Flame Hawkfish = pitbull of the tank! pic included

ptomoson · 09/21/2008, 09:24 AM

I bought a used 125 setup last week and put the fish in my two month old 75 gal until I get the 125 setup.

The fish include:
Flame Hawkfish
Tomato Clown
Royal Gramma
Orchid Dottyback
Lawnmower Blenny
Dragonet
Kole Tang

The Hawkfish is crazy! I have seen him attack the lawnmower blenny and the orchid dottyback. He had the dottyback by the tail and poor little guy was wiggling like a minnow on a hook! This morning I was feeding them and here came the hawkfish with a snail in his mouth. He is laying waste to my small cleanup crew!

Going to have to catch him I guess...

uhuru · 09/21/2008, 09:29 AM

that's my favorite fish! awesome pic btw! so cute

didn't you know their tendencies when you got him? they like small fish and inverts.

tkeracer619 · 09/21/2008, 09:50 AM

What a yummy snail!

Somehow I ended up with the worlds smallest Flamehawk. He has maxed out at 1" long. Zero problems with him eating snails and shrimp. I would just keep your snail population high for him to munch on.

xenon · 09/21/2008, 09:53 AM

I had one that killed 40 snails over a period of 2months.

He loved to hunt at night.

ptomoson · 09/21/2008, 09:55 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by uhuru

didn't you know their tendencies when you got him? they like small fish and inverts.

I didn't "get him", he came with the 125 I bought. He's just being naughty in the 75 until I can get the 125 set back up.

rgentry123 · 09/21/2008, 11:57 AM

i think these guys are hit or miss...i have one i bought about 4 months ago and he hasnt bothered any snails or crabs that ive seen. i keep him pretty wel fed though to try and avoid him getting hungry and wanting to munch on the snails/crabs. he has found a taste for shrimp though as he did eat my cleaner shrimp and at least one of my peppermints when i fisrt put him in the tank.

seapug · 09/21/2008, 12:11 PM

Yeah, they are great fish but some have a chip on their shoulder against tankmates. Mine doesn't bother any of my fish, but it assassinated my skunk shrimp pair the first week in the tank. They seem to have a particular weakness for shrimp. How often and what are you feeding your fish?

ptomoson · 09/21/2008, 04:55 PM

I feed them once a day, one cube of mysis. Should I feed more?

seapug · 09/21/2008, 09:31 PM

maybe try feeding a little more. maybe a full tummy will do something for the aggression....worth trying.

thoth7 · 09/22/2008, 06:40 AM

Any comments on Flame Hawkfish and zoanthids? Mine are rapidly disappearing, but there are a variety of other fish in the tank.

purpleGODZILLA · 09/22/2008, 08:21 AM

Man, I want a hawkfish but afraid he will eat all my other livestock.

LobsterOfJustice · 09/22/2008, 10:29 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by purpleGODZILLA
Man, I want a hawkfish but afraid he will eat all my other livestock.

Check out the geometric (pygmy) hawkfish.

ptomoson · 09/22/2008, 07:26 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by purpleGODZILLA
Man, I want a hawkfish but afraid he will eat all my other livestock.

I have one that you can have!!

pledosophy · 09/22/2008, 10:31 PM

Good looking fish though

seapug · 09/22/2008, 10:47 PM

I wouldn't attribute the missing zoanthids to the hawk. Usually either a Tang, Butterfly, Peppermint shrimp or nudibranchs to blame for that.

Mappelbaum37 · 09/23/2008, 02:08 PM

my hawkfish is pretty bad.. Always bullies the new fish on the block and thinks he's the boss. No problems with shrimp or snails yet. My hawk also lands on my THRIVING yellow leather. Even though the yellow leather is doing good, it still annoys me that he perch's on my corals.

seapug · 09/23/2008, 02:13 PM

If you don't want a fish that sits on corals, a Hawkfish is a bad choice. Same with Blennies. Mine do it all the time and the corals don't seem to mind at all.

09/21/2008, 09:24 AM	#1
ptomoson Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: NW Iowa Posts: 274	Flame Hawkfish = pitbull of the tank! pic included I bought a used 125 setup last week and put the fish in my two month old 75 gal until I get the 125 setup. The fish include: Flame Hawkfish Tomato Clown Royal Gramma Orchid Dottyback Lawnmower Blenny Dragonet Kole Tang The Hawkfish is crazy! I have seen him attack the lawnmower blenny and the orchid dottyback. He had the dottyback by the tail and poor little guy was wiggling like a minnow on a hook! This morning I was feeding them and here came the hawkfish with a snail in his mouth. He is laying waste to my small cleanup crew! Going to have to catch him I guess...

09/21/2008, 09:29 AM	#2
uhuru Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Columbus Posts: 2,949	that's my favorite fish! awesome pic btw! so cute didn't you know their tendencies when you got him? they like small fish and inverts. __________________ August 2011 TOTM

09/21/2008, 09:50 AM	#3
tkeracer619 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Westminster, CO Posts: 17,289	What a yummy snail! Somehow I ended up with the worlds smallest Flamehawk. He has maxed out at 1" long. Zero problems with him eating snails and shrimp. I would just keep your snail population high for him to munch on. __________________ Hobby Experience: 9200ish gallons, 26 skimmers, and a handful of Kent Scrapers. Current Tank: Vortech Powered 600G SPS Tank w/ 100gal frag tank & 100g Sump. RK2-RK10 Skimmer. ReefAngel. Radium 20k.

09/21/2008, 11:57 AM	#6
rgentry123 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: fredericksburg, VA Posts: 975	i think these guys are hit or miss...i have one i bought about 4 months ago and he hasnt bothered any snails or crabs that ive seen. i keep him pretty wel fed though to try and avoid him getting hungry and wanting to munch on the snails/crabs. he has found a taste for shrimp though as he did eat my cleaner shrimp and at least one of my peppermints when i fisrt put him in the tank. __________________ there is going to be an episode of intervention based on me soon if someone doesnt come up with a 12 step program for this hobby soon. And i have RC members to thank for enabling me.

09/21/2008, 12:11 PM	#7
seapug Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: 4980 ft. Posts: 7,954 Blog Entries: 1	Yeah, they are great fish but some have a chip on their shoulder against tankmates. Mine doesn't bother any of my fish, but it assassinated my skunk shrimp pair the first week in the tank. They seem to have a particular weakness for shrimp. How often and what are you feeding your fish? __________________ insert clever saying here. Current Tank Info: 200 gallon custom Marineland DD peninsular tank. LPS dominated mixed reef. Previous 90 gallon mixed reef TOTM April 2009.

09/21/2008, 09:53 AM	#4
xenon Owner of Canada Corals Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Mississauga, Canada Posts: 3,148	I had one that killed 40 snails over a period of 2months. He loved to hunt at night.

09/21/2008, 04:55 PM	#8
ptomoson Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: NW Iowa Posts: 274	I feed them once a day, one cube of mysis. Should I feed more?

09/21/2008, 09:31 PM	#9
seapug Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: 4980 ft. Posts: 7,954 Blog Entries: 1	maybe try feeding a little more. maybe a full tummy will do something for the aggression....worth trying. __________________ insert clever saying here. Current Tank Info: 200 gallon custom Marineland DD peninsular tank. LPS dominated mixed reef. Previous 90 gallon mixed reef TOTM April 2009.

09/22/2008, 06:40 AM	#10
thoth7 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 18	Any comments on Flame Hawkfish and zoanthids? Mine are rapidly disappearing, but there are a variety of other fish in the tank. __________________ Ken B.

09/22/2008, 08:21 AM	#11
purpleGODZILLA Registered Member Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 59	Man, I want a hawkfish but afraid he will eat all my other livestock.

09/22/2008, 10:31 PM	#14
pledosophy Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Beaverton Posts: 5,290	Good looking fish though __________________ 120g mixed reef 90g QT

09/22/2008, 10:47 PM	#15
seapug Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: 4980 ft. Posts: 7,954 Blog Entries: 1	I wouldn't attribute the missing zoanthids to the hawk. Usually either a Tang, Butterfly, Peppermint shrimp or nudibranchs to blame for that. __________________ insert clever saying here. Current Tank Info: 200 gallon custom Marineland DD peninsular tank. LPS dominated mixed reef. Previous 90 gallon mixed reef TOTM April 2009.

09/23/2008, 02:08 PM	#16
Mappelbaum37 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: New York Posts: 886	my hawkfish is pretty bad.. Always bullies the new fish on the block and thinks he's the boss. No problems with shrimp or snails yet. My hawk also lands on my THRIVING yellow leather. Even though the yellow leather is doing good, it still annoys me that he perch's on my corals. __________________ Matt Current Tank Info: 75 gallon reef

09/23/2008, 02:13 PM	#17
seapug Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: 4980 ft. Posts: 7,954 Blog Entries: 1	If you don't want a fish that sits on corals, a Hawkfish is a bad choice. Same with Blennies. Mine do it all the time and the corals don't seem to mind at all. __________________ insert clever saying here. Current Tank Info: 200 gallon custom Marineland DD peninsular tank. LPS dominated mixed reef. Previous 90 gallon mixed reef TOTM April 2009.