Two Hawkfish in one tank.

[Zionas]

Hi all, I would like to know if having two Hawkfish in a single tank is too risky. The tank in question will be my custom made 6-foot by 2.3 foot by 1.8 foot, 183 gallon volume tank. The species in question are a Longnose Hawk and Flame Hawk that I will add at the same time if you think this works. I love both types of Hawkfish.

Are they likely to fight? Will they pose a threat to my Yellow Watchman Goby that I plan to have established before adding the Hawks?

 

[Vinny Kreyling]

I've had 3 Longnose in a 220 & they got along fine.
No experience with flames.

 

[Zionas]

From my research the two most peaceful ones are the Flame and the Long Nose. I’ve thought about a Falco but they apparently get more aggressive despite being smaller than both the Flame and the Long Nose.

 

[wrott]

Zionas,
Do you have a SW aquarium?
You really should set up your tank and see what actually survives.
If you have no experience, I would except less than half of anything you try to keep will die.

 

[Zionas]

I’ve ordered my tank and equipment and everything, but currently trapped abroad due to the virus. Once I go home I’ll be starting my tank. It’s going to be my first tank ever.

 

[Rafty]

I have one long nose and two flame hawks and they get along just fine. Awesome fish to watch. They have such character.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Zionas]

Great to know.

 

[cody6766]

Zionas,
Do you have a SW aquarium?
You really should set up your tank and see what actually survives.
If you have no experience, I would except less than half of anything you try to keep will die.

Depending on how you read this, there is wisdom there. I wouldn't expect a 50% death rate from your hand. If you choose fish wisely, set your tank up right, add fish when the tank is mature enough, and feed appropriately, you can expect better survival.

I don't think the intent was "blindly throw fish into a tank and see who fight clubs the crap out of the others."
I think he's saying that not every fish combo has been vetted, that there is no formula for a successful tank, and that what works for me might not work for you.
Adhere to the tried and true rules of thumb (I've noticed that you're doing great work learning them), observe the fish you add, see why some die.
You'll see some fish die because the day was Tuesday. With experience, you may learn that the fish that died on tuesday looked like it was getting beat up on Sunday, but really hasn't eaten since added on Monday.

There are a bunch of variables to consider when adding fish to a household reef. Does the fish live with several of the same species on a rock, competing for the same resources? Probably not. Can you add a fish that lives 1000 miles away that serves the same purpose on a different reef next to that fish? Probably not.

When choosing reef fish, it's important to look at what niche they fill on the reef. Understand how the fish lives in the wild and you can (kind of) predict how they'll react in your tank.

I know that's really vague, but it's supposed to be. Look at the fish you want, then how it lives in your tank. If you have a fish that lives a similar lifestyle, you probably have competition. Competition usually means fighting.

A good example...
I know a guy who kept two different species of breeding clownfish in one tank. He had an 8 foot tank with several separated rock structures. He added the clowns early and allowed them to fight out their territory. They made peace with home territories at the left and right extremes of his rock work. He was not able to do this in a 6 foot tank.
To us, not a big deal. To the fish, 2 feet was life and death.

That's a really long way of saying, don't pick multiple fish who fill the same role on the reef unless you have the space to let them fight it out. That space is unique to the species and usually not well defined. You'll get "it worked for me" and "I started with two, ended with one" from two people with the same sized tank.

Don't stop asking and trust the advice you get from seasoned reefers. Just realize that there's no consolidated list of comparability, so it can be an educated craps shoot sometimes.

 

[clevername]

well said

 

[Zionas]

No offense taken.

In a 6-foot tank, perhaps two Hawkfish will have enough room to themselves (considering neither the Flame nor the LNH are active fish)? And if I establish the Goby first they’ll all have their own space? It will have a fair amount of live rock and I’ll make sure to make a couple of caves (I know I’ll definitely need one for my Marine Betta that I plan to add).

Regarding the Goby, I’m not sure if they fill the exact same niche as the Hawks despite both being bottom dwellers, but from what I’ve read the Gobies are more “pickers” while the Hawkfish are more opportunistic hunters. The YWG in this combo will, of course, also be provided with a sand bed.

Perhaps arranging the rockwork in a certain way will make this combo more successful?

 

[cody6766]

I'd be less concerned about food sources and feeding habits than habitat. I couldn't begin to guess if you'll have issues or not. I've never owned a hawkfish, nor have I read up on them. I've had several YWGs over the years and they will claim/defend a small chunk of the tank. I tried two (hoped they were a pair) and had to get rid of one. The dominant one beat up on the other to the point that it was near dead. I don't think you'll have the same issue with a goby fighting the hawkfish, but it's something to look out for.

 

[Zionas]

Thanks. I will watch out for any aggression between the Hawks and the Goby. In this case when defending a territory could it be the Goby being aggressive towards one or both of the Hawks?

How long did you manage to keep your YWGs? Heard many live over a decade.

 

[cody6766]

I will watch out for any aggression between the Hawks and the Goby. In this case when defending a territory could it be the Goby being aggressive towards one or both of the Hawks?

It could. I've never seen them get aggressive with other species. They defend their space by bluffing with their mouth wide open. It's normally enough run off any intruder. None of these fish would have been competitors for burrow space, so that's where I'd guess the issue would arise, if it does. I've kept blennies with YWGs with no issues.
In a 6 foot tank, I doubt you'll have goby/hawkfish issues.

How long did you manage to keep your YWGs? Heard many live over a decade.

I think my longest lived goby was in my tank for about three years. I had to break it down to move, so I and re-homed him. He might still be alive. I had one for about a year, same story. Had to tear the tank down to move.

The others went the way of jerky. Some tanks had tops, so didn't, but they sometimes find a way past the screen. I don't think I've lost one to disease or tank issues. They're pretty hardy little fish.

Reef fish can live a long time if we don't kill them off. 10+ years isn't unheard of with good husbandry. I've had a lot of tanks over the last 13 years because I started in college and went into the Air Force after. I've moved 6 times since getting into the hobby, sometimes bringing the fish with me, sometimes not.

 

[Zionas]

Yeah, many reef fish have pretty long lives with good care. It looks like I'll be needing a completely covered tank for both the YWG and the Hawkfish as I know they can all be jumpers. Other than that I do know that the YWG and Hawkfish are some of the hardiest and disease resistant fish in the hobby so I'm not too worried about their survivability under good conditions.

With faster fish in my tank though I may have to target feed these bottom dwellers as well as fish like my planned Marine Betta (I just can't not have it). Cool that you were in the Air Force. Did you fly planes?

Looks like this combo will work, definitely looking forward to it. How much of a sand bed should I have for the goby though? What about the Hawkfish?

Thanks!

 

[cody6766]

a covered tank is a must. Even fish considered non-jumpers can get spooked and go carpet surfing. get the small netting from bulk reef supply and build your own covers out of window screen frame. It's pretty easy and not terribly expensive.

I like a couple of inches of sand, maybe 1-2 inches on average. It's just enough to house nassarius and fighting conch snails and look good. I've never found it terribly important to have sand for a goby unless you've paired it with a pistol shrimp. Even then, the sand is for the shrimp.

The AF has been good to me. I'm still in, and they let me fly. I'm a navigator, not a pilot, so I get all the fun of flying without actually having to drive the jet. Military life poses unique challenges keeping a tank, but it's workable. My wife cares for the tank when I'm out of town for deployments, conferences or exercises. She's always done a good job, whether it was for 6 days or 6 months. I've moved small tanks across the country for a couple of moves. I had to break down my 120g, which was REALLY starting to look good, when I got orders to Alaska. I just set up a 'temporary' tank for my three years up there, kept the stocking cheap/simple, then sold it back to the LFS when I moved back to the lower 48. Despite some inconveniences, it's still worth keeping a tank IMO.

 

[djryan2000]

Two Hawkfish in one tank.

[removed]

 

[Zionas]

Thanks for the reply. Must have been pretty cool being a navigator. One of my childhood dreams was to become a fighter pilot but as I grew older I realized I did not have the eyesight or any physical / mental abilities for that. I also wanted to become a marine biologist but here I am xD as an aspiring reefer. Props up to your wife for helping you maintain those tanks. I personally don’t know anyone who’d be willing to maintain my tank for me if I’ve gone somewhere.

My LFS recommends a canopy over a top. What do you think about their advice? It’s like that black chunky thing on top of the tank, on top of the glass, lighting related. They said it blocks out less light than a top. What I’m most concerned about is how effective a canopy would be at preventing jumping fish over a top.

 

[cody6766]

Thanks for the reply. Must have been pretty cool being a navigator. One of my childhood dreams was to become a fighter pilot but as I grew older I realized I did not have the eyesight or any physical / mental abilities for that.

It's a great job. I love flying and have no idea what i'll do when I grow up and retire, haha. The fighter world is very demanding. The physical aspect is why I passed up on F-15s and went to a heavy jet. It's fun doing aerobatics, but being strapped into an ejection seat, squeezed by a G-suit, and having to pee in a bag (literally) just isn't as nice as having a desk, oven and bathroom in the airplane. Plus, pullig Gs is hard on the body. I didn't like 5Gs, I know I sure wouldn't like 9. It's not as glamorous, but baking cookies 30k feet above a combat zone will make you forget about it!

A canopy is a aesthetic choice, IMO. The can help with jumpers, but only if they bounce back into the tank. If the fish gets stuck on a ledge or goes out the back (which is usually fairly open), he'll be just as dead as if he went out the front. They do help with light spill, but I don't find that to be a problem most of the time. I had a canopy over an earlier tank, but haven't used one on my last 4 set-ups. Some were T5 + LEDs. One was LEDs only. The canopy tanks were lit with MH and T5s, so I needed to hide the fugly reflectors I used. Light spill can be a factor. Because of where my tank and couch are, I'd probably build a canopy (at least a partial one) if I had to raise my lights any higher. They'd hit you right in the eye when watching TV.
Either way you go, I'd still use screens over the tank. They can pay for themselves if you lose a tang or a couple of gobies.