Shy firemouths

I have 4 young Firemouths in a 39G with 2 adult Buenos Aires tetras as dithers (and because they got too big for the tank I had them in). The firemouths are just a bit bigger, length-wise, than the tetras. The tetras are active and front and center all the time. 3 of the firemouths tend to stay amongst the plants, the 4th has created its own cave area in the sand under a piece of driftwood. They all come out for feedings.

Is this just their nature? Will they come out more when they get older/bigger? Anything I can do to draw them out more? Thanks in advance!

 

Bumping this up for you

 

My fire mouth is very very shy as well. Before, I thought it was due to being bullied by a jewel cichlid but now that the jewel is gone he/she is the dominant fish in the tank and still hides in the back among the plants.

 

From my experience with them, that's just their nature.

 

Well now I'm disappointed. I thought I'd done enough research before I got them. I just went through having jewels that hid constantly.

 

Your jewel cichlids hid all the time?
Weird..... When I had one he didn't do that.
When the firemouths get older they'll be more visible, I think, yours are just young.

 

Yeah, the jewels hid constantly.

I hope my firemouths come around eventually. I've wanted them for quite some time. It took me about a year to decide what I was going to put in this tank when I set it up again. In fact, you and I talked about my choices way back in March! lol! I really like the firemouths, and even though they're still small and don't have much red to them yet, I have seen them flare once in a while - so cool! I've seen lots of pictures of firemouths in aquariums and they're not hiding. Maybe they will grow out of it!

 

Hope they do come out of their shell so to speak!
My rainbow cichlid is always out and about, all over the aquarium. They don't really establish territories like firemouths or convicts do.

If you wanted to do something really cool, you could have a species tank of Haplochromis sauvageI (Rock Kribs). They don't really have territories either, and they breed like guppies.

They aren't that aggressive, either.

 

Firemouths do hid the majority of the time. They're establish a territory, usually digging out and area behind a plant or in a rock formation and defend it constantly.

I saw my juvies more often than my adults. Once grown they become quite territorial. Adding more dithers or floating plants will encourage them to come out more however.

 

Firemouths do hid the majority of the time. They're establish a territory, usually digging out and area behind a plant or in a rock formation and defend it constantly.

I saw my juvies more often than my adults. Once grown they become quite territorial. Adding more dithers or floating plants will encourage them to come out more however.

I had a ton of floating Anubias and mine still didn't come out... Any other plants I can try? My tank has too much water flow for duckweed and frog bit, I've tried and it lasts only a few weeks.

 

I would add a few more dither fish. I found with mine 4 was the magic number that got them out of the hiding spots.

I have 6 firemouths that are still very small less than 2". They are in a QT I did place caves, hiding spots and some floating fake plants to help but nothing worked until I out dither in the tank. I know my placing dither fish in the QT means I might not be able to move those back to my main tanks but it had to be done. I used female guppies (because I have tanks full) and 4 was enough to get the firemouths moving around.

 

What are the dimensions of the tank?
I'd consider adding 8 australian rainbowfish if this is 36 by 18.

 

My firemouth cichlids were very shy as well until I started feeding homemade gel food. Now they're always scooting around the tank and showing bright colours.

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