Flame hawk

Can I include a pair of flame hawks to my 120 build of jawfish and gobies? Ive been reading mixed reviews about them. I dont care if they kill the occasional snail, hermit or limpet, but i dont want them beating on the jawfish or chewing on the barnacle blennies.

hmm not sure. I know that gobys and jawfish can get territorial after a while. Hawkfish are beauties though.

i'd guess they'd be ok - just make sure you have a lid on your tank in case someone chases someone else - your jawfish will run up, and out of the water, if their cave is blocked.... don't want to come home to find fish jerky!!

All of my tanks will have fiberglass lids. (no fish sticks) Everything I want to keep has a jumper tag on it lol. I figure I can get around the territorial thing with a few tactics, and I will wait until the jawfish are nice and big and established, and add a very small pr of flames. Im mostly worried if the flames will try to eat my barnacle blennies. they look too big for a hawk to swallow, but not by much.

meh, flame's aren't that big... now a 5+ inch arc-eye I might be worried about.... but a lil flame, he's harmless

flames will eat any crustaceans, though. no shrimp at all can survive my flamer. he's a great fish though

Yeah he can eat all of the peppermint shrimp he wants. I plan on breeding peppermints any how lol. Hermits and snails are cheap enough from reefcleaners. I actually want to see a flame hawk rip a limpet off a rock and out of its shell. Sweet, so they wont bother little gobies or blennies. Think they will kill adult fire shrimp?

Originally Posted by Variko

Yeah he can eat all of the peppermint shrimp he wants. I plan on breeding peppermints any how lol. Hermits and snails are cheap enough from reefcleaners. I actually want to see a flame hawk rip a limpet off a rock and out of its shell. Sweet, so they wont bother little gobies or blennies. Think they will kill adult fire shrimp?

it all depends on the fish - some, are just plain mean others, happy as can be

if you keep him well fed, and QT him properly on prepared foods, hopefully he won't look to the tank for his main food source and will associate you with food

ive found the hawkfish to be very smart - and definitely smart enough to quickly associate humans with food, which is a good thing for their continued happyness with tankmates

weve had flames before and they never bothered any fish. they seem to stay to them selves and perch on things waiting for action.

Sweet thank you! Now I can add them into my stocking plans.

I don't think you'll have any issue with the hawks and the other fish........but it CAN be very hard to keep them well fed and happy......joanne makes a GREAT point:

if you keep him well fed, and QT him properly on prepared foods, hopefully he won't look to the tank for his main food source and will associate you with food

I think the flame hawk - next to the jawfish - is my all-time favorite fish! good luck with them!