Super territorial fish being a bully! Now what?!

[borrowedthemoon]

Hey coral friends!

BACKGROUND: I got both fish as juveniles, are now a few months old. In a perfect world, one would have been female, but perfection will not come.
Separated from each other for a week, and tried to reintroduce the victim fish, and the bullying continued. At this point, I moved the victim to my 5 gallon coral quarantine tank (I would have moved the bully, but the victim was simply easier to catch in her weakened state).

[Obviously a 5gal is not ideal, but it’s what I have to work with at the moment]

NOTE: My display tank is a fluval 13.5 w corals, snails, emerald crab, both benggai, and a cleaner shrimp.

QUESTION: Do I get the bully a mate, then reintroduce the victim fish, OR do I rehome the victim fish, OR can I give both fish mates and leave them separated?

Thanks everyone who took a minute out of their day to help me with my ocean friends, I appreciate all of you!

 

[twentyleagues]

What kind of fish is this?

 

[Troylee]

6 line or dotty back? Lol…

 

[LordofCinder]

damsels?

 

[borrowedthemoon]

Wow im an idiot! Benggai cardinals

 

[j.falk]

 

[Crustaceon]

Oh bangaii cardinals....

 

[Wasabiroot]

Bangaiis don't really work unless they have sufficient space to form breeding pairs. The males become intolerant of rivals. It would likely be OK alone in a 13.5 but longterm, males get larger so I'd eventually want both in >29g
Could keep both and upgrade quarantine tank to a 40 breeder and put one in.They are chill otherwise for the most part. But long term I'd get at least a 40 gallon. They need the room as they age.
Most stores don't guarantee sex for bangaiis so I wouldn't expect a store to refund you for that specific reason, but you might have luck coordinating with a local hobbyist thru here or giving it away to a store

 

[Tamberav]

One needs to go back the LFS, bangaii cardinals are pretty intolerant unless a mated pair or large tank.