Dartfish of the week

[felinxo]

Fish of the week - Dartfish

A popular choice for many,

What are your thoughts on these fish?

Share your experiences, and don't forget to post your photos.

[Kazora]

I've got a purple fire fish, does the job nicely in my tank. Friendly little thing, used to be out swimming about all the time, now it's settled in with its own cave and has rearranged the sand to its liking. Spends about half the time the lights are on hiding in there, always in when they're off though. Whenever I'm near the tank, it pops out and hangs around the toadstool. The purple's really come through strong, you can see the difference in the pics I took just after adding it.

[felinxo]

Lovely pics, thanks for sharing - really highlight why dartfish are a firm favourite, so popular due to their fluxx

[finleyd]

Got a blurry pic of my old firtideflow,

Always meant to get a better one but never got round to it.

[felinxo]

Come on everyone, I know loads of you have Dartfish, so where are the pics and what are your top tips? Seffie x

[brunobear]

I've had my fair share of dartfish, and while they're undoubtedly pretty, I wouldn't say they're the best choice if you want a fish that's always on the go.

I've had both a red and a purple one, and their behavior was pretty similar. Unfortunately, I lost both of them after about a year or so - no idea what happened, they just vanished. One thing to keep in mind is that these guys are jumpers, so a tank cover is a must.

I've only ever kept one at a time, but I've heard mixed opinions on whether they should be kept in pairs or groups. Some people say they'll fight, while others claim they do just fine together.

Feeding them is a breeze - they'll take anything from flake to frozen to live foods. One thing I've noticed is that they tend to stick close to their "home" - usually a hole in the rockwork near the substrate.

My first dartfish picked a spot at the back of the tank, so I rarely saw it. But my second one was different - it was active and swam openly in its 150l tank. However, after I upgraded to a 100g tank, it changed. It'd spend most of its time hiding in the rockwork and rarely came out. Then, out of the blue, it just died.

Photos would be great, but I'm not sure I have any decent ones.

[zenox_5]

I've recently got my hands on one of these dartfish and I must say, it's a really cool little guy. Similar to what brunobear mentioned, mine has also claimed a hole in the rocks near the substrate as its own.

After the initial acclimation period, it's been out and about all the time, but it's quite peculiar that it only seems to feel comfortable around me, probably because I'm the one feeding it.

There was a bit of a scuffle with my clowns, and it ended up with a slight tear on its back fin, but fortunately, it's all healed up now.

One thing I've noticed is that, from a distance, they might appear to be just white and red, but when you take a closer look, they have these stunning yellows and purple spots around the facial area. Mine, in particular, has these gorgeous turquoise stripes along the top and bottom of its fins – does anyone know what those are called?

I've heard that juvenile dartfish can be kept together, but if you do plan on keeping them as a pair, it's best to get a true pair. Also, from what I know, they've never been bred in captivity.

[stormer99]

Here's mine, it's a great little fish. It does get a bit spooked when the clowns swim by, but it's learning to cope. With the new additions on the way, I'm hoping the clowns will lose interest and leave it be.

[felinxo]

Still waiting for some dartfish photos and experiences, anyone got some to share?

[turbokid]

Here's mine, it seems to get along with the rest of the tankmates - 2 clowns, a chromi, and a wrasse. I added a blennie recently, but it went into hiding until I removed it. Turned out the blennie had a damaged mouth that I didn't notice at the store, probably for the best I took it back.