# Info on Flame Hawkfish and Clown Fish



## Bartman

These two species are two that I have been extremely interested in keeping within my proposed reef tank once I finish the cycle process and establish the tank. I was just looking for good links to proper care of these species or some laid out details on care from your experiences.

Some questions I have, and feel free to add anything I might have missed

1) Do these species do well together?
2) What do they eat?
3) What are the water parameters for these species, temp, etc.?
4) Could the care for these specific species be generalized for all clown/hawkfish species?
5) How big do they get fully grown?
6) How can you tell males from females in these species?
7) What should I be looking for when I make the purchase, other than if they are eating?
8) How often should I feed them, once a day, twice a day? Will I need to adjust according to water parameters?
9) How common are these maroon clownfish and what is their general price range?
Thank you folks!


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## Pasfur

Bartman said:


> 1) Do these species do well together?
> 2) What do they eat?
> 3) What are the water parameters for these species, temp, etc.?
> 4) Could the care for these specific species be generalized for all clown/hawkfish species?
> 5) How big do they get fully grown?
> 6) How can you tell males from females in these species?
> 7) What should I be looking for when I make the purchase, other than if they are eating?
> 8) How often should I feed them, once a day, twice a day? Will I need to adjust according to water parameters?
> 9) How common are these maroon clownfish and what is their general price range?


These species should mix well together in a 40 gallon aquarium, although the Maroon Clownfish can get rather territorial and will make it difficult to add other fish in the future. The Maroon is more suited for a much larger tank to help curb its aggressive behavior. I would suggest a Tomato or Ocellaris Clown for your tank size.

Both fish will do well on a varied diet, which should include a staple flake and a good rotation of frozen foods, such as Brine Shrimp, Angel Formula, and Prime. 

The water parameters of marine species generally do not vary. There are a small handful of cold water species which show up in the trade, but this is rare. You want a pH of 8.0 to 8.4, temperature of 76-80F, and spec gravity of 1.023 to 1.024.

The Maroon Clown can reach 6'' in length in the wild, closer to 4'' in the typical home aquarium. The Flame Hawk is similar in size, usually maxing out at 3-4''. Both are reef compatable, but Hawkfish in general can present problems because they tend to "perch" on corals, causing them to close.

To my knowledge, there are no visible sexual characteristics. This is true of most marine fish, but certainly not all.

Both of these fish are available almost every week at every LFS that stocks marine fish. They are probably in the top 10 of easy to find marine fish. Price should range from $15 to $30.

When selecting any fish, you want to first ensure it has been at the LFS for at least a week. Stand back and observe from a distance. Watch its behavior. It should not be scratching or twitching. The Hawkfish will probably stay perched, and will often swim behind a rock to hide when you approach the display tank. The Hawk should have active eyes, and will usually look up at the water surface waiting for food. The Clownfish may or may not hide upon your approach, depending on how long it has been at the LFS. It should also be eager to eat, and should respond towards the surface when you place your fingers up pretending to feed. Both of these fish are very hardy fish and generally arrive at the LFS in good health. They are also deeply colored, making it easy to see parasites should they not be in good health.

I would avoid generalizing the behavior of these fish with the other memebers of their family.


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## Pasfur

One more thing, the Flame Hawk responds very well to color enhancing foods. If you want a deep red color, feed a color enhancing flake a few times per week, along with your other foods.


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## Shaummy

Pasfur said:


> These species should mix well together in a 40 gallon aquarium, although *the Maroon Clownfish can get rather territorial and will make it difficult to add other fish in the future. The Maroon is more suited for a much larger tank to help curb its aggressive behavior.* I would suggest a Tomato or Ocellaris Clown for your tank size.


I can vouch for this with the Maroon Clown being aggressive. I have a 90 Gallon FOWLR that ended up with just a maroon clown in it, and I could not add anything else to the tank without it being harassed to death.

Pick carefully if you intend to move forward with the clown. As mentioned Ocellaris are generally more passive, but I have seen some be in the face of larger tankmates. 

The hawk is a great addition to any tank, I have one now and he hangs out on the rocks and has tons of personality.


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