Falco or Highfin

[golby]

I called my LFS about buying a Falco Hawkfish. I've read that they stay pretty small and are quite hardy. Small is good because I have some cleaner shrimp and so I figure that a small hawk will leave it alone. The LFS recommended the Highfin Perchlet as an alternative. That fish appears to be an anthias which I've read are less hardy and are more finicky eaters.

Anybody have any insight on this?

Risk to shrimp of a 2 in. Falco Hawkfish...
Hardiness of a Highfin Perchlet...

 

[golby]

One follow-up: I am also getting a diamond watchman goby. Will either harass that (as they are all bottom dwellers). My tank's a 4ft 90g.

 

[effin]

I'll relate the only experience I have, which is with my Falco's Hawkfish and a peppermint shrimp. The shrimp managed to stay out of the fish's way for a couple of days in quarantine, but eventually I found the shrimp ripped in half. I'm not sure how the fish would react with a cleaner shrimp.

On the positive side, I love the fish. Unique coloration, and the cirri give it an even more unique look. Mine imprinted really fast and would follow me from one side of the tank to the other almost immediately. The other tankmates are a pair of saddleback clowns, a potter's angel, two halichoeres wrasses, and a foxface. There have not been any issues with the hawkfish. (The hawkfish and the angel are the most recent additions, about 3 months ago.)

 

[Elysia]

I had a Falco for a few years. Make sure you are actually getting a Falco, as there are other hawkfish that look similar to them but grow much bigger. Mine was a pig, but caused no problems with my mature cleaner shrimp. The anthias that you mention, depending on your tankmates, might be hard to find in such a large tank.

 

[MCCOOL]

I have a P. inermis, and it's been very easy to feed. It would eat any meaty chunks of food in the beginning, and now eats pellets, flake, gel, and frozen. They don't get as large as the hawkfish, and won't pose any threat to your shrimp.

 

[golby]

Thanks folks.
@mccool, great picture. How big is your fish and how long have you had him?

if it affects the advice of folks' who have either fish, they'd be joining:
Yellow Tang, Two Ocellaris, One 6-line wrasse and 3 YT Damsels.
And likely be added together with the new goby and a coral beauty (though I'd prefer a Tomini or Kole, I think that the Yellow Tang, who has been in the tank for 1.5 years, would do too much harassing--even when the aggression is spread among three new fish).

Scott

 

[MCCOOL]

Thank you, it is about 2.5" long and has been with me for about 2 years now.

 

[dvmsn]

I also love the Geometric Pygmy Hawk. Maybe my favorite fish.

 

[peasofme]

the falco can kill shrimp and fish bigger than it.