Hawkfish....mean?

[Anonymous]

The guy that has been "showing me the ropes" at the LFS recommended that I get a hawkfish, (he happens to have one for sale). He has been very helpful, but lately I am doubting some of his info. He recommended a foxface, I bought it, and now he is nipping at my polyps. My tank is too new for the polyps to handle much of anything. They keep falling to the sandbed. I will be taking the foxface back tomorrow.

Now, about the hawkfish. The LFS guy knows that I have shrimp and snails in my tank and still recommended him. I read last night that this fish will kill and eat most snails and shrimp. Is this true? Anyone keeping a hawkfish that can chime in?

 

[LittleFish1]

What kind of hawkfish? What's the size? What other fish in your tank now & what size? Take note, Longnose can grow real big. The biggest I saw in the LFS display tank is 6" or 7" long.

I kept a spotted hawkfish before....nasty little fellow. Still keeping my LongnoseHawkfish....beautiful & hardy fellow. From my personal experience, Hawks are quite reef safe. Both will attack small/new fishes that can fit into their mouth. Will also attack most shrimps. So far, the only shrimp survives in my tank is the Coral Banded Shrimp....of course it's size also matters. Not sure about snail though. Mine are all ok.

 

[Reef Guy11]

Hello Panacea,

I have a Foxface in my Reef tank and his fine in there. He is a fun to watch and he come to the glass and he looks at me. He eats off my LR but have not seen him eat and Corals. So i guess it depends on the foxface you get and maybe tank size. I have a 135 gal so Maybe that is it. Unless you have a big tank too then maybe not. But anyways I like FoxFace Fish they are fun to watch.

 

[Anonymous]

My tank is a 60 gallon. I have a peppermint shrimp and a banded...I plan on getting a pair of cleaners. The hawkfish is a small spotted hawkfish. Looks cool, but I want all my guys to get along. I have two dead snails in my tank now. I guess I should probably get them out. Just thought I would throw that in there about the dead snails. They both died in very hard to reach places, pretty inconsiderate, if you ask me!

 

[Will C1]

i have an arch eye hawk fish in my reef tank with a lot of shrimp and snails and crabs. he has never picked on any of them, also he is quite a charmer next to my flame angel he is my favorite fish i have had him for 3 years now and he is still only about 3 1/2" long.

 

[Will C1]

also wanted to add, you should look up the diff species of hawk fish to make shure but most of the smaller species (4" and smaller) are good fish but i have seen some real pricks when it comes to the bigger ones.

 

[Garry thomas]

panacea i have 2 hawks in my tank, 1 pixie 1 scarlet, there are loads of shrimps which they dont bother,but they are large :lol:

 

[CAT]

I like flamehawks but I like my fire shrimp better From what I've read re. hawks and ornamental shrimp... if it ain't sooner, it'll be later :roll:

I've read stories of people adding an expensive shrimp to the tank that lasted about 30 seconds before the resident hawk grabbed it. Expensive meal :O

 

[saltjunkie]

hawks are awsome, but i dont reccomend them with shrimps at all.........
sooner or later is a very good way to put it!