Flame Hawkfish Questions

[BoneSnapper]

Will he eat a Cleaner shrimp, and will he eat a Algae Blenny? Thanks

 

[n3ont3tra]

From what I've read:
cleaner shrimp: will be eaten, although it could take up to a year.
Algae blenny: No he's safe

It will also attack some snails and hermits (and probably eat them). It's an awesome fish though.

 

[BoneSnapper]

Damn it!! What about this one http/www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Di...cfm?pCatId=2626
I know it says might eat shrimp, my cleaner is about 3 inches long, not including the feelers.

 

[chrissaysyes]

I've always heard the rule of thumb that they only eat what they can fit in their mouths

 

[Lynden]

Cleaner shrimp will almost certainly not be eaten by this fish. Only the tiniest of shrimp (such as smaller sexy shrimp) will be eaten by them, and snails and hermits will be safe in most cases. It is the larger, more grouperlike hawks such as the arc-eye that give this family it's reputation.

 

[chrissaysyes]

There's a flame hawk that has been sitting at my LFS for over a year. So long it has it's own tank and a set of shark jaws that it has been "trained" to perch in. The cost of a strictly carnivorous (or so I've been told) 3" fish scared me away from adopting him.

 

[Adrinal]

all animals will go for the fast food route... but once they are hungry and forced to go for larger or harder prey.... they get a taste for it. Thats how you get fish in your tanks that would not have normally eaten something in the wild, eating stuff in your tanks.

oops I just bit that coral... hey... I didn't die... hmmm I think I will eat some more!!!!


feed the sketchy fish well :0

 

[Lynden]

Agreed.

 

[hubbard_shark]

if ur interested in hawks, ever thought of a longnose hawk? there pretty cool, always out, and look real good in a tank. just a recommendation

 

[bobf]

Cleaner shrimp will almost certainly not be eaten by this fish. Only the tiniest of shrimp (such as smaller sexy shrimp) will be eaten by them, and snails and hermits will be safe in most cases. It is the larger, more grouperlike hawks such as the arc-eye that give this family it's reputation.

I took that view Lynden, having read the same elsewhere and thought my two cleaners would be safe - they were both about the same size as the dwarf hawkfish I bought but within a week were both gone. You'd be suprised how big they can extend their mouths. The hawk was swimming round with half of the second cleaner sticking out of his mouth for about 24 hours but managed it in the end.

Only my blood shrimp remains, but I guess he's better able to defend hinself or least keeps out the way!

Doesn't seem to have bothered the hermits or snails though.

 

[Lynden]

Damn, I guess there's always the "bad egg".

 

[chrissaysyes]

I had a falco hawk leave my cleaner shrimp alone...he seemed much too small to do any damage to it.

 

[BoneSnapper]

I was interested in a Falco Hawkfish.

 

[chrissaysyes]

Theyre really cute. Mine stayed hidden a lot though

 

[Lynden]

Mine got eaten... was quite the character before that. One of the first saltwater fish I ever owned. Took flake on his way to the bottom after being released!