Hawkfish

[Umbriel]

I'm curious if anybody out there would like to share their photos/experience with the various hawkfish for nanos.

Do people keep them? Or, are they too much of a risk with invertebrates and possibly fish?

What's the appropriate size tank(s) for them?

I've always wanted to try one, but it never happened. I've heard they have great personalities.

And just for the record, I don't have a tank, probably won't anytime soon, but I'm doing my research in advance. Thanks!

 

[colesreef]

I dont have a hawkfish yet but Ive been reading several invert books that say the red flame and the falco should be ok unless you have a small shrimp. most cleaners and blood shrimps would be ok.
Ive been trying to get a geometric hawkfish which reaches 2in. max size .
this fish is actually in the anthias family called plectranthias inermis. it looks like a hawk and acts like a hawk. it has a beautiful red blotchy appearance with a yellow dorsel fin

 

[GooGs]

Would you think a coral banded shrimp would be OK with a hawk? They are such cool looking fish...I've also been interested in putting one in my nano.

 

[ange062]

I had a flame hawk in my 28g for about 6-mo. Always seemed happy and healthy and had a great personality, he was typically the favorite fish of people that saw my tank in person. I have both a coral banded and skunk cleaner shrimp in the tank, the hawk was never an issue with either. Really a great fish. No issues with jumping either, I run open top.

 

[GooGs]

Nice looking fish! I'm thinking due to the size of my CBS it shouldn't be a problem.

 

[calistyle]

Personally one of my favorite fish. I added him last of all my fish to ensure 1) he didn't bully 2) my fire and cleaner shrimp would have time to grow.

All went well for months, but he did eventually eat the Fire Shrimp, the cleaner shrimp and him get along fine.

 

[Anemone]

I had a Flame Hawk in a 65 gallon tank for years. As it's been said, they have a great personality. Unfortunately, based upon my experience and that of many, many other hobbyists, they eventually realize that shrimp=dinner. Took mine 18 months of living with various shrimp in apparent harmony before it suddenly figured out that the skunk cleaners were edible. I watched the hawk grab a cleaner by the abdomen and smash it into the substrate. The other three cleaners in the tank were dead within 24 hours. From that point on, I couldn't keep shrimp in the tank.

Your tank, your risk, but it can be an expensive experiment.

Kevin