Fancying getting a Hawkfish. Any advice on them?

Zionas · May 30, 2020

Can Hawkfish species be mixed in a 6’ tank? I’m thinking Flame + Longnose or Flame + Falco. They’ll be introduced at around the same time.

GaryE · May 30, 2020

Our hawkfish has a huge personality...

Bpfor3 · May 30, 2020

I have a long nose hawk. Had a pair through live aquaria, but one jumped. Fine fish. No issues with one big exception. They will harrass/kill dartfish.

Mono · May 30, 2020

Just a happy Long Nose Hawkfish. I really like the unique body shape and color pattern. I have had 3 over my career and only one of them ended up eating pellets, this guy. The other two ate only frozen food. The pellet eater grew much bigger than the other two. He's at least a full 5" tip of nose to tail.

Marsh980 · May 30, 2020

I have a flame and sulphur watchman in my 200 gallon and my hawkfish by far has a better personality. He certainly uses all the reef and loves taking on the MP40 current and loses everytime haha.

He’s not bothered my CUC inc shrimps.

Watching him eat is fun, he flies off the rocks to grab mysis and krill.

In regards to jumping, I don’t know because I have glass lids.

najer · May 30, 2020

Zionas said:
Can Hawkfish species be mixed in a 6’ tank? I’m thinking Flame + Longnose or Flame + Falco. They’ll be introduced at around the same time.

I had a flame and a long nose in a 5' 5" low with no issues, lost the flame, not sure what happened.

Marsh980 · May 30, 2020

Zionas said:
It’s been confirmed there won’t be a shrimp or a goby in this tank, because I really want not only a Flame Hawkfish, but I’m also getting a Marine Betta and a Blue Throat Trigger.

What would be a good time to add the Flame Hawk? I’m thinking of introducing it before my Foxface or with it.

I have all those 3 fish in my 200 gallon and none have bothered my CUC, shrimps, goby or fox face.

Just keep them well fed

SamsReef · May 30, 2020

Silverfish said:
I assume you do not want any decorator shrimp? My hawk fish ate two in the first day I got him. I thought they were to big for him to eat.

What he said. Hawkfish will Kill shrimps in the tank.

I wish they did not because I love their personality otherwise. Would find mine hanging by the side of powerhead it just sitting on a rock. Pretty cool if you don’t care about shrimps.

sam

Marsh980 · May 30, 2020

In conclusion, they’re not 100% invert safe but you either get lucky or you don’t. Some will have a taste for shrimp some won’t.

When I added mine I knew this and accepted the risk. I’ve got lucky so far but I doubt my Cleaner shrimps are out as much as someone who doesn’t have any ‘invert caution’ fish.

ckjhill · May 30, 2020

Best fish I bought....Hawkfish.
Worst...Striped Damsel and Coral Beauty....they just got evicted to the nano tank after I put a 6 line wrasse in there...the coral beauty started to harass the crap out of him.

Zionas · May 30, 2020

Well yeah I guess no inverts for this tank considering I am also getting a Comet AKA Marine Betta. I’m thinking doing up to 4 bottom dwellers. YWG pair, Flame Hawk and Longnose / Falco Hawk. Would the gobies be harassed by the Hawkfish, and would the different species of Hawkfish harass each other?

@

DeniableArc · May 30, 2020

Zionas said:
Today I was looking at Hawkfish and I found them to be pretty cool. If I could get a Flame, a Coral, or Falco, heard I’ll be getting a little fish with a great personality.

From what I have read they are pretty interesting and hardy too, and that they can live for over ten years. I have read that they do pose a threat to small invertebrates so it’s pretty much a choice between a Hawkfish or a Yellow Watchman Goby for me (because both are bottom dwellers and I do plan to pair the Goby with a Pistol Shrimp if I get the YWG).

Do they have any special dietary requirements (are they picky eaters)? What do I feed them for optimal health? Are they very aggressive and do they jump a lot?

Which species would you recommend?

Their tank mates will be:

A pair of Ocellaris or Black and White Ocellaris clownfish

A Royal Gramma

Two to three Azure or Talbot’s Damselfish

A dwarf angel (species undecided)

A choice between the Hawkfish or the Yellow Watchman Goby

G’day from Australia! I have a flame hawk with a six line and yellow tang with no problems at all it is by far my favourite fish due to his personality and just does not accept bullies or getting pushed around. He just scoots around perching non stop, eats pellets.

Zionas · May 30, 2020

That’s great to know!

Zionas · May 30, 2020

I am thinking of getting a pair of Yellow Watchman Gobies, they’ll be established before the Hawks. If I get 2 Hawkfish of different species, will they cause trouble for my gobies? Will they get along with each other?

Thinking Flame + Longnose or Flame + Falco.

El_Guapo13 · May 30, 2020

Marsh980 said:
I have all those 3 fish in my 200 gallon and none have bothered my CUC, shrimps, goby or fox face.

Just keep them well fed

Define "well fed". Do you feed more than once per day? What do you feed them? Just pellets, or frozen, or a mixture?

Marsh980 · May 30, 2020

El_Guapo13 said:
Define "well fed". Do you feed more than once per day? What do you feed them? Just pellets, or frozen, or a mixture?

I feed once a day with a mixture of frozen mysis, brine, Copepods and krill.

I also drop a few algae pellets. No nori yet, that will given when I get my tangs

Webslinger · May 30, 2020

ckjhill said:
Best fish I bought....Hawkfish.
Worst...Striped Damsel and Coral Beauty....they just got evicted to the nano tank after I put a 6 line wrasse in there...the coral beauty started to harass the crap out of him.

You'll be rehoming the 6-line shortly too.