Banggi Cardinals Aggressive?

[Nates.Mom0721]

So Friday the 4th I made a fish purchase of 2 Banggi Cardinals, 2 Clowns and a Kenya Tree. All of the fish seemed to be doing great and were getting along with everything in the tank (3 Green Chromis, 1 Cleaner Shrimp, 1 Arrow Crab and a CUC). Everything was fine on Saturday. Sunday I left for the Broncos game came home and found one of the cardinals just kind of sitting at the bottom of the tank, where the past day they had been inseparable. I pulled it out of the tank and put it in a separate smaller tank. It perked back up was eating and swimming around, so I put it back in the main tank for the night. I woke up the next morning to find him floating Checked all of my water parameters and everything is good. I thought maybe I just got a "bad" fish, so I had my dad pick up another one while he was out of town yesterday (closest LFS to me is 2 hours). The Cardinal was swimming around and doing great after acclimation. Very soon there after I noticed the "old" Cardinal was like chasing him around the tank. I thought maybe they were just getting "acquainted" so I didn't think much of it, until I came home from the movies and noticed that the new Cardinal was like trapped in the corner of the tank with the "old' one like swimming over it. If I remove the new Cardinal and keep him separated from the tank he does fine, but as soon as he is freely swimming in the tank he gets cornered by the "old" Cardinal. Oh and I have a 55 gallon tank with a 20 refugium below.

Is there anything I can do so that I can keep both fish. I know in the past when I had Cichlids if you rearranged the tank before adding new fish, they weren't as aggressive. Any tips or tricks would be helpful!

Thanks
Krystal

 

[Toddrtrex]

Unless you are lucky enough to get a true pair, what you are seeing is the normal outcome with you have more than one.

 

[Nates.Mom0721]

So when the LFS told me the fish preferred to be in a group, it was just their way of saying please spend another $20 on this fish, even though it won't work out?! Dang! Lesson learned...

 

[MIKE NY]

especially if they are both males...

 

[small alien]

Like, it won't, like, work out unless, like, you have a, like, m/f pair.

 

[snorvich]

So when the LFS told me the fish preferred to be in a group, it was just their way of saying please spend another $20 on this fish, even though it won't work out?! Dang! Lesson learned...

Yes. However the LFS lost a lot of credibility with you. Check here before listening to them. They will only coexist as a single or M/F pairs.

 

[Wolverine]

Often two males will fight, as mentioned above. If you have a male-female pair, it's rare for them to fight. Occasionally, when the male is carrying eggs, the female will become somewhat aggressive towards other fish in the tank.

 

[NexDog]

I have 2 pairs living together, and both spawning. I paired the first 2. The second pair are offspring of the first (yes, fish incest). Haven't been able to raise any new babies in two years though. Still it's cool to see the 2 pairs hanging out together, no aggro.

 

[jpwhite]

I was told that if you have 3 or more banggi cardinals they would be ok, I know I had 2 and the larger of the 2 killed the smaller.. I guess I should have saved my money.. Lesson learned!!

 

[small alien]

Whoever told you that is wrong. Singles or m/f pair only in a tank for home aquarists.

 

[small alien]

You probably had two males.

And, please pardon my manners, welcome to Reef Central. Getting told you're wrong is the standard rc greeting.

 

[aquaph8]

I have a female that lays and carries her eggs around but Ive never been able to pair her. I started with two and she killed the other. I tried once more and she would have killed that one had I not saved it. I would have to assume I keep getting females but I dont know. I give up unless I can be sure I have found a male which is easier said than done. Here's kind of a fun picture. Hope you dont mind Krystal.

[/IMG]

 

[Wolverine]

I was told that if you have 3 or more banggi cardinals they would be ok, I know I had 2 and the larger of the 2 killed the smaller.. I guess I should have saved my money.. Lesson learned!!

I agree with small alien, you were given incorrect information for most situations. Every once in a while someone can get away with two males and one female in a large tank. The female will alternate laying eggs with the males, who set up camps far away from each other.

 

[Wolverine]

I have a female that lays and carries her eggs around but Ive never been able to pair her. I started with two and she killed the other. I tried once more and she would have killed that one had I not saved it. I would have to assume I keep getting females but I dont know. I give up unless I can be sure I have found a male which is easier said than done. Here's kind of a fun picture. Hope you dont mind Krystal.

[/IMG]

That is downright bizarre. Was the the only BC in the tank when this was happening? Those definitely look like unfertilized eggs.

 

[aquaph8]

Yeah, shes done this three times now. Ive found a small bunch laying on corals a couple times too. This is why Ive tried to find her a mate but Ive never had any luck. Now shes so big and all the ones for sale are all tiny little ones. Shes a real trip to watch sometimes.

 

[rAzOr714]

I had a bangai cardinal and a pajama cardinal the bangai would chase and corner the pajama cardinal all day


*rAzOr*

 

[crobattt]

So when the LFS told me the fish preferred to be in a group, it was just their way of saying please spend another $20 on this fish, even though it won't work out?! Dang! Lesson learned...

LFS are out for money, they will tell you stupid #$@!

 

[small alien]

Sometimes its just ignorance. There are some cardinals you can do a groups.

My female laid a clutch of unfertilized eggs once. They just sat in a pile on the sandbed.