Banggai cardinalfish questions

Fish Ed

Fish Ed

New member
My new tank has been cycling for about 2-3 weeks changing water every week. Last time I check the ammonia and nitrates are still quite high, I'm assuming is lower now but I'm sure it's not 0. The first fish I plan to get for the tank is a pair of banggai but I just saw my LFS selling 3 left. It was selling fast. 1 seemed thin and a bit weak. The other 2 were healthy and not fighting also they weren't bothering each other so I think it's both females. Is there anyway to verify? I am able too book it and collect it once my tank is cycled but I don't want to be getting 2 females or even worse, 2 males.
 
Fish Ed said:
My new tank has been cycling for about 2-3 weeks changing water every week. Last time I check the ammonia and nitrates are still quite high, I'm assuming is lower now but I'm sure it's not 0. The first fish I plan to get for the tank is a pair of banggai but I just saw my LFS selling 3 left. It was selling fast. 1 seemed thin and a bit weak. The other 2 were healthy and not fighting also they weren't bothering each other so I think it's both females. Is there anyway to verify? I am able too book it and collect it once my tank is cycled but I don't want to be getting 2 females or even worse, 2 males.
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Please do not ASSUME that your ammonia and nitrates are lower. Test them BEFORE you buy the fish! I know it is difficult to wait, but take it from a person who has killed many-o-fish by impatience, test your water and make sure your tank is done cycling before adding anything living. You will do yourself more harm than good if you add fish too early.
 
Also make sure that the Cardinals are eating your food at the LFS before you buy them. Each one of them! They are notorious to die in the tank if they are wild caught. I lost one this weak.
 
IowaReefer said:
Please do not ASSUME that your ammonia and nitrates are lower. Test them BEFORE you buy the fish! I know it is difficult to wait, but take it from a person who has killed many-o-fish by impatience, test your water and make sure your tank is done cycling before adding anything living. You will do yourself more harm than good if you add fish too early.
Click to expand...

Yes, that is why I said " I am able too book it and collect it once my tank is cycled". Which I have already did booked it. Also I have a permanent quarantine tank mainly for this kind of purposes that has been setup for a couple of years, with live rock and sand but right now a damselfish is using it because my friend gave it to me and had no where to stay, so I couldn't have had added those banggais into that QT atm

Also the next time I go to my LFS I'll bring some of my food and try to feed them if they allow,
Thanks
 
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If 2 are not fighting then chances are they are not the same sex as in short order with bangaii cardinals males do not toerate ales and females dont tolerate females.
 
I would check to see if they are wild caught or captive bred. By the sounds of things they are wild caught and by purchasing the wild caught cardinals which are already an at risk species in the wild you are aren't doing them any favors. The captive bred ones will be much more hardy and you are more likely to have success with them than the more sensitive and difficult to keep wild caught banggai's. Check out Bluezoo aquatics for captive bred banggai's. They usually have them in stock. I get all my fish from bluezoo (including a single banggai). and and have only lost 1 fish after QT'ing.
 
hawaiifavo said:
I would check to see if they are wild caught or captive bred. By the sounds of things they are wild caught and by purchasing the wild caught cardinals which are already an at risk species in the wild you are aren't doing them any favors. The captive bred ones will be much more hardy and you are more likely to have success with them than the more sensitive and difficult to keep wild caught banggai's.
Click to expand...

Actually there are a couple of commonly held beliefs that arent entirely true. 1st although endemic to Bangaii atoll, and struggled in numbers there, most wild caught bangaii cardinals are collected around Bali, where they have been introduced and are invasive. This has allowed the population around Bangaii atoll to rebound.

As far as captive bred bangaii cardinals being hardier, IME I have not found that to be true either, as less obvious/noticeable don't get culled out to the same degree as wild fish.
 
LA had them on sale for 9.99 a piece. I bought 5 that are in my QT now and they get along great together.
 
I got it! Just 2 though, I noticed one is a bit agressive(not biting just "chasing") towards the other but both ignores one of the banggai. I just got the 2 unaggressive banggais, I would assume that it is 2 males and 1 female. I also think it's wild caught, sorry:(. Not eating pellets or even mysis but they're eating bloodworms, very odd. Not much though, just small amounts. At least they're eating something... Any ideas on feeding them at this situation? Live brine shrimp?

Also I'm surprised the damselfish(pomacentrus bankanensis) is totally fine with it! Infact it is afraid of it. But then again it is still a 2" juvinile hopefully it won't grow up to be aggressive, then I might even put him into the display tank :D

Thanks everyone, I'll see how it goes.
 
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