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Purple Firefish (Nemateleotris decora)
Purple Firefish
Please Note: Due to variations within species, your item may not look identical to the image provided. Approximate size range may also vary between individual specimen.
Please Note: Due to variations within species, your item may not look identical to the image provided. Approximate size range may also vary between individual specimen.
Purple Firefish (Nemateleotris decora)
Additional locales and sizes may be available!
Additional locales and sizes may be available!

Quick Stats

Care Level Easy
Temperament Peaceful
Color Form Purple, Red, White, Yellow
Diet Carnivore
Reef Compatible Yes
Water Conditions sg 1.020-1.025, 72-78° F, dKH 8-12, pH 8.1-8.4
Max. Size 3¼"
Family Gobiidae
Minimum Tank Size 20 gallons
Compatibility View Chart
What do these Quick Stats mean? Click here for more information
Care Level Easy
Temperament Peaceful
Color Form Purple, Red, White, Yellow
Diet Carnivore
Reef Compatible Yes
Water Conditions sg 1.020-1.025, 72-78° F, dKH 8-12, pH 8.1-8.4
Max. Size 3¼"
Family Gobiidae
Minimum Tank Size 20 gallons
Compatibility View Chart
What do these Quick Stats mean? Click here for more information

Overview

Did you know that this specimen ships from our LiveAquaria® Wisconsin Facility, home of our popular Diver's Den® WYSIWYG Store and our LiveAquaria® Certified Captive Grown Corals (CCGC)? What that means is that you can rest assured knowing this specimen received the highest level of care from our experienced and professional LiveAquaria® staff!

PLUS, hobbyists that use our LiveAquaria® Professional Reef Salt have the added benefit knowing marine species shipped from our LiveAquaria® Wisconsin Facility share the same water parameters. In other words, if you use our Professional Reef Salt, marine species shipped from our Wisconsin Facility will acclimate and transition to your home aquarium with less stress to set the foundation for longer term success.

The Purple Firefish, also known as the Decorated Firefish, Purple Dartfish, Decorated Dartfish, or Flame Firefish, was first discovered in the Indo-west-Pacific Ocean in 1973 by Randall and Allen. The colorful body base is varied degrees of yellow to white, and deep shades of purple which begin at the head and ends with maroon-tipped fins.

It requires a 20 gallon or larger aquarium with plenty of loose coral rubble as part of the aquascape, and a tight-fitting lid to prevent it from jumping out of the tank. It will rarely become aggressive towards other fish, but is territorial, and will fight with its own kind unless they are a mated pair.

The Purple Firefish will feed mostly on prey suspended in the water column, but will pick food off the substrate. Its varied diet should consist of chopped or shaved seafood, frozen food preparations for carnivores, vitamin-enriched brine shrimp, and mysis shrimp. The vibrant coloring will fade if not fed a vitamin-enriched diet.

Approximate Purchase Size: 1-3/4" to 2-3/4"

Customer Testimonials

Candy V. Washburn , WI
Photos don't do justice to the colors of this fish. And unlike some fish, it's colors seem to improve on a captive diet. My pair is always in the open for our enjoyment.
Lynn Seattle , WA
I orderd a Purple Firefish (Maldives) about a year ago and it's my favorite fish in the tank. He's absolutely gorgeous. Instead of being mostly white on the anterior portion, it's a beautiful light yellow. The color combination is something else!
Andy S Seattle , WA
This is the first fish people ask about when they see my 29 gallon tank. The colors of the purple firefish are truly amazing! She hovers a couple inches off the substrate and is fun to watch. She does need good hiding spots to go when she's startled, but she's so peaceful and calm. Again, the colors are unbelievable!
David Bailey Vero Beach , FL
I've had my firefish awhile now and he is a hardy, hungry fish. He had beautiful colors when I got him and has only grown and flourished. If startled he will dart in his hole and they can really dart, but other than that he swims around a lot and is a good display fish.
Mark H Lake Havasu City , AZ
Another fish where the photo does it no justice at all. These fish in real life are really vibrant in color. the purple firefish is one of the first fish in my tank that people notice when they look at it. A few of my friends got some for their tank after seeing mine.
Pam C Huntinton , VT
Not only is this fish WAY prettier than the photo, it's coloration is much more vivid than the ones at my LFS and about $10 less. As with all the fish I've orderd from Liveaquaria, it arrived healthy and eating and I believe it's well worth the shipping to obtain specimens that don't spread disease or die mysteriously in 4 days. This is maybe the 10th fish I've bought from Liveaquaria and I've lost zero.
1-6 of 6 testimonials

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