Hawkfish question

[brett559]

I'm looking into getting a sand-dwelling, rock-hopper type fish. My LFS has a nice flame hawkfish and a nice long-nose hawkfish. My only concern is that I have about 8-9 peppermint shrimp in my tank (slowly combatting aiptasia). I know these fish can go after peppermints. Is one less likely than the other? Does it just depend on the fish? Any success with keeping either of these fish with peppermint shrimp?

Thanks!

 

[Betta132]

Those are both shrimp-eaters.

 

[brett559]

Anything similar in color/appearance/activity that might lay off the shrimp?

 

[Betta132]

Hmm... well, a Hector's goby is a hovering fish, so that might suit your purposes. If the tank is large enough, a mandarin or scooter dragonet would do it.
Maybe a pygmy hawk? Depends on how big your shrimp are.

 

[brett559]

They are decent sized shrimp. I need to wait a few more months to let the pods populate before I can get a mandarin. They are awesome.

 

[Shanet]

I have a Longnose and Peps with no problems in a 125g

 

[Nina51]

i had a very large cleaner shrimp that lived with 2 longnose hawkfish for a few months before he became a buffet.

 

[myram]

I have a cleaner shrimp that is bigger then my flamehawk.........no problems at all. The shrimp was in the tank before the hawk, so maybe that helps too.

I did have a hitchhiker emerald crab that was in the tank for a bit, but haven't seen him lately.....LOL

 

[MIKE NY]

hawks with shrimp is not if, but when.....

 

[snorvich]

hawks with shrimp is not if, but when.....

this

 

[brett559]

My peppermints really are making some progress on my aiptasia, and I'd like to keep them around to keep further aips from sprouting, so I may look at something else.

Thanks!

 

[Myles]

Try the Plectranthias sold as geometric pygmy hawkfish. Behavior will be similar to the hawks you are interested in but they will leave your peppermints alone.
Myles

 

[eatbreakfast]

hawks with shrimp is not if, but when.....

This has not been my experience. I have on numerous occasions kept both longnose and flame hawks in tanks together with peppermint shrimp. If the peppermints are in the tank already you will notice they are quite reclusive and if you do see them are hanging upside down under a rock. The way a hawkfish hunts makes this a difficult target to hunt and fish are pretty lazy, they will go for an easy meal rather than hunt. Now if you add shrimp to an existing hawkfish predation may occur.