flame hawk and neon goby compatability?

[Outerbank]

Will a flame hawk eat a neon goby? I finally managed to capture my neon gobies that went into the overflow and I placed them in the DT yesterday. Since they went intot the overflow, I have added 2 flame hawkfish. The bigger flame hawk seems to have an eye on one of them and I haven't seen the smaller one all day. I figured being cleaner fish, the FHs would leave them alone, but maybe I am wrong.

Thanks,
Scott

 

[Lateralus]

Maybe it took another dive into the overflow.

 

[velvetelvis]

Hawkfish are notorious for eating smaller fishes. I think you've already found your culprit(s).

 

[Boundless]

That is a shame I planned to buy a spotted hawkfish with some various size goby including small ones.:uzi:

 

[Outerbank]

I'll keep an eye on the HF. I didn't think they would go after a fish with cleaner blue stripe markings and behavior. It is not in the overflow. FH bellies are normal size.

Boundless, the bigger the hawkfish, the worse they are at stuffing anything alive into their mouth.

 

[Boundless]

Lol, I guess the flame hawk will be at the bottom of the list to add!

 

[snorvich]

Hawkfish are ambush predators. Hmmm, does that mean they eat things you might not want them to?

 

[Outerbank]

Hawkfish are ambush predators. Hmmm, does that mean they eat things you might not want them to?

Many carnivores leave certain fish alone. I am wondering if anyone has had these 2 species together.

 

[velvetelvis]

From what I've read, hawkfishes are less likely to "respect" the gobies' cleaner status and more likely to simply make lunch out of them instead. Even with cleaner gobies, I think it's best to be very cautious. Fishes that don't have specialized diets are often opportunistic feeders; generally speaking, if a fish can fit another animal in its mouth, it's likely to at least attempt to eat it.

 

[snorvich]

The short answer is if it can, it will. Ambush predators as a class of fish are more likely to eat than to respect cleaning status.

 

[Outerbank]

OK, they are both out. I will keep an eye on Mr. Hawkfish.