geometric hawkfish

[Guidry]

Does anyone have any experience keeping one? Mine is ready to come out of quarantine and I'm trying to decide which aqaurium to add him to.
Choice 1) 20g with fire fish N magnifica, watchman goby A. guttata, and alpheus pistol shrimp. Would he be too aggressive in here?
Choice 2) 40g with a redheaded dottyback P. elongatus and a mated pair of Coral banded shrimp.
Thanks,
Myles

 

[Anonymous]

Tough call, but I'd be more inclined to add him to the smaller tank, simply because they are very small and easily overlooked in larger tanks. They can be very secretive. It's also likely that the dottyback would pester him, and cause him to hide more. The goby and firefish would encourage him to come out more often, if anything.

My only concern in the smaller tank is the pistol shrimp, but only if it is very small. As I'm sure you've found out they will demolish very small shrimp. Even a 1" fish can take out large ghost shrimp.

Here is a picture of Plectranthias inermis in some closed up green star polyps, probably the species you have. Did you know they are actually an anthias, and not a hawkfish?

 

[Guidry]

Matt, Thanks for your reply. Gorgeous picture! Mine is the same species. When I purchased him it was with the intent of placing him in the 20g but then I read in Scott Michael's book that they can be aggressive to other bottom dwellers like gobies and blennies. Like you I am concerned about the dottyback so will follow your advise. I think my pistol shrimp will be ok-it's a small tiger pistol but is about 1 1/2 times the size of the fish. I too am feeding ghost shrimp which he eats with great relish but leaves everything else including live brine alone.
I did know that he's a Plectranthias and not a hawkfish but was told that the classification was under discussion and might be revised.
Myles

 

[Anonymous]

Oh, interesting. I hadn't heard that about the classification. I wouldn't be too surprised if he bugged your shrimp goby a bit at first. I'd expect him to ignore the firefish since they inhabit a different niche. Are there lots of hiding places in your tank? How much bigger is the A. guttata?

 

[Guidry]

Hi Matt. My A guttata is probably 2 1/2-3 inches-I've had him about 3 years. There is a decent amount of cover in the tank but a lot of it is covered with flower anemones ie not good for fish to hang out in. I have another 40g which is pretty placid but has a sunburst anthias-and I am very hesitant to mix the two anthias.
I really don't know anything about the classification discussion just that someone told me it was being discussed. By the way we're neighbors-I see you are from Davis. I live in Sacramento. Thanks again.
Myles

 

[Anonymous]

Oh, how cool. Stick him in with the Sunburst. I did this exact combo in a 12 gallon (along with a Swalesi basslet) and they all got along fine.

Sacramento, huh? You been to MARS? How many tanks do you have exactly?

By the way,
:welcome:

 

[Guidry]

Matt,
My 40g with the Sunburst Anthias has similar potential problems as the 20g-this one has a 3 inch yellow watchman goby and two pistol shrimp. It's difficult for me to imagine the Plectranthias picking on the A. guttata or C. cintus given the size disparity but I know small fish picking on larger specimens happens all the time.
I've never kept L. swalesi or any of the Liopropoma basslets. That must have been one gorgeous display.
Anyway to answer your questions. I am an insane person with 5 display aquariums-the three we've discussed, a 125g with mostly soft coral and aggressive fish and a truncated 180g with mostly hard corals and placid fish. I've been to a few MARS meetings but not in a year or two. I plan on starting to go again-almost went a couple of nights ago but something came up.
Thanks again,
Myles