Help bangaii won’t eat.

[justkeepswimming456]

Hello everyone, so I bought a pair of cardinal fish and one is doing great eating looking good but the other stopped eating. That began when I loaded my tank up with some pods. I try to feed frozen, reef frenzy nano, arctic pods, frozen brine and mysis. I’ve tried garlic. When I put more pods in the tank it went after them. Didn’t stop eating for 10 min or so. Not rushing for it. Any way I did some research and heard to try live black worms. I found a place that’s just too much of a hike. What should I do? Live baby brine?

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

First is to check your parameters and make sure everything is ok for the fish, if you can share that info with us then we can help more.

Then make sure there is no aggression happening. Are there any other fish in the tank?

 

[Uncle99]

One of mine went on a 12 day no eat strike when new.

Finally, on th3 13th, I seen him take one mysis.

 

[AetherealKnight]

Try to feed it mysis.

 

[Sharkbait19]

How long have you had them? Sometimes it takes time for a fish to be comfortable enough to eat. Cardinals also can get aggressive which each other, so it could be pressured from eating.

 

[danreef55]

They normally will feed on pods. Live/frozen brine shrimp &/or mysis. Live for sure if you can get it. As MMR stated check parameters & watch for aggression.

 

[justkeepswimming456]

My parameters are:
Salinity 1.025
Nitrate 7.1
Phosphate .01
Ph 7.9
Alkalinity 8.2
Mag 1190
Cal 467

The tank is stocked with the 2 bangaii, a pair of clowns, fox face, blue hippo tang, sixline, blue spot jaw fish, green mandarin and, yellowtail damsel. As far as aggression goes the sixline occasionally chases everyone around the tank, and the other cardinal chases the one that won’t eat they stay on opposite sides of the tank. The cardinal fish have been in the tank for 6 weeks now. As stated above I’ve tried feeding frozen mysis already. Thank you for the help in advance!

 

[danreef55]

First try the mirror trick. If that does not work, separate the cardinals if at all possible. The only other thing I can think of is to get a third cardinal, but it is risky.

 

[McPuff]

You might also look to see if it's holding eggs. Generally this is easy to spot as they don't open their mouth much and their throat looks to be extended a bit. But they don't eat when holding eggs.

 

[justkeepswimming456]

First try the mirror trick. If that does not work, separate the cardinals if at all possible. The only other thing I can think of is to get a third cardinal, but it is risky

What is the mirror trick?

 

[justkeepswimming456]

You might also look to see if it's holding eggs. Generally this is easy to spot as they don't open their mouth much and their throat looks to be extended a bit. But they don't eat when holding eggs.

At first that’s what I thought but then it started to get very thin

 

[Sharkbait19]

What is the mirror trick?

You attach a mirror to one side of the tank with holes that the aggressor will see its reflection as a competitor, and be more focused on it than the other fish.

 

[Rappa]

I have such bad luck with Bangai's! I think God just doesn't want me to have them... As of now, I am only 3 for 16 with Bengai Cardinal fish. They just do not go through QT very well. I have done 8 pairs of these fish and out of 16, I have only 3 that have made it to my 225G display. I wanted a group of 5 or so originally, but I have given up. Out of the the three in my display, they are doing just fine and been in there 8-10 months. They live with 6 Tangs, 3 clowns, a school of Green Chromi's, six line wrasse, and a few other misc small fish. They hold their own just fine, however, 2 of the cardinals like each other, the third is a total outcast. I have found the outcast living in my overflow many times, as he must be a loner and probably feels like a loser after getting bullied by the other two.

This is my opinion only and not scientific fact by any means: I don't think that these fish do well in copper. The three that I have living in my display, I removed from copper quickly and QT'd them in regular tank water and just observed them. When I felt comfortable, I added them to my display. It is risky doing it this way though. As most LFS run copper in their tanks, I think the damage is already done when you go to buy them. My favorite LFS hates them and says that they rarely eat in the store. This backs up my theory that they don't like copper. I always make sure they eat before I buy them, but even still, they will stop eating at some point during copper power quarantine. I would suggest finding a pair that gets along well in the store, is already eating frozen mysis and brine in-store, and then do an observation quarantine, maybe a "General-Cure" dose at maximum (even that may be risky with these IMO). No Copper...

 

[justkeepswimming456]

You attach a mirror to one side of the tank with holes that the aggressor will see its reflection as a competitor, and be more focused on it than the other fish.

Got it thanks!

 

[justkeepswimming456]

I have such bad luck with Bangai's! I think God just doesn't want me to have them... As of now, I am only 3 for 16 with Bengai Cardinal fish. They just do not go through QT very well. I have done 8 pairs of these fish and out of 16, I have only 3 that have made it to my 225G display. I wanted a group of 5 or so originally, but I have given up. Out of the the three in my display, they are doing just fine and been in there 8-10 months. They live with 6 Tangs, 3 clowns, a school of Green Chromi's, six line wrasse, and a few other misc small fish. They hold their own just fine, however, 2 of the cardinals like each other, the third is a total outcast. I have found the outcast living in my overflow many times, as he must be a loner and probably feels like a loser after getting bullied by the other two.

This is my opinion only and not scientific fact by any means: I don't think that these fish do well in copper. The three that I have living in my display, I removed from copper quickly and QT'd them in regular tank water and just observed them. When I felt comfortable, I added them to my display. It is risky doing it this way though. As most LFS run copper in their tanks, I think the damage is already done when you go to buy them. My favorite LFS hates them and says that they rarely eat in the store. This backs up my theory that they don't like copper. I always make sure they eat before I buy them, but even still, they will stop eating at some point during copper power quarantine. I would suggest finding a pair that gets along well in the store, is already eating frozen mysis and brine in-store, and then do an observation quarantine, maybe a "General-Cure" dose at maximum (even that may be risky with these IMO). No Copper...

Wow that’s pretty interesting I never would’ve thought so, I didn’t quarantine them my self but my lfs is pretty good about that. I’m thinking to take it out and put it in my 13.5 to isolate and get plump again.