Saltwater Aquarium Fish - Hogfish

Hogfish are beautiful fish for the home or office saltwater aquarium. Hogfish feed on small fish, shellfish, and crustaceans, and make very hardy aquarium dwellers that adapt well to captivity. Hogfish can jump, so a lid or canopy is recommended. Provide Hogfish with live rock or other items for ample hiding places, and provide plenty of swimming room. A large tank is recommended to house most Hog Fish sinch they will grow fairly quick.

Yellow Candy Hog Fish
Bodianus bimaculatus

Description: The Yellow Candy Hogfish is also called the Twospot Hogfish. Candy Hogfish are often used to help control coral pests such as pyramid snails and nudibranchs. While they are harmless to coral, they may eat small motile invertebrates.This is one of the best hogfish for the home aquarium. It is one of the smaller species, attaining a maximum length of 10 cm (3.9 inches).
Recommended Tank size: minimum 55 gallon
Food and diet:The diet consisting of meaty foods including vitamin enriched brine shrimp or mysis shrimp is preferred, as well as a high quality marine flake food.
Reef Compatability: May eat very small shrimps, etc, but it is otherwise reef safe.
Level of Care: Moderate
Acclimation Time: 3+ hours
Approximate Purchase Size: up to 2", Medium 2" to 3", Large 3" to 4"

Starting at $39.99

Cuban Hog Fish
Bodianus pulchellus

Description: This is a very good fish for the novice , it is docile and generally safe with all animals and invertebrates, except crustaceans. Caution is nescassy in a reeftank not to corals, but to your clean up crew, because th mature adult Cuban Hog will eat snails, and shrimp. Also known as the Spotfin Hogfish this type of Hogfish requires a large aquarium of at least 100 gallons. These beautiful fish can grow to about 8" in maximum length and originate in the Caribbean. They are carnivores that should be fed small feed fisher, brine shrimp, mussels, worms and even squid.If you are considering a tankmate for your Cuban Hogfish just make sure they are larger than a Wrasse as this species of Hogfish can become aggressive at feeding time. This makes is harder for smaller fish to get their fill.
Recommended Tank size: minimum 100 gallon
Food and diet:The diet of the Cuban Hogfish should include a variety of small meaty foods, meaty flake, frozen or freeze-dried foods like brine shrimp, mysis shrimp, krill or similar marine meaty fare.
Reef Compatability: With Caution
Level of Care: Great Beginner Fish
Acclimation Time: 3+ hours
Approximate Purchase Size: Small: up to 2"; Medium: 2-1/2" to 4"; Large: 4" to 6" ; XLarge: 61/2" to 8"

Starting at $49.99

Spanish Hog Fish
Bodianus rufus

Description: Spanish Hogfish are found along coral reefs throughout the Caribbean, where they inhabit relatively shallow water reefs looking for crustacean, invertebrate or small fish prey. They are a fairly large species of reef fish that typically reach upwards of 10" in length and have relatively stout build. The Spanish Hogfish does well with other large fish species like triggers, groupers, etc. and it renowned for their resistance to disease and overall strong constitution. They have attractive coloration and are strong active swimmers that do well in larger aquariums with other large fish tank mates. Spanish Hogfish should not be kept in a reef aquarium or with smaller less aggressive fish species, invertebrate or crustaceans as they will be seen as food items.
Recommended Tank size: minimum 100 gallon
Food and diet:The diet of the Spanish Hogfish should include a variety of small meaty foods, meaty flake, frozen or freeze-dried foods like brine shrimp, mysis shrimp, krill or similar marine meaty fare.
Reef Compatability: With Caution
Level of Care: Great Beginner Fish
Acclimation Time: 3+ hours

Starting at $39.99

Coral Hog Fish
Bodianus mesothorax

Description: The Coral Hogfish, also known as Eclipse Hogfish is reddish-purple on the front half of it's body, seperated from the yellow-gold back half by a diagonal black slash through the pectoral fin to the dorsal. It may also be called the Splitlevel or Blackbelt Hogfish. If you are cpnsidering the Coral Hogfish, it is a very hardy fish but one of the least friendly of the Hogfish genus. Will nip at bivalves, clams, and even eels. This Hogfish does best kept in relatively aggressive aquarium with larger species that will not allow this fish to bully them.
Recommended Tank size: minimum 75 gallon
Food and diet: Feed a varied diet consisting of chunks of meaty foods. These foods include krill, raw table shrimp, squid, clam and mussel.
Reef Compatability: Smaller individuals usually do not cause many problems in the reef aquarium, but as they grow they are a potential threat to snails, worms, and ornamental crustaceans.
Level of Care: Moderate
Acclimation Time: 3+ hours
Approximate Purchase Size: Small: 1" to 2-1/2"; Medium: 2-1/2" to 4"; Large: 4" to 7"

Starting at $39.99

Masuda "Peppermint" Hogfish
Bodianus masudai

Description: The Peppermint Hog is not a frequent import due to its limited native range. Its amazing red and white stripes let it shine in a reef environment. The Peppermint Hogfish (Bodianus masudai) is a very rare find in the aquarium trade. They are normally found in deeper waters than most other ornamental fish but can adapt well to aquarium life. This is a slender fish with alternating red and white horizontal stripes, and the base of the tail is black and bordered by a yellow crescent. They stay small and get along with most other community to semi-aggressive tankmates.
Recommended Tank size:A 50-gallon or larger aquarium with hiding places should be provided.
Food and diet:The diet consisting of meaty foods including vitamin enriched brine shrimp or mysis shrimp is preferred, as well as a high quality marine flake food.
Reef Compatability: May eat very small shrimps, etc, but it is otherwise reef safe.
Level of Care: Moderate
Acclimation Time: 3+ hours
Approximate Purchase Size: 2" to 3"

$139.99

Red Diana Hogfish
Bodianus diana

Description: The adult Diana Hogfish (Bodianus diana) is predominantly red with a golden color throughout the body. The fins are trimmed in red and four white spots are aligned below the dorsal fin.There are black spots on the ventral and anal fins. The juvenile Diana Hogfish is maroon with many white spots and blotches and a black spot on each fin. Subadults are changing from the juvenile to adult colorations and their coloration may vary depending on the progress of this color change. This is one of the more aggressive hogfish and may harass other tankmates.
Recommended Tank size: minimum 50 gallon
Food and diet: Red Diana Hogfish diet consists of meaty foods such as snails, worms, mussels, and small fish.
Reef Compatability: No
Level of Care: Moderate
Acclimation Time: 3+ hours
Approximate Purchase Size: Juvenile: up to 2-1/2"; Medium: 2-1/2" to 4"; Large: 4" to 7"

Starting at $34.99

Lyretail Hogfish
Bodianus anthioides

Description: One of the most spectacular, and most divergent, of the hogfish species is Bodianus anthioides. It is easily recognized by its deeply incised to emarginate tail and its general form. In some ways it looks more like an anthias than a wrasse, hence its species name anthioides. The lyretail hogfish also has a bold color pattern, consisting of orangish-brown on the head and anterior portion of the body, with the rest of the body is white with black spots. Adults may display temporary, and possibly permanent sexual dichromatism and appear to be sexually dimorphic, with males attaining larger sizes than females.

This wide-ranging hogfish is found from the Red Sea to the Line and Tuamotu Islands, north to southern Japan and south to New Caledonia and Tonga. Of the three species discussed in this article, it is the largest, attaining a maximum length of 21 cm (8.2 inches).
Recommended Tank size: A 70 gallon or larger aquarium with hiding places should be provided.
Food and diet: The diet varies with maturity. As a juvenile, the Lyretail Hogfish will eat parasites off its tank mates. With maturity, however, it likes meaty foods such as snails, worms, mussels, and small fish. It will even blow water over the sand to uncover food.
Reef Compatability: Smaller individuals usually do not cause many problems in the reef aquarium, but as they grow they are a potential threat to very small shrimps, etc, but it is otherwise reef safe.
Level of Care: Easy
Acclimation Time: 3+ hours
Approximate Purchase Size: Small: up to 2-1/2"; Medium: 2-1/2" to 4"; Large: 4" to 7"

Starting at $69.99

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All-natural New Life Spectrum contains absolutely no hormones. New Life Spectrum noticeably increases both color and vigor in both marine and freshwater fish. Premium ingredients produce results superior to other pellets, and even specialized fresh food (such as brine shrimp, seaweed, etc.) without pollution. The high-density, nutritious pellets help prevent lateral line disease, as well as other ailments related to faltering health. New Life Spectrum provides trace elements present in natural environments, but missing in aquariums.

Using Other Brands:
Even some hard to feed marine fish will eat New Life Spectrum fish food. Pellets are designed with no dust and will stay in the water for hours without disintegrating, reducing pollution.
New Life Spectrum is suitable for omnivorous, herbivorous, and many carnivorous fish. Ounce-for-ounce, New Life Spectrum provides far better nutrition than flake food, and is less-expensive relative to weight.
- High-quality easily digestible krill & fish meal protein
- Balanced daily diet for all marine fish
- Boosts immune system to repel parasites
- Enhances the full spectrum of your fish's color

Click here for more information on the importance of phytoplankton for your corals

We Highly Recommend you use Spectrum Fish Food by Newlife
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Photos are representative of each species. Each animal is unique and variations should be expected.

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Please note: Aquatic Connection will not guarantee the coloration of corals as seen in your reef system.

Reason? Not all corals from our tanks and lighting will look the same when they are in your tanks. Everybody's tanks have different lighting setups, spectrums, combinations, etc. Aquatic Connection's tanks are lit by 400 watt 20K Halide bulbs. We use this combination for best growth. But for best viewing this is not the best lighting choice. Aquatic Connection photographs all polyps under Actinic only lighting. This brings out the true zoanthilia and protopalythoa colors. If your tank consists of all daylight (10K's, 14K's etc.) with minimal actinic lighting, your not going to see the vibrant true colors. We suggest you add true actinic lamps also and turn these on in the evening without the daylight lighting for proper color viewing.