GOBY Posted October 21, 2012 Share Posted October 21, 2012 So I went to my LFS yesterday and pick up some coral and two new fish, one spotted hawk fish and a sail-fin blenny. I asked if both were reef safe, which they replied yes, and if they were nice not aggressive fish. Well you can probably guess what they said and after introducing them into my 72 gallon reef I researched the hawkfish and found out they eat shrimp!!!! I have one fire shrimp and two peppermint shrimp, one carrying eggs, so my question is obviously, should the hawk stay or should he go? (scary) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CuttleFishandCoral Posted October 21, 2012 Share Posted October 21, 2012 I would get it out. Spotted Hawk's are very aggressive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emerald525 Posted October 21, 2012 Share Posted October 21, 2012 Yes it will likely eat your shrimp. Cool fish in the right tank. I would also consider a new LFS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gill Posted October 21, 2012 Share Posted October 21, 2012 I've never kept one, but I have seen many in reef tanks before. Not saying it should stay just saying I wouldn't be Upset with the LFS. Many wrasses that are "reef safe" also eat shrimp. Just my 2 cents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PowderBlue Posted October 21, 2012 Share Posted October 21, 2012 I'm going to play devils advocate, I had a hawkish in with zoas, cleaner shrimp, peppermint shrimp, a clown, spotted puffer, I never once had an issue, he just perched up on rocks and hung out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeramy Posted October 21, 2012 Share Posted October 21, 2012 They can be extremeley aggressive fish very cool but I would think your shrimp would be short lived. However they wont eat your corals so they are reef safe right =) Good luck they are also very smart fish I had a hell of a time traping my Falcos to remove him from my system after he developed a love for blue legged hermit crabs =( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CuttleFishandCoral Posted October 21, 2012 Share Posted October 21, 2012 A Flame Hawk or Longnose Hawk I would keep in my tank but just not a spotted hawk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CuttleFishandCoral Posted October 21, 2012 Share Posted October 21, 2012 Actually a pixy hawk is one of my favorite fish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PowderBlue Posted October 21, 2012 Share Posted October 21, 2012 Actually a pixy hawk is one of my favorite fish. Pixie hawks are awesome!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GOBY Posted October 21, 2012 Author Share Posted October 21, 2012 Just went to this LFS for the first time, the best looking store around with lots to choose from the great prices, SW fantaseas.... even got twenty dollars worth of coupon next time I go there.... Haven't seen any better stores in the Portland area. I will just have to research online before I buy. And yes catching him is going to be a *****.... What about a flasher wrass? I think they had one that looked close to what they look like... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PowderBlue Posted October 21, 2012 Share Posted October 21, 2012 Patrick and Lisa have never steered me wrong. If your unsure about keeping him they will gladly take him back. Awesome people to deal with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emerald525 Posted October 21, 2012 Share Posted October 21, 2012 spotted hawk fish??? Just went to this LFS for the first time, the best looking store around with lots to choose from the great prices, SW fantaseas.... even got twenty dollars worth of coupon next time I go there.... Haven't seen any better stores in the Portland area. I will just have to research online before I buy. And yes catching him is going to be a *****.... What about a flasher wrass? I think they had one that looked close to what they look like... Flasher wrasses are fine. They are peaceful Beautiful fish. They are jumpers so make sure your tank is covered and that you don't have more agressive wrasses like a melanarus. It is better if you get more than one because they will flash more. You should borrow a fish trap from someone. I have one but it is being borrowed right now. I just feel like part of the reason you go to a LFS should be to get some guidance from their experience. Otherwise you could just order from liveaquaria and they give you all the info you need. Divers den even quarantines the fish for you. There was many a time I went into Seahorse when I was new and he talked me out of fish that would not do well. Sent from my BlackBerry 9630 using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Re_Run Posted October 21, 2012 Share Posted October 21, 2012 Sounds like a misunderstanding.. have always have good experances with SWF. Did you tell them you have shrimp (yea both ways they should have asked also)? I would get it out though.. Give them a second chance think you will find they are great to work with Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garrett Posted October 21, 2012 Share Posted October 21, 2012 I got a trap if ypy want to borrow it, helps ALOT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReeFit Posted October 21, 2012 Share Posted October 21, 2012 i've kept spotted hawks in with cleaner shrimp and fire shrimp with no problems. depends on the size of the shrimp and the fish. the spotted hawk will easily grow big enough to take out the shrimp eventually. mine was around 2.5" when i had it. it is a bit territorial but never caused much trouble. they are very aggressive towards other hawks and perching fish or gobies. they take to eating right out of your hand pretty quickly and eat like pigs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimberlee Posted October 21, 2012 Share Posted October 21, 2012 Sounds like a misunderstanding.. have always have good experances with SWF. Did you tell them you have shrimp (yea both ways they should have asked also)? I would get it out though.. Give them a second chance think you will find they are great to work with I second this. I have found them to be some of the best to work w/, but I tend to do my research before buying. That is with any LFS though. I even do my own research when buying something from TPA. We should be able to get better guidance from our LFS, but I find depending on we should usually ends bad. They have amazing customer service though, and are willing to make a bad purchase right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Z Reef Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 A Flame Hawk or Longnose Hawk I would keep in my tank but just not a spotted hawk. Flame hawks are cool but my clowns always had beef with him. Idk if its his colors or what? Cool fish otherwise and didn't cause any reef issues even with shrimp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackhand Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 i've kept spotted hawks in with cleaner shrimp and fire shrimp with no problems. depends on the size of the shrimp and the fish. the spotted hawk will easily grow big enough to take out the shrimp eventually. mine was around 2.5" when i had it. it is a bit territorial but never caused much trouble. they are very aggressive towards other hawks and perching fish or gobies. they take to eating right out of your hand pretty quickly and eat like pigs. i agree with ya they are amazing fish and have even more amazing personalities i have had several different kinds of them the ive never had a problem with them and shrimp but ive always had a coral banded that was huge and would scare my sailfin tang away so dont think ive ever had that problem but i have always had a problem with the hawks with blennys and gobies they have always terrified them so much and made it very difficult to feed them so i personally think that the only safe way to keep a hawk is by putting it in a nano by itself and corals or put it in a very large tank and feed it many times during the day but thats ime, also ive learned the hard way too with getting the wrong kind of info from lfs they were right in saying its reef safe but most people think something that is reef safe is safe with invertebrates which is far from the truth with hawks and wrasses and many others something that i enjoy doing when i go into a new store is i ask the workers there questions about their livestock that i already know some easy and not so easy questions if i feel that they know what they are talking about i then feel like i can trust them with things that i dont know but it never hurts to look up info on the fish on your smart phone while in the store to double check but so far the only store that ive been in that has passed my so called test is the premium aquarium but i havent been to any of the stores in portland since thats 3 hrs away from me not very local haha ive learned to do this from going into my actual lfs in my town and when ive told them about the livestock that they just ordered in and they had no clue what it was numerous times and i would tell them some basic and interesting facts about them and then as i was leaving they would be telling the next costomer almost word for word what i told them haha i guess i should take it as flattery right lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garrett Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 Most lfs too have the pocket book thing with general information on most fish and corals depends which copy they have as one was printed 15 years ago and the other a year two ago Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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