Geometric Pygmy Hawkfish

[LetItReef]

Hello,

From what I read it is cryptic?
Will it bother shrimp?

I have a 20g drop off tank with LPS, Yellow Assesor , Fire shrimps, snails and Hermits.

Thanks!

 

[BestMomEver]

Umm..... I don’t know. I’m not a hawkish aficionado. I’m sure someone will come along. I only know I bought one and returned it cause he was looking at my CUC with a little too much interest. Maybe he was just curious, but I didn’t have a good feeling about it.

 

[scchase]

Wish they would stop being called Hawkfish they are actually Anthias. They will eat small shrimp but they have to be pretty small, they don't get all that big and are fairly cryptic, I have never seen one act aggressively towards anything else.

 

[Angel_Anthias lover]

Wish they would stop being called Hawkfish they are actually Anthias. They will eat small shrimp but they have to be pretty small, they don't get all that big and are fairly cryptic, I have never seen one act aggressively towards anything else.

Same experience, mine didnt touch sexy shrimp, however they did disappear but i dont think it was him lol

 

[BestMomEver]

Wish they would stop being called Hawkfish they are actually Anthias. They will eat small shrimp but they have to be pretty small, they don't get all that big and are fairly cryptic, I have never seen one act aggressively towards anything else.

Good to know. At the time I had a pair of tiny bumblebee shrimp that I wanted to protect. I think that’s where my trepidation came from.

 

[Pbh-reef]

Just wanted to say I love this fish for a smaller tank. Adorable, doesn’t hide too much in a small tank, not aggressive. I had mine with tiny hermits and it was fine, but I could see it eating very small shrimp

 

[LetItReef]

My Fire shrimps are mean- can eat Trochus/Turbos. I think they will be fine.

 

[Gregorjw]

Would they be a good fit for a 40 gallon breeder with 2 maroons and an anemone?
My LFS has one and I'd love to pick him up, but I know hed disappear in my main tank and my only on that option is my 20g pipefish tank and I feel like that would be a bad idea

 

[Rakie]

They can be aggressive eaters, mine just choses to hunt pods all night and won't eat a thing... But he's growing and getting fatter, he's about 1" right now. Seems those big amphipods must sustain his gluttonous butt for hours at a time because he's getting girthy for something the size of a cigarette butt.

he is not cryptic or shy at all, he's out all day every day, doesn't hide at all -- But they're small, so they can be easy to miss.. I think that's where they get the cryptic myth. In a big tank with a lot of live rock, they'll be easy to miss. They get 2" when they're very old.. It's rare to see them much more than 1.25-1.5". It's not a big fish.

And yes, they are an anthias, but like hawkfish they perch and I *believe* lack a swim bladder. So they're pretty close to a hawkfish.

Lastly, they will eat any shrimp that will fit in their mouth -- and their mouth is small. Sexy shrimp will be hunted to death. Baby shrimp will be decimated. Adult or even medium size shrimp won't be bothered at all.

 

[Hemmdog]

They can be aggressive eaters, mine just choses to hunt pods all night and won't eat a thing... But he's growing and getting fatter, he's about 1" right now. Seems those big amphipods must sustain his gluttonous butt for hours at a time because he's getting girthy for something the size of a cigarette butt.

he is not cryptic or shy at all, he's out all day every day, doesn't hide at all -- But they're small, so they can be easy to miss.. I think that's where they get the cryptic myth. In a big tank with a lot of live rock, they'll be easy to miss. They get 2" when they're very old.. It's rare to see them much more than 1.25-1.5". It's not a big fish.

And yes, they are an anthias, but like hawkfish they perch and I *believe* lack a swim bladder. So they're pretty close to a hawkfish.

Lastly, they will eat any shrimp that will fit in their mouth -- and their mouth is small. Sexy shrimp will be hunted to death. Baby shrimp will be decimated. Adult or even medium size shrimp won't be bothered at all.

+1
I love mine, I recommend them to people all the time, great little fish to add to most tanks.

 

[Gregorjw]

They can be aggressive eaters, mine just choses to hunt pods all night and won't eat a thing... But he's growing and getting fatter, he's about 1" right now. Seems those big amphipods must sustain his gluttonous butt for hours at a time because he's getting girthy for something the size of a cigarette butt.

he is not cryptic or shy at all, he's out all day every day, doesn't hide at all -- But they're small, so they can be easy to miss.. I think that's where they get the cryptic myth. In a big tank with a lot of live rock, they'll be easy to miss. They get 2" when they're very old.. It's rare to see them much more than 1.25-1.5". It's not a big fish.

And yes, they are an anthias, but like hawkfish they perch and I *believe* lack a swim bladder. So they're pretty close to a hawkfish.

Lastly, they will eat any shrimp that will fit in their mouth -- and their mouth is small. Sexy shrimp will be hunted to death. Baby shrimp will be decimated. Adult or even medium size shrimp won't be bothered at all.

Thanks, do you think he'd pose a danger to a small pipefish? I keep that tank well stocked with pods so he should be well fed

 

[Hemmdog]

Thanks, do you think he'd pose a danger to a small pipefish? I keep that tank well stocked with pods so he should be well fed

Nah, they mainly keep to themselves, perched on different coral.

 

[Rakie]

Thanks, do you think he'd pose a danger to a small pipefish? I keep that tank well stocked with pods so he should be well fed

Mine doesn't really interact with anything in tank, and nothing seems to bother him either.

 

[Pbh-reef]

I think both Lasse and Paul B keep geometric Pygmy perchlet with pipefish in their tanks