Reef Discussion

[IJG3145]

Has anyone kept a Longnose Hawkfish (Oxycirrhites typus) in a community type reef tank?

I love the look & personality of these, in fact I've wanted one for years but I keep reading mixed opinions. Now I want people's actual experience if possible, to help me decide.

@Wrangy After read 'Best Day Eva' I've added a couple of wrasse to my fish list when stocking time comes. :)

 

[Wrangy]

I've seen them in a multitude of different mixed reef tanks with varying stocklists and they've always been peaceful from my readings :) As with any hawks small inverts are always a risk lol

The biggest difficulty I've read with them is the initial feeding period due to how small their mouths are and they can be a little picky initially with foods. So if you're happy to trial different foods and have some live on hand then I don't imagine there would be too much issue at all :)

Now that my beauties are in and settled (and the carpenters is eating pellets already! lol) I would recommend them to anyone! They're just stunning!! :D

 

[IJG3145]

I've seen them in a multitude of different mixed reef tanks with varying stocklists and they've always been peaceful from my readings :) As with any hawks small inverts are always a risk lol

The biggest difficulty I've read with them is the initial feeding period due to how small their mouths are and they can be a little picky initially with foods. So if you're happy to trial different foods and have some live on hand then I don't imagine there would be too much issue at all :)

Now that my beauties are in and settled (and the carpenters is eating pellets already! lol) I would recommend them to anyone! They're just stunning!! :D

I feed about 7 different foods during the week and normally hatch bbs so should all be good. With the exception of the 6 line, I had never really looked as wrasse before. I loved my 6 line but as I want to keep a mandarin pair this time, it would be too competitive for pods etc. Love the longfin and carpenters in particular.

 

[MagicJ]

As with any hawks small inverts are always a risk lol

Just to expand this discussion, what is your definition of 'small invert' ?

 

[Wrangy]

Well I'd say you're set then! You should have no issues at all with that sort of regime :)

Just to expand this discussion, what is your definition of 'small invert' ?

Young shrimp, sexy's, anemone shrimp, small snails (I watched my flame brutally murder one once.. it was awesome lol). Anything smaller than the body of the hawk I would say will be at the most risk. Larger than the hawk and I never had any issues :)

 

[Sean81]

I feed about 7 different foods during the week and normally hatch bbs so should all be good. With the exception of the 6 line, I had never really looked as wrasse before. I loved my 6 line but as I want to keep a mandarin pair this time, it would be too competitive for pods etc. Love the longfin and carpenters in particular.

I have a similar plan but I introduced a six line just post cycle to control a worm explosion but I kept him to long and he destroyed my copepod population and now I am overgrown with large amphipods and am struggling to get a copepod population going.

 

[IJG3145]

I have a similar plan but I introduced a six line just post cycle to control a worm explosion but I kept him to long and he destroyed my copepod population and now I am overgrown with large amphipods and am struggling to get a copepod population going.

A bangai or PJ cardinal would clean them up quickly.

 

[slin1977]

I think my Bangaii has put a huge dent in my pod population.

 

[slin1977]

A bangai or PJ cardinal would clean them up quickly.

Beat me to it by two mins!

 

[Sean81]

Oh so they will possibly go for the larger amphipods. I'll look into it, thanks.

 

[ReeferRob]

We've had Longnose hawks in every reef tank we've ever had. This is Billy, named after Billy Idol.

As for Bangai cardinals, you couldn't give me one of those miserable little shits. I love PJ cardinals, blue eyed cardinals and black spot cardinals.

 

[suta42]

Gorgeous fish, wouldn't put it past big adults to eat ornamental shrimp though. They look sensational in pairs nesting on large gorgonians... :)

 

[ReeferRob]

I've never had them mess with shrimp, even Peterson's shrimp. I know other hawks like Flames, Arc eyes and Goldens will dispatch them in short order, but I've never seen it with Longnose hawks.