tetras as I've never seen an issue w/additions. All this being said, since most posters feel adding more of the same fire fish could be asking for trouble, we had been discussing buying several blue-green chromis. I had NO clue that so many people have had issues with rapid attrition of chromis! I realize I had rapid attrition w/my fire fish but again, the first 3 lost were our fault. Now I'm really stumped about what to do....but thanks for starting this thread and all of the people who have given input/posted...and maybe it's just me and I don't mean to be disrespectful of anyone's feelings - but I've seen many threads where someone interjects a bit of levity..so I chuckled at the 'Pi' comment. Honestly, I needed a bit of a chuckle today....AND I have so enjoyed reading everyone's thoughts and input as this topic is right on point with what we're struggling to decide with our current fish/future fish Last edited by KarenLR75; 01/07/2018 at 03:18 PM. Reason: sentence format

01/07/2018, 09:40 PM	#29
Punchanello Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2017 Location: Australia Posts: 170	Ok, so Chromis' actually live out the plot of Highlander. That's pretty badass. __________________ Don't ask me, I'm new here. My tank build: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2647315