Flame Hawkfish with Cleaner shrimp... What's the verdict?

Anemone_Fanatic

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I'm looking to add a new round of fish to my reef tank. I've got my QT set up and everything. However, I'm still in the process of deciding what fish I want to add. I want to add a flame hawkfish, but there's a problem. I have an established breeding pair of skunk cleaner shrimp which I'd really rather not get eaten.

Reading through the forums, I'm finding that some people have them together with no problem, and others find that the shrimp inevitably gets eaten. I'm wondering if my shrimp being fully grown and in the tank before the hawkfish would make a difference. The site I'd be ordering from says that their hawkfish are between 1.5" - 2.5", so while the fish wouldn't be a full sized adult, it wouldn't be a baby either.

So what does everyone think?
 

ReeferTang44

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Yeah, if you want to lose a shrimp within a few days, I say put a hawk fish in there
In my personal experience every time I put a shrimp in with my hawk it died rather soon, so there not a great pair.
 

bushdoc

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I have 3 cleaner shrimps(1 skunk and 2 blood) and Flame hawkfish for many years.
 

Seansea

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20231002_203612.jpg


No sweat. Been together a long time. Will even clean hawk
 

ReefingDreams

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Multiple years with a flame hawk and a cleaner in a 35 gallon cube. Doing just fine together.
 

Alpha_and_Gec

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I put my money on your tank becoming shrimp free. I love flame hawk fish but this is the reason I have never had one.
Will this also be the case with a longnosed hawk? I want to get a longnose and as far as I can tell their throats are smaller in comparison(although with a similar gape), and I'm not sure what would happen.
Well, longnosed or arc - eye, although I like the longnosed much more.
 

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