Bangaii Cardinal won't eat

[reggiepe]

Last Friday I picked up 6 CB Bangaiis at the LFS. I lost one 4 days later, just out of the blue it was lying on the bottom of the tank and gasping. I removed it and got it in a hospital tank. Unfortunately I was too late and lost it a few hours later. I paid closer attention to the remaining 5 and noticed one wasn't eating. I removed it and got it into a hospital tank. On a side note the 4 others have voracious appetites. After close observation of the one that won't eat, I am noticing it trailing a white stringy feces. It still looks healthy, doesn't look starved, and its breathing seems to be fine, but I know it has to be hungry. I have soaked BS in garlic and added Kent Zoe Vitamin and Mineral supplement, but it still won't take to it. Just wanted to get some thoughts from the board members. My worest fear is that it is too later for this one as well.

 

[reggiepe]

Ok, well...I lost that one and now I am down to four. Yesterday when feeding I could only see one out of the four eating. Are they slowly just getting sick and dying on me? I have some brine shrimp hatching not to see if I can get them to take some live food. Otherwise, I am stumped.

 

[haitwun]

It sounds like you are making all the right moves right now. The one that died was probably in bad condition to start with and just happened to pass away under your care. Also if these were previously wild specimens, they probably just don't adapt to captivity well.
Before buying any fish I see at the LFS, the fish must pass 3 tests or else my credit card goes back in my wallet:
1. Are they behaving normally? If left alone, they should swim around. When you approach them, they should dart away and after a few seconds, they should poke their heads up to see if the coast is clear.
2. They should look clean. No marks, parasites, cloudy eyes, mucus...etc
3. Wave your hand at the surface's edge. If they come to the surface to investigate or better yet, if they come anticipating food, you got yourself a winner!
Anyway, good luck and see let us know how it turns out.

 

[reggiepe]

Unfortunately I got home this evening and I lost another one. Out of the three that I have remaining, only one is eating. I am seeing the same signs though with the two that won't eat. After the eating stops, they are trailing white strinfy feces underneath them. I have searched high and low and cannot find out what this is a symptom of.
haitwun, all 6 of those fish were brought into the fish store for me. I saw them eat voraciously when I went in to look at them. THe first few days home as soon as the food hit the water they were right there to meet the source. Again, I am still stumped. THanks for the good wishes.

 

[haitwun]

Have you tried fresh seafood? Sometimes my fish won't eat so I go to the grocery store and ask for something that was never previously frozen. Fresh live clams or fresh catfish usually does the trick. Chop it up very fine and offer it. Just an idea.

 

[reggiepe]

Dang it! Dang it! I just lost another two this morning. There had to be something wrong with these guys before I got them. I am down to one remaining. I am thinking that these were wild caught now and that a very old method of fish collection was being used. I remember 20 years ago in the hobby alot of the fish you got had cyanide poisoning when you got them. They usually died on you within two weeks. Last evening the one Bangaii that remains was still eating voraciously and the mysis that I fed was enriched with zoecon. I am hoping that this one doesn't have what the others did and is just late showing signs. I mean the money is one thing for these, but I can't stand it that something that was in my care slowly died.
haitwun, I will try that the next time I am in the grocery store. Right now the one I have remaining is eating frozen brine and mysis regularly. I have a batch of brine shrimp that hatched out 3 days ago that I am slowly trying to put some weight on. But I was doing that to try to get the others that won't eat to take something.

 

[PJSEA]

I believe the white string feces is a sign of a bacterial infection or intestinal parasites..
In any case the Bangaii Cardinals have a reputation for not doing well, especially wild caught ones.
They don't tolerate shipping well. They usually don't eat well after arrival. They are also easily intimidated by more agressive fish in the tank.

Look here for more info:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/banggaifaqs.htm
I had a similar experience with an order of 5. They were all gone within 3 weeks.

 

[reggiepe]

I am just bummed about the whole ordeal. I have been following the boards for months and I have heard stories of the young ones dying in large numbers, but the adult ones are another story. These were in a tank with some false percs, they definitely weren't getting bullied by the percs. There is one remaining, I am praying that this one wasn;t infected with a disease that theothers have. I know there is a good chance that it will be.