Pygmy Hawkfish and Pistol Shrimp

[Jdk08009]

Hey everyone,
First post here and it’s a somewhat big one. I have a tank that’s a little shy of 20 gallons (rounded just for ease of conversation) and it’s getting to the point where I’m adding my last fish. (tank attached bellow). I currently have 2 clowns 1 scooter dragonet and a shrimp, goby pair. The tanks been settling for a while and I’m moving on with adding my last fish. I really have been considering a Pygmy Hawkfish as my last choice and thought it would be fine until I had the thought that my pistol shrimp may make it a problem. I know that Hawkfish like to hover and are psuedo ambush predators and would perch next to one of the pistol shrimp’s many burrows.

Intro aside, my main concern is simply: Hawkfish watching / triggering the shrimps defense mechanism and the shrimp hunting down the hawkfish (not actively yet may be overly defensive)

the shrimp has previously “used its defense mechanism” on a fire fish that unfortunately went into its burrow while exploring and i’m fearing that something similar may happen to the hawkfish if i get it.

any help would be fantastic suggestions, do’s and dont’s, etc

Thanks for the help
P.S ignore the algae the picture was taken pre water change

 

[Gumbies R Us]

#reefsquad

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

Personally I feel your tank is already overstocked. Also your kind of pushing the tank size for a hawkfish. The hawkfish might attack also the goby or dragonet. Its not a good choice for this tank size and with your current livestock.

Clowns become very territorial once they start mating, and there is not much swimming space available for 4-5 fish in that tank.

No offense, but its a fair bit of algae in the tank and I think maybe the filtration system might be struggling to handle the current bioload.

For these reasons I wouldn't add more fish to this tank.

 

[Lasse]

Is it this fish you want to add

https://www.fishbase.de/summary/Plectranthias_inermis.html
Sincerely Lasse

 

[Lasse]

By the way - For me - its looks like a cyanobacteria - type Calothrix or a similar family

What´s your nutrients concentration (NO3 and PO4)

Sincerely Lasse

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