Mixing Hawkfish species?

Zionas · May 30, 2020

Hi I was wondering if anyone has tried mixing Hawkfish species in the same tank. How big is your tank and which species have you mixed? Does it usually work out and is there a trick to making sure it succeeds? I am thinking of introducing a Flame Hawk and a Longnose, Falco or Coral Hawk simultaneously. This is somewhat unrelated but I also want to get a pair of YWGs by introducing them simultaneously. Is it hard to pair the Gobies? Will the two Hawkfish (if it succeeds) be a constant threat to the Goby pair?

Thanks and I’d love to hear from you guys who have had more than one Hawkfish (same species or not) in the same tank. My tank will be 6’.

Big G · May 30, 2020

Markhoh3 · May 30, 2020

I’d like to know also. Have a 180 with a Flame Hawkfish. Like watching it.

Zionas · May 31, 2020

Would love to know!

najer · May 31, 2020

I lost my flame a while back but had it with a long nose in my 130 G for a year or two together, they were fine.

DeniableArc · May 31, 2020

Zionas said:
Hi I was wondering if anyone has tried mixing Hawkfish species in the same tank. How big is your tank and which species have you mixed? Does it usually work out and is there a trick to making sure it succeeds? I am thinking of introducing a Flame Hawk and a Longnose, Falco or Coral Hawk simultaneously. This is somewhat unrelated but I also want to get a pair of YWGs by introducing them simultaneously. Is it hard to pair the Gobies? Will the two Hawkfish (if it succeeds) be a constant threat to the Goby pair?

Thanks and I’d love to hear from you guys who have had more than one Hawkfish (same species or not) in the same tank. My tank will be 6’.

Great question I have a flame and always wanted a long nose but I have been told it’s a gamble.

Zionas · May 31, 2020

Sorry about your loss. How did you lose your Flame?

mort · May 31, 2020

Flame and long nosed are definitely fine together. I've had them live happily in much smaller tanks than yours and never had an issue. I also added them separately and there was no aggression at all.
Falcon and coral hawks are more aggressive ime so it might be harder to mix them with a scarlet (as they are very similar).

As to ywg's I wouldn't over think it. They are capable of sex change and if they wanted to get out of each others way while this changed occurred, it would be easy in a 6ft tank. If you can get them together at the lfs all the better but their usual aggression is "look how far I can open my mouth" rather than a fight to the death. You would be more likely to lose one to jumping out than anything else but if they have plenty of caves to go in you shouldn't have any trouble.

Zionas · May 31, 2020

All good to know. I’ll be tightly covering my tank so hopefully the jumping (which I know is a problem with fish like gobies, Blennies, Firefish and wrasses etc.) won’t be an issue to overly worry about. I think I’ll look for a Longnose Hawk to be added at the same time as my Flame Hawk. Does it matter if they’re different sizes?

mort · May 31, 2020

Zionas said:
Does it matter if they’re different sizes?

For me no as they completely ignored each other. You might have more problems if you add any really big ones but at the normal sizes you see in lfs you'd be unlucky to have any problems ime.

Zionas · May 31, 2020

My plan is I’ll try to get the Flame in the 1.5”-2” range, and the Longnose in the 2.5”-3” range. Hopefully that should be fine. I need to ask my LFS if they have the Longnose in stock because last time I checked they currently only have the Flame. Are Hawks a difficult fish to get feeding?

Payne Train · May 31, 2020

Zionas said:
My plan is I’ll try to get the Flame in the 1.5”-2” range, and the Longnose in the 2.5”-3” range. Hopefully that should be fine. I need to ask my LFS if they have the Longnose in stock because last time I checked they currently only have the Flame. Are Hawks a difficult fish to get feeding?

I had a long nose for a few years and he was easy to take care of ... propped himself up on rock edges and darted out to get frozen shrimp ...

Zionas · May 31, 2020

Good to know! What happened to the little guy?

If memory serves me they can live for well over a decade.

Payne Train · May 31, 2020

Zionas said:
Good to know! What happened to the little guy? If memory serves me they can live for well over a decade.

I got out of saltwater for a few years - just got back into it a couple months ago.

Tuffyyyyy · May 31, 2020

I had them in the same tank for a while and the flame hawk caused my longnose to starve itself to death. It was the 2nd saddest moment of my reef keeping. I never saw any actual aggression between them, but The flame clearly told the longnose to stay in a tiny corner of the tank.

Zionas · May 31, 2020

dang. Sorry to hear that! They’re both wonderful fish to have. How big is your tank?

kados · May 31, 2020

Had a Longnose and a Flame in a 120g for years. Never had any issues at all. I plan on adding them both to my new 185g soon.

av8soulfly · May 31, 2020

100 gallon tank fish only
longnose
flame
arc eye
spotted
No problems with lots of hiding spaces

Zionas · May 31, 2020

Wow. Thanks for all the encouragement. I’m tempted to go ahead and try it out in my 183 gallon, once I get the tank, that is! Lol. dang virus.

They will be added at the same time without an overly large difference in size, and I’ll be providing enough rock and hiding spots for both of them.

Now my concern is, will they heavily stress out my other smaller fish like the Yellow Watchman Goby pair I plan to add before them, as well as my planned Royal Gramma and 4 Pajama Cardinalfish or even a Marine Betta?

najer · Jun 1, 2020

Zionas said:
Sorry about your loss. How did you lose your Flame?

I had a series of lost fish as in physically missing, I suspect a jewel blenny that now lives in my sump, I found the body of a cave goby that was seriously beaten up.