Bangaii Cardinal Won't Eat

[friedwilly]

I purchased a pair of Bangaii Cardinal 2 days ago and I tired to feed them yesterday. This was 24 hours after acclimating them and placing into QT.

I once again tried to feed them this morning and still no luck. I have been giving them frozen Hikari mysis.

Does anybody have experience with this fish and what is the trick? Also, at what point should I really start to worry that they are not eating?

 

[snorvich]

Wild caught or tank bred?

 

[mecheng]

Picky eaters!!!

Picky eaters!!!

They are VERY PICKY eaters whether they are tank bred or not. I'm kind of tired of hearing them described as being easy to keep. I have had more issues keeping Bangaii's alive than other fish that are supposedly more difficult. I would have given up long ago had it not been my absolute favorite fish type.

Anyways, I have found that they will refuse food if it is mixed with other food they don't like. For example, mine completely refused to eat when i started mixing in pellets and Rogger's food (both of which they won't eat). When I stopped doing that and switched back to just frozen mysis and brine shrimp they started eating again. Apparently the taste / smell (do fish smell?) alone was enough to make them not want to eat at all. So, I switched back to just Formula 1, brine, mysis mix.

Try that route. Mine will refuse everything except mysis and brine which they will devour almost without end. I have also seen a video of them scarfing down live baby brine shrimp. But, I haven't had time to try that just yet.

 

[lespaul339]

Mine eats live black worms, frozen mysis, and brine shrimp. Won't touch flake or pellets. Never had an issue with it not eating. My Pajama Cardinal is pretty much the same too. Both of mine are tank bred fish.

 

[noy]

Mine loves brine and will eat mysis and pellets if hungry enough.

 

[friedwilly]

Wild caught or tank bred?

They are captive bred.

I have only tried frozen mysis (Hikari) so far and no luck. I also have Hikari Mega Marine, perhaps I will try that tonight.

 

[Greg 45]

If they are captive bread ask where you purchased them from what were the breeder feeding them .Also not every fish handles a tank move as well as others. You can try live black worms.

 

[Maskpainter67]

Mine eats live black worms, frozen mysis, and brine shrimp. Won't touch flake or pellets. Never had an issue with it not eating. My Pajama Cardinal is pretty much the same too. Both of mine are tank bred fish.

+1 seems everything likes live black worms

 

[ThRoewer]

I have yet to find a fish that doesn't like live tigger pods.

If only one isn't eating it may be the male and he has his mouth full with eggs.

 

[jpa0741]

I just added 3 to my tank on sat.so far they are not picky. They eat mysis, 2 different kinds of rods, a local lfs frozen blend and flake, guess I got lucky.

 

[serbusfish]

I have 1 tank raised Bangaii and it will ONLY eat frozen Brine Shrimp. It just spits back out pellet, flake and mysis.

 

[friedwilly]

Well, they have finally started eating.

I gave them frozen brine shrimp and they started eating that last night. Then I gave them frozen mysis this morning and they couldn't get enough.

Thanks for all the ideas and feedback.

As a side note, I would like to find a dry food for vacation feeding periods.

 

[design1stcode2n]

I have tried a number of flake and pellet foods and neither my cardinal or clowns will eat it (odd that the clowns won't) Neither will eat Rod's food I've tried. They do eat Mysis and LRS Reef Frenzy. I will try some other preparations as time goes on but I've given up on getting them to eat dry foods.

 

[ThRoewer]

I have tried a number of flake and pellet foods and neither my cardinal or clowns will eat it (odd that the clowns won't) Neither will eat Rod's food I've tried. They do eat Mysis and LRS Reef Frenzy. I will try some other preparations as time goes on but I've given up on getting them to eat dry foods.

I have some clowns that are just the opposite: of frozen Mysis they take maybe 1 or 2 if they are really hungry but also not every brand. Frozen brine shrimp they take a little without too much excitement. The frozen food they like most is Cyclops. But the food they go really nuts about are Hikkari Marine S pellets - with those they stuff themselves.
The frozen food most of my fish like are frozen Cyclops.