Hawkfish & Cleaner Shrimp

[Geoff_Poz]

I had two very healthy beautiful cleaner shrimp. I added a flame hawkfish. My cleaner shrimp began staying in the upper corner of the aquarium. Now they are nowhere to be found. Could the Hawkfish be the culprit? I saw him/her chasing them around...

 

[cmof29]

Ive read that hawk fish will bother small shrimp. How big was your cleaner shrimp?

 

[Jacwil]

"My hawk had completely devoured my very large cleaner shrimp 20 minutes after I put it in the tank. I'd say make sure your hawk is very well fed or he may have himself some shrimp cocktail."

Found here on RC after using the search function...searched: "Hawkfish ate cleaner shrimp"

 

[cmof29]

Or try adding the shrimp before the hawk so the hawk wont see the cleaner come into the tank.

 

[Geoff_Poz]

The shrimp were there first. They were only 1-1 1/2" and the Hawk is 3-4". That was a sad and expensive lesson.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

hungry Flame Hawks may eat any shrimp that they can swallow

 

[cmof29]

Well sorry for your loss.

 

[mr86mister]

Eeek, sorry to hear. Hawkfish have quite a taste for any type of shrimp. If they are too big they have been known to just harass them.

 

[Geoff_Poz]

Now I realize he must be why the peppermints disappeared as well...

 

[magdelan]

I had a cleaner then went missing after adding a flame hawk aswell. Wish I would have researched that one out.

 

[Krypt1979]

+1 for the Hawks appetite. I had three cleaners when I introduced him, he then proceeded to have an over night buffet like he was at red lobster. No more cleaners.