Longnose Hawk Fish

[Yellowbelly]

HI to all expert

Need some advise

I place my hawkfish in the tank and it looks very interesting but it attacked one of my fire shrimp but did not managed to eat it cause it escape but it still got one of the antenna.

How do you ensure that they do not attack your shrimp or there's is no way to prevent it unless they are huge, so if I want to get huge one...how big should I get ?

If I decide to keep the hawkfish...canI still keep shrimps ?

Would it be alright if the tank does not have cleaner shrimps or any kind of shrimps ?

[eaquarist]

Hi there, need to tell you that hawkfishes and shrimps just don't mix. They have a natural prey and predator relationship, I feed the hawkfishes at my shop dried shrimp and they love every bit of it! I am sorry but I think you will have to decide one of the two. If you really really need crustaceans, try the hard shelled lobster, think should escape attack, but do note that they are still vulnerable when shedding their shells.

[Yellowbelly]

Yeah...having a headache now..the hawkfish looks so interesting the way it goes about in the tank. while the shrimps, I hardly see except when feeding.

Guess,I have to go with the cleaner shrimps and my fire shrimp cause they are after all the clean up crew eventhought I seldom see them.

Anyone looking for a longnose hawk fish ...i am letting go at $9

[Marineman]

Yeah...having a headache now..the hawkfish looks so interesting the way it goes about in the tank. while the shrimps, I hardly see except when feeding.

Guess,I have to go with the cleaner shrimps and my fire shrimp cause they are after all the clean up crew eventhought I seldom see them.

Anyone looking for a longnose hawk fish ...i am letting go at $9

Don't give up on your longnose hawkfish just yet. I have one in my reef tank for 20 months. I have a 100 gal tank with 5 shrimps, 2 cleaner, 2 scarlet/red blooded and one coral banded. They are getting along fine and stay away from each other, the shrimps I mean, provided you have plenty of rocks.

My longnose hawkfish did peck at one of my cleaner shrimps once, but it was too big for them unless yours are very very tiny where it can feed it in it's mouth. Longnose hawkfish is fine with shrimps but not other species of hawkfish. I feed mine with frozen food and chopped prawns meshed with vitamins, mussels, clams, spitulina etc. It does not take flakes and pellets.

Becareful if you want to keep a lobster in your tank, may not be suitable for a reef tank for most lobsters, they also eat small fishes. Do research on the species before you decide to buy one. Check iout at www.wetwebmedia.com, an excellent website for Q&As.

Good luck.

[Yellowbelly]

guess I have to get more lr ..those small one to insert into the area where the hawkfish can go in...hoping to extend their shrimp life .....

[Achilles Tang]

It's extremely slim chance for shrimps to survive long term with a predator fish like hawkfish around. Once they are large enough to fit inside their mouths... bye bye shrimp.

Like eaquarist said.... you have to decide.

I love hawkfishes too... but I like my shrimps more!

[jc85]

I have a pixy hawkfish for a month liao. And recently, it started to nip at my dartfish. The strange thing is it does not bother my shrimps. I have boxer, Skunk and harlequin in my tank.

Currently trying to trap it out. Anyone interested in a Pixy hawkfish?

[flubberina13]

Me?

used to have Hawk but...

[Achilles Tang]

Pixie? You mean a falco hawkfish?

Does it look like this?

Excellent pix from reefimages showing a hawkfish eating a shrimp!

[jc85]

Pixie? You mean a falco hawkfish?

Does it look like this?

Excellent pix from reefimages showing a hawkfish eating a shrimp!

Yes!! That's the one.

Damn. I must get it out b4 it grow too big. Luckily my shrimp are too big for it currently.

Thanks AT for the "shock" picture.

[Yellowbelly]

It's extremely slim chance for shrimps to survive long term with a predator fish like hawkfish around. Once they are large enough to fit inside their mouths... bye bye shrimp.

Like eaquarist said.... you have to decide.

I love hawkfishes too... but I like my shrimps more!

Still thinking of it....would closing down the space with more rock whereby the hawkfish can swim into....help ?

[Achilles Tang]

I doubt it will do anything for shrimp survivability.

[Yellowbelly]

Ok then for the moment the fish will stay in my sump first