Is it too late to get another flame hawkfish?

RioReefr · 04/18/2018, 07:24 AM

I got a flame hawkfish about 2 months ago and I really him. He doesn't bother anyone and looks really cool in the tank. I would say he is by far the most peaceful fish in the tank.
I have read that hawkfish are good in pairs, but at this point maybe they would just fight if another one is introduced. Do they change sexes like clownfish? -- one will "turn" male/female based on dominance.

norfolkgarden · 04/18/2018, 07:46 PM

Yes, they are awesome.

No, they stay the same sex their whole lives.

No, like the Longnose hawkfish, they are almost impossible to tell sexes apart.

You could try another one in an acclimation box in the same tank and see if the new one attacks it.
If it's anything but a lovefest you better be able to remove the second fish before the first one kills it.
Or the second one kills the first one.

Better would be to set up a 20 or 30 gallon tank without too much live rock and introduce both fish to this tank at the same time.
If they work you could move them together back to the main tank.

Can't say whether adding a smaller 2nd fish or a bigger 2nd fish would be better.
We tried a smaller fish each time out of loyalty to the fish we already had.

Longnose hawkfish are similar in difficulty.
I tried twice with seperate Longnose hawkfish and had to return the 2nd individual fish (no credit) each time.

Was successful 6 years ago with a random pairing. But lost 1 in a tank crash and the other lived 5 years total and the last 2 years alone.

Bought a bonded pair of Longnose hawkfish from Divers Den a few months ago.
They are great together and spend about 40% of the time near each other and the rest wandering around separately. But they never attack each other.

The bonded clownfish pair spend considerably more time together.

Best of luck! It is awesome when it works.

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RioReefr · 04/19/2018, 10:04 AM

Ok, so it seems complicated to try and add another one, as I already have a small tank (32G).
My LFS will take fish back, but won't give credit so I don't really want to do the "try-and-see" approach. It also seems my F-H has taken up its territory in a big leather coral.
In hindsight I should have bought a pair, but didn't know how they would behave with the other fish. For most part, he is a perfect tank-mate...minds his own business up on his perch.

norfolkgarden · 04/19/2018, 10:09 AM

32 gallon is a small tank for 2 hawkfish. Might work on your next tank upgrade.

It took a while for us to get it right the second time.
We just stumbled into it the first time. Had no clue how lucky we were until we tried again.

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nereefpat · 04/19/2018, 10:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by norfolkgarden

No, they stay the same sex their whole lives.

Flame hawks start life as females, then change to male when they are older or dominate. Like wrasses, or the opposite of clowns.

norfolkgarden · 04/19/2018, 03:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nereefpat

Flame hawks start life as females, then change to male when they are older or dominate. Like wrasses, or the opposite of clowns.

Thank you.

Learn something new every day. I swear I remember being told they kept the same sex.
Anyway, thank you for the info!

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nereefpat · 04/19/2018, 03:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by norfolkgarden

I swear I remember being told they kept the same sex.

It could be that if one is a male, that it can't turn back. So if pairing, it might be better to mix a small/female with a large/male, or start with two juveniles.

Bent · 04/19/2018, 09:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nereefpat

It could be that if one is a male, that it can't turn back. So if pairing, it might be better to mix a small/female with a large/male, or start with two juveniles.

As far as I know, the males are terminal after changing.

nereefpat · 04/20/2018, 07:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bent

As far as I know, the males are terminal after changing.

Thanks. That makes sense.

04/18/2018, 07:24 AM	#1
RioReefr Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: Rio de Janeiro Posts: 394	Is it too late to get another flame hawkfish? I got a flame hawkfish about 2 months ago and I really him. He doesn't bother anyone and looks really cool in the tank. I would say he is by far the most peaceful fish in the tank. I have read that hawkfish are good in pairs, but at this point maybe they would just fight if another one is introduced. Do they change sexes like clownfish? -- one will "turn" male/female based on dominance.

04/18/2018, 07:46 PM	#2
norfolkgarden Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Norfolk, Virginia, USA Posts: 258	Yes, they are awesome. No, they stay the same sex their whole lives. No, like the Longnose hawkfish, they are almost impossible to tell sexes apart. You could try another one in an acclimation box in the same tank and see if the new one attacks it. If it's anything but a lovefest you better be able to remove the second fish before the first one kills it. Or the second one kills the first one. Better would be to set up a 20 or 30 gallon tank without too much live rock and introduce both fish to this tank at the same time. If they work you could move them together back to the main tank. Can't say whether adding a smaller 2nd fish or a bigger 2nd fish would be better. We tried a smaller fish each time out of loyalty to the fish we already had. Longnose hawkfish are similar in difficulty. I tried twice with seperate Longnose hawkfish and had to return the 2nd individual fish (no credit) each time. Was successful 6 years ago with a random pairing. But lost 1 in a tank crash and the other lived 5 years total and the last 2 years alone. Bought a bonded pair of Longnose hawkfish from Divers Den a few months ago. They are great together and spend about 40% of the time near each other and the rest wandering around separately. But they never attack each other. The bonded clownfish pair spend considerably more time together. Best of luck! It is awesome when it works. Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

04/19/2018, 10:04 AM	#3
RioReefr Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: Rio de Janeiro Posts: 394	Ok, so it seems complicated to try and add another one, as I already have a small tank (32G). My LFS will take fish back, but won't give credit so I don't really want to do the "try-and-see" approach. It also seems my F-H has taken up its territory in a big leather coral. In hindsight I should have bought a pair, but didn't know how they would behave with the other fish. For most part, he is a perfect tank-mate...minds his own business up on his perch.

04/19/2018, 10:09 AM	#4
norfolkgarden Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Norfolk, Virginia, USA Posts: 258	32 gallon is a small tank for 2 hawkfish. Might work on your next tank upgrade. It took a while for us to get it right the second time. We just stumbled into it the first time. Had no clue how lucky we were until we tried again. Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk