Could a hawkfish kill a small mantis?

ACBlinky · 07/12/2006, 06:01 PM

I've heard lots of clicks coming from my 65g, it sounds like a little fire lighter and isn't the sharp pop-POP I hear from the pistol in my 21g. I assume there's a mantis somewhere in the 100lbs of rock, and dreaded trying to find it. I've noticed my hawkfish is very active at night, I know they hunt crustaceans and for about a week now I haven't heard any clicks -- is it possible a 2.5" pixy hawk could take out a small mantis?

sirbooks · 07/12/2006, 07:38 PM

Maybe if it was a really small one, an inch or less. Pixies are supposed to be more aggressive than most of the other Cirrhitichthys species, and that matches my experiences with them. Even still, they have a somewhat small mouth and teeth. Not only that, but the hawk would have had to catch the shrimp by surprise. It's possible that the hawk killed it, but the mantis might still be lurking around somewhere.

One possibility is that the shrimp was building a tunnel, and has just finished.

TWallace · 07/12/2006, 07:43 PM

I kinda doubt your hawk will kill it. Too bad you can't stick an octopus in there, that'd solve your problem pretty quick I bet.

anydarnthing · 07/12/2006, 08:24 PM

It could be that the mantis has finished building his home in a rock and that was what you heard, him smashing a bigger hole in a rock. Mantis shrimp aren't all powerful though my 1.4 foot Snowflake eel ate my 2.5in Smithii Mantis shrimp, too bad I liked him since he just ate mysis shrimp and never went after a fish in the 1 year I had him since he hitchhiked in on some live rock.

ACBlinky · 07/12/2006, 09:22 PM

Well as long as I'm not losing fish it's welcome to stay, if it is in fact a mantis that I heard. I do lose hermits occasionally, but I'm pretty sure that's the hawk -- he's absolutely viscious when it comes to anything on ten legs

N_Sarno · 07/12/2006, 09:49 PM

My hawk wiped out every crustation in my tank! lol I dont have a mantis though.. but it killed everything else!

07/12/2006, 06:01 PM	#1
ACBlinky Premium Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Peterborough, ON, Canada Posts: 4,954 Blog Entries: 20	Could a hawkfish kill a small mantis? I've heard lots of clicks coming from my 65g, it sounds like a little fire lighter and isn't the sharp pop-POP I hear from the pistol in my 21g. I assume there's a mantis somewhere in the 100lbs of rock, and dreaded trying to find it. I've noticed my hawkfish is very active at night, I know they hunt crustaceans and for about a week now I haven't heard any clicks -- is it possible a 2.5" pixy hawk could take out a small mantis?

07/12/2006, 07:38 PM	#2
sirbooks Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Suffolk, Virginia Posts: 135	Maybe if it was a really small one, an inch or less. Pixies are supposed to be more aggressive than most of the other Cirrhitichthys species, and that matches my experiences with them. Even still, they have a somewhat small mouth and teeth. Not only that, but the hawk would have had to catch the shrimp by surprise. It's possible that the hawk killed it, but the mantis might still be lurking around somewhere. One possibility is that the shrimp was building a tunnel, and has just finished. __________________ "And when he gets to Heaven, to Saint Peter he will tell- 'One more Marine reporting, Sir! I've served my time in Hell.' " - Guadalcanal Epitaph Current Tank Info: 65 gallon easy reef

07/12/2006, 08:24 PM	#4
anydarnthing Registered Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Omaha Posts: 657	It could be that the mantis has finished building his home in a rock and that was what you heard, him smashing a bigger hole in a rock. Mantis shrimp aren't all powerful though my 1.4 foot Snowflake eel ate my 2.5in Smithii Mantis shrimp, too bad I liked him since he just ate mysis shrimp and never went after a fish in the 1 year I had him since he hitchhiked in on some live rock. __________________ No good deed goes unpunished... Current Tank Info: 240gal softy Reef, 220gal Reef, 29gal Nano reef, 75gal holding tank, H&S A200 3xF2001 & A250 2x1260, 2x 72" Current Orbit 250W MH actinic T5's. Geo Calcium Rx.

07/12/2006, 09:22 PM	#5
ACBlinky Premium Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Peterborough, ON, Canada Posts: 4,954 Blog Entries: 20	Well as long as I'm not losing fish it's welcome to stay, if it is in fact a mantis that I heard. I do lose hermits occasionally, but I'm pretty sure that's the hawk -- he's absolutely viscious when it comes to anything on ten legs __________________ "The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears, or the sea." - Isak Dinesen Current Tank Info: 150g mixed reef, 30g sump/refugium, LED lighting, 100lbs LR, coral beauty, flame angel, blue & yellow tangs, gobies, damsels, 6-line wrasse, lawnmower blenny, dottyback, clown pair, rabbitfish, shrimp, crabs, CUC.

07/12/2006, 07:43 PM	#3
TWallace Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Seattle Posts: 1,464	I kinda doubt your hawk will kill it. Too bad you can't stick an octopus in there, that'd solve your problem pretty quick I bet.

07/12/2006, 09:49 PM	#6
N_Sarno Moved On Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Wood Dale, Illinois Posts: 103	My hawk wiped out every crustation in my tank! lol I dont have a mantis though.. but it killed everything else!