Flame Hawkfish?

Dear Reverend:

Yes, sir, the Flame Hawkfish or Brilliant Hawkfish (Neocirrhitus armatus) is a shy, docile fish that should make a good companion for your seahorses. I have kept my ponies with Longnose Hawkfish in the past, and they did quite well together providing I gave the Longnose Hawk its fill of prepared foods first and then target fed the seahorses. Hawkfish are very fond of frozen Mysis so you want to thaw out and enrich more of the shrimp for each feeding that you normally do to allow for the Mysis the Hawkfish will eat. The Vibrance enrichment will keep the scarlet red coloration of the Flame Hawkfish at its most brilliant.

The Flame Hawkfish is a real personality fish that is always scanning its surroundings with those big eyes and they will feed on polychaete worms, so it may perform a beneficial service in the seahorse tank by thinning out the bristleworm population. It is well suited for reef-type aquaria.

Because they dine on crustaceans and bottom-dwelling invertebrates, if the Flame Hawkfish causes any problems it may be with the cleanup crew for the seahorse tank. They will eat feather duster worms and decorative shrimp, so if you have cleaner shrimp in your seahorse tank, you will need to relocate them before you introduce the Flame Hawkfish, sir. They sometimes develop a bad habit of plucking snails and hermit crabs right out of their shells, so keep a close eye on your aquarium janitors in case that becomes a problem.

Also, beware that Flame Hawkfish are jumpers, so keep your seahorse tank covered tightly if you add one of these little beauties.

Best wishes with all of your fishes, Reverend!

Happy Trails!
Pete Giwojna