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Spotted Hawk Fish for my reef?

2K views 4 replies 4 participants last post by  gary 
#1 ·
Does anyone outthere have any experiences to share about keeping Spotted Hawk Fish in their reef tanks. I would like to add one or two more smaller fish. I found one at a LFS that caught my eye but I don't know to much about them. Time to do some research.
 
#2 ·
Two downsides right off the bat:

1) They can and do pounce on smaller fish.

2) They can like to perch, and if it happens to be on some poor coral or gorg, then the coral or gorg can suffer a bit. Some folks like their fish to swim a lot, and most hawkfishes oblige only grudgingly.

But these are just the downsides, there's lots to recommend them, --after all, you want one!

horge
 
#3 ·
I like hawkfish...all of them. I think they are neat fish and one day I mayst have to set up a FO or marginal reef so I can have one

But as to Horge's comment about pouncing on smaller fish...boy howdy! We had one that came back to our shop *4* times! Even though we warned people about him. The first time he came back was for eating a damsel but the last time he came back because he bit the head off a jawfish!!! Just perched there and waited for the poor pearly jawfish to stick his head up and boom! He had a real 'tude, this spotted hawk, and they may not all be like that, different fish have different dispositions but sheesh! This one took the prize. He now lives in a tank with a trigger, a puffer and a lion.


~Alice
 
#4 ·
Thanks for the input dark jorge and Alice. I thought he was kind of cool until I did some research. I found out pretty much the same things that you both told me. Thanks for getting rid of my "itch". My damsels also thank you.
 
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