Flame hawkfish question

[Fishingandreefing]

So I will be getting a flame hawkfish from a tank break down and wonder if it would be mostly ok with my tank mates.

I got a porcelain crab, small yellow watchman goby, helfrichi firefish and plenty of snails that made me worry.

any inputs would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Tchung23]

I hear hawkfish like to eat inverts.

 

[Tonycass12]

Mine will take a hermit from time to time and I've seen him try to get at acropora crabs I have too. Luckily the crabs are in a big enough birdsnest he can't reach them. Ive been told its hit or miss with them going after crabs but I would be concerned about the porcelain crab becoming an expensive meal. My snails never get touched.

 

[ScottR]

The porcelain crab will get eaten. All others should be ok. But if you have shrimp, they will possibly be eaten.

 

[Tchung23]

You never know. I have a blackcap basslet and everything I read said he would be ok in my tank. The. I saw my blood shrimp with no legs dead:(

I know it was the blackcap cause the bl shrimp was fine for months. Only after I put in the blackcap did he die.

 

[ScottR]

As for snails, they usually only eat them if they tip over and can’t right themselves. Quite a rare snack actually.

 

[Hairyteeth]

My hawkfish is a jerk, is best fiends with a peppermint shrimp, ate a cleaner shrimp though. Harasses small or mellow fish and eats crabs sometimes...

 

[Fish Think Pink]

So I will be getting a flame hawkfish from a tank break down and wonder if it would be mostly ok with my tank mates.

I got a porcelain crab, small yellow watchman goby, helfrichi firefish and plenty of snails that made me worry.

any inputs would be greatly appreciated.

+1 vote inverts will be nervous... Darwin in action

Hawkfish have so much personality that I'd want fish over any inverts

 

[Fish Think Pink]

You never know. I have a blackcap basslet and everything I read said he would be ok in my tank. The. I saw my blood shrimp with no legs dead:(

I know it was the blackcap cause the bl shrimp was fine for months. Only after I put in the blackcap did he die.

Sorry for your loss

many wrongly prefer to treat situations like yours as 'one offs' ... but everything will be fine until it isn't... we should expect when the opportunity presents itself, fish will eat nearly anything

 

[landlubber]

I hear hawkfish like to eat inverts.

shrimp are at risk but to say "inverts" is a bit general. 7 years of hawkfish and i've never seen mine eat anything but fish food.
Halichoeres wrasses are definitely test the cuc lol

 

[Fishingandreefing]

Thanks for all the inputs. I will just play safe and let my friend have it. If it wasn’t for the helfrichi firefish, I’d prob just remove the crab and hope for the best for the little goby but.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Mine all my shrimp ( 2 monster coral banded, i fire and i cleaner) all overnite. Not a kind fish

 

[Lokipsl]

Thanks for all the inputs. I will just play safe and let my friend have it. If it wasn’t for the helfrichi firefish, I’d prob just remove the crab and hope for the best for the little goby but.

Better safe than sorry. The flame hawk is one of the few fish I would love to have but there is always something in my tank that could possibly be a casualty

 

[Fishingandreefing]

What if I move my porcelain crab to a different tank. Leaving an 2” goby and the firefish being the most vulnerable, should I give it a shot since I really like the flame hawk? Just afraid that the hawkfish go hunting while the firefish and goby is hiding sleeping

 

[Fishingandreefing]

It’s a 73g tank btw

 

[Fishingandreefing]

Mine all my shrimp ( 2 monster coral banded, i fire and i cleaner) all overnite. Not a kind fish

dang

 

[Tchung23]

What if I move my porcelain crab to a different tank. Leaving an 2” goby and the firefish being the most vulnerable, should I give it a shot since I really like the flame hawk? Just afraid that the hawkfish go hunting while the firefish and goby is hiding sleeping

I think your fish would be fine.

 

[fachatga]

Mine gets along fine with my cleaner shrimp, hermit crabs and ywg. But as I hear it’s hit or miss. Think I was a little lucky.

 

[Fishingandreefing]

I ended up giving it to my friend, don’t want deal with the hassle.

 

[Scorpius]

Just to beat a dead horse. I had to drain my entire system to catch my flame hawkfish. I finally figured out he killed all six of my orange lined cardinal fish. More than likely killed my starry blenny and was in the process of slowly tearing apart my female clownfish. NEVER AGAIN.