Help me pick a compatible fish

[coryscritch]

So I currently have a clownfish with a pixy hawk. These two get along very well. I recently added a cleaner and blood shrimp those were both destroyed by the hawkfish. At the same time I also added a watchman goby, he also got smoked. I really don’t want just two fish in the tank. It’s a Waterbox 45. So, the display is 30 gallons. I would get rid of the pixy, but he’s so fun to watch. I was thinking maybe a snowflake eel. What do you guys think? 

[Tamberav]

A 30 is too small for a snowflake as they grow to a pretty decent size and have a very large bioload. They also grow pretty fast.

 

A Hawaiian dwarf eel  would work but is fairly costly.

 

You will probably need to try fast fish that don't sit down in the Hawks territory and have spunk. Perhaps a pygmy angelfish or smaller damsels.

 

Other aggressive fish that could potentially hold their own are sixline wrasse and orchid dottyback.

 

 

[Tired]

Maybe one of the slightly larger cardinalfish? Some of them tend to hover instead of going down into hawkfish territory. Black cardinalfish, maybe? I've never kept one, but they're pretty, and at 4.5" they shouldn't be hawkfish prey. 

 

A brittle star would probably be safe. Don't get a green one- those are fish-eaters. The rest should be safe if fed regularly. 

[RoyalGramma001]

1 hour ago, Tired said:

Maybe one of the slightly larger cardinalfish? Some of them tend to hover instead of going down into hawkfish territory. Black cardinalfish, maybe? I've never kept one, but they're pretty, and at 4.5" they shouldn't be hawkfish prey. 

 

A brittle star would probably be safe. Don't get a green one- those are fish-eaters. The rest should be safe if fed regularly. 

I would agree with @Tired cardinal should be fine such as a pajama cardinal or a Banggai cardinal. I would say after that your tank is probably maxed on fish. Wouldn’t put an eel in the tank in my opinion. Tank is too small in my opinion also for really any eel, but it’s up to you just my opinion.

[coryscritch]

1 hour ago, Tamberav said:

A 30 is too small for a snowflake as they grow to a pretty decent size and have a very large bioload. They also grow pretty fast.

 

A Hawaiian dwarf eel  would work but is fairly costly.

 

You will probably need to try fast fish that don't sit down in the Hawks territory and have spunk. Perhaps a pygmy angelfish or smaller damsels.

 

Other aggressive fish that could potentially hold their own are sixline wrasse and orchid dottyback.

 

 

Thank you.  I’ll have to look into that. Maybe some sort of lionfish? 

[coryscritch]

2 hours ago, Tired said:

Maybe one of the slightly larger cardinalfish? Some of them tend to hover instead of going down into hawkfish territory. Black cardinalfish, maybe? I've never kept one, but they're pretty, and at 4.5" they shouldn't be hawkfish prey. 

 

A brittle star would probably be safe. Don't get a green one- those are fish-eaters. The rest should be safe if fed regularly. 

I like this idea. Considering the eel is 500 

[Tired]

Lionfish should only be kept with fish at least as big as they are. They're also not for nano tanks, even the smaller ones. I believe there are one or two species that would work in a 30gal, but they'd max out your bioload. 

 

Sounds like what you want is a predator tank! Unfortunately, you need a bit more volume for that. Especially for a volitans lionfish (the big ones), or a snowflake eel. 

 

[RoyalGramma001]

Yeah, I would agree with no lion fish, you could get a Pygmy coral crouched goby, hawkfish should not bother it because they are a stone fish.

[A.m.P]

Hawkfish eat inverts lol, so no surprise on the shrimp.

Anything you put in is a dice roll since hawks are variable, but aggressive; the suggestions towards dottybacks (especially since you already can't do inverts) are tempting and there are some darn gorgeous ones out there, bigger damsels could probably hold their own, but they really, really prefer to pick a home-base cave and that might not work out well with a hawkfish in a smallish-square-footprint (same with dottybacks).

 

You could try one of the more boisterous and mean chromis like a black and white or half-and-half.

 

Angelfish could work too, but would limit coral choices, if you care about that, and their grazing might not go over great either (there's also the footprint issue since they are super-active and water box cubes have allot of dead vertical space).

 

Lions are too big and will eat your other fish, also not necessarily easy to keep, same with eels.

 

Honestly if you want the eel look... Engineer goby, but they're a cause of "vanishing" fish themselves, also live in the hawk's territory, get huge, need sand, long list of potential problems (though fewer than an eel, but your tank may still be too small honestly).

[coryscritch]

8 hours ago, Tired said:

Lionfish should only be kept with fish at least as big as they are. They're also not for nano tanks, even the smaller ones. I believe there are one or two species that would work in a 30gal, but they'd max out your bioload. 

 

Sounds like what you want is a predator tank! Unfortunately, you need a bit more volume for that. Especially for a volitans lionfish (the big ones), or a snowflake eel. 

 

Well, I unfortunately chose the most aggressive type of hawkfish. I didn’t really want a predator tank, but it’s kind of looking that way. Hah. 

[coryscritch]

Just now, Amphrites said:

Hawkfish eat inverts lol, so no surprise on the shrimp.

Anything you put in is a dice roll since hawks are variable, but aggressive; the suggestions towards dottybacks (especially since you already can't do inverts) are tempting and there are some darn gorgeous ones out there, bigger damsels could probably hole their own but they really, really prefer to pick a home-base cave and that might not work out well with a hawkfish in a smallish-square-footprint.

 

You could try one of the more boisterous and mean chromis like a black and white or half-and-half.

 

Angelfish could work too, but would limit coral choices, if you care about that, and their grazing might not go over great either (there's also the footprint issue since they are super-active and water box cubes have allot of dead vertical space).

 

Lions are too big and will eat your other fish, also not necessarily easy to keep, same with eels.

 

Honestly if you want the eel look... Engineer goby, but they're a cause of "vanishing" fish themselves, also live in the hawk's territory, get huge, need sand, long list of potential problems (though fewer than an eel).

I’ve read on forums that hawkfish sometimes leave shrimp alone. Not in my case! I had two engineer gobies like 10 years ago. They looked like eels, they were huge!! They designed some crazy tunnel system in the sand. 

[A.m.P]

Just now, coryscritch said:

I’ve read on forums that hawkfish sometimes leave shrimp alone. Not in my case! I had two engineer gobies like 10 years ago. They looked like eels, they were huge!! They designed some crazy tunnel system in the sand. 

Honestly it's always a toss up, but even pygmy perchlets are known for nipping clams and eating cuc/shrimps, I don't imagine the problem improves with size lol - feels like a matter of time.

[mcarroll]

On 8/8/2020 at 10:16 AM, coryscritch said:

Well, I unfortunately chose the most aggressive type of hawkfish. I didn’t really want a predator tank, but it’s kind of looking that way. Hah. 

Might have to roll with it.  You now have a Hawkfish Tank.

 

It would also be a little dicey, but maybe consider a second hawkfish?

 

On 8/8/2020 at 10:20 AM, coryscritch said:

I’ve read on forums that hawkfish sometimes leave shrimp alone. Not in my case! I had two engineer gobies like 10 years ago. They looked like eels, they were huge!! They designed some crazy tunnel system in the sand. 

Someone somewhere is bound to say just about anything sooner or later....and the internet makes it easy to find.  Not a bonus when you're in your shoes.

 

Just for reference...

 

Every Hawkfish entry (all 10!) in Scott Michael's "Marine Fishes" carries a warning that they are a vicious predator to (basically) anything that moves.  (My wording. LOL)

 

The main Hawkfish category description in Lieske and Myers "Coral Reef Fishes" says they "...feed on benthic crustaceans and fishes during the day."  Some of them even eat sea urchins!!  

 

"Marine Fishes" was the source for the two-hawkfish idea too, BTW.  Said it would be dicey....not unlike adding two Tangs.  So read up on that and brace for it....it usually works out if you're prepared.

 

In such a small space, I think most other non-coral critters are going to be potential targets.  I would be prepared to feed this tank cleanup crew.

 

For the limitations they put on your other choices, they kinda make up for it in personality.  So I say go with it – and enjoy it!  😃

[coryscritch]

On 8/17/2020 at 6:12 PM, mcarroll said:

Might have to roll with it.  You now have a Hawkfish Tank.

 

It would also be a little dicey, but maybe consider a second hawkfish?

 

Someone somewhere is bound to say just about anything sooner or later....and the internet makes it easy to find.  Not a bonus when you're in your shoes.

 

Just for reference...

 

Every Hawkfish entry (all 10!) in Scott Michael's "Marine Fishes" carries a warning that they are a vicious predator to (basically) anything that moves.  (My wording. LOL)

 

The main Hawkfish category description in Lieske and Myers "Coral Reef Fishes" says they "...feed on benthic crustaceans and fishes during the day."  Some of them even eat sea urchins!!  

 

"Marine Fishes" was the source for the two-hawkfish idea too, BTW.  Said it would be dicey....not unlike adding two Tangs.  So read up on that and brace for it....it usually works out if you're prepared.

 

In such a small space, I think most other non-coral critters are going to be potential targets.  I would be prepared to feed this tank cleanup crew.

 

For the limitations they put on your other choices, they kinda make up for it in personality.  So I say go with it – and enjoy it!  😃

im rolling with it for sure. he's too cool to get rid of! I do have a snail only CUC, he doesn't seem to bother them. thanks for the Info! an additional hawkfish would be awesome, if it works. haha. his housed with a clownfish at the moment, and those two basically sleep together

[mcarroll]

I'd love to have a hawkfish (or two!) – definitely an interesting character – but I have a cleaner shrimp tank as much as I have a stony reef....it wouldn't be a very nice addition for them.    

 

"In the next tank..."

[RedCrow]

I think a dottyback or a gramma would hold its own against a hawkfish. You could face territorial issues depending on the amount of rockwork you have though 

[coryscritch]

thought i would give a little update on here. I kind of let the tank go a little bit, there wasn't much in it anyways. a couple of sps ( which are still doing fine, and growing) I decided to trap the hawkfish using the 2 liter bottle method.he was super cool,  he just wasn't right for what I'm trying to do. I replaced him with this lovely little trio I picked up at the LFS. 

[Tired]

A trio? Interesting. Keep a very close eye on them, that seems to only very rarely work.

[coryscritch]

21 hours ago, Tired said:

A trio? Interesting. Keep a very close eye on them, that seems to only very rarely work.

I’ll keep the thread updated. I went in for 2, but there was three together, basically swimming on top of each other. I felt bad splitting up the group, so they all came back with me.