Who Gives A Fish Forums

I've been thinking about adding a flame hawkfish to my 55-gallon reef tank. I've heard mixed things about their temperament. Anyone have experience with them? My tank has a pair of clownfish, a cleaner shrimp, and some soft corals. Water params are stable, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 5 nitrate, salinity at 1.025.

Flame hawkfish are pretty chill but they can be territorial. I've got one in my 40-gallon with a few gobies and it's been fine. Just make sure you've got enough rockwork for them to perch on. They're not gonna mess with your corals but might go after small shrimp.

I've had a flame hawkfish for about a year now. It's in a 75-gallon with a yellow tang and some chromis. No issues so far. They're kinda lazy hunters, so if your shrimp are big enough, they should be safe. Mine ignores the cleaner shrimp completely.

I'd be careful with the cleaner shrimp. Flame hawkfish are known to snack on smaller crustaceans. If your shrimp is big, it might be okay, but there's always a risk. My buddy lost a peppermint shrimp to his hawkfish last month.

pallid wrote: ↑Sat Sep 06, 2025 5:03 am I'd be careful with the cleaner shrimp. Flame hawkfish are known to snack on smaller crustaceans. If your shrimp is big, it might be okay, but there's always a risk. My buddy lost a peppermint shrimp to his hawkfish last month.

Yep, that's the gamble. I've got a flame hawkfish in my 60-gallon and it's left my fire shrimp alone, but I've heard horror stories. They're kinda like cats, unpredictable but fun to watch.

Flame hawkfish are generally safe for reef tanks but they're opportunistic feeders. If your cleaner shrimp is small or molting, it's at risk. I'd recommend observing the hawkfish's behavior during feeding time. If it's aggressive, you might need to rethink the shrimp. Tank size and layout play a big role too.

Thanks for the input, everyone. My cleaner shrimp is pretty big, about 3 inches, so hopefully it'll be okay. I'll keep an eye on the hawkfish if I decide to get one. Appreciate the advice.

basalt wrote: ↑Sat Sep 06, 2025 11:49 am Thanks for the input, everyone. My cleaner shrimp is pretty big, about 3 inches, so hopefully it'll be okay. I'll keep an eye on the hawkfish if I decide to get one. Appreciate the advice.

Yeah, at that size, your shrimp should be fine. Just make sure the hawkfish has plenty of spots to perch. They're lazy hunters but love to stake out a territory.

One more thing, flame hawkfish are jumpers. Make sure you've got a tight lid or mesh cover. Lost one years ago because it decided to take a leap. They're cool fish though, great personalities.