Bengaii Cardinalfish behavior

[TankCla]

Since I bought them, last week, I am observing them every day.
I noticed they are not eating when I feed the other tank mattes, and I was getting really concerned about this.
The other night, after the moonlight went on, I saw them being very active and swimming fast towards whatever was flying in the water. I fed them and they ate.
Are Bengaii Cardinals night feeders?

 

[mudcat1]

I noticed the same behavior with mine. They only compete with my more aggressive fish if I feed frozen foods such as brine shrimp or mini mysis.

 

[rlpardue]

Yes, they are nocturnal feeders. They tend to get more excited about eating during the night. Still, they should be fine if you feed during the day. Mine don't really like pellets and prefer frozen foods.

 

[TankCla]

I give them a mixture of frozen food and pellets. They are going towards the food, but I don't see them getting anything.
I also noticed they are hovering around the LR at night, and my amphipods are not "running" free in tank anymore. For sure they are in hunting mode at night.

 

[supra400hptt]

Mine won't eat pellets but love mysis and blended squid/shrimp. They are my only fish that don't disappear into the rock at night to sleep.

 

[fishfreak2009]

Notice how large their eyes are? That's because cardinals as a whole are adapted to hunting in low light or even night conditions.

 

[Texass2323]

I had my card in my tank for about 10 days before he started eating.. Once the stress of their new surrounding comes to an end they start eating.. My card eats frozen and pellets now..

 

[homegrowncichli]

I've bred them and the only thing that is good long term is frozen food, like shrimp. Anything less and the males wont maintain body mass while they are carrying eggs. As you already noticed, you can have food in the water, but they won't strike, unless they think it's alive and moving. Mysis drifting slowing like an inch or 2 a second and they ignore it, but, if you use a pipet and squirt it in at a lighting fast speed, they strike and swallow before they know its dead. Pretend your fishing for bass or fluke.

Same thing for the fry I grew out. baby brine no problem. cyclopezze, no go, but if I use a pipet and squirt it in, they feast.

I never got them to eat dry food, it would be great if they did, but like I said, unless it's really high in fat and protien, it won't maintain them and they need constant feeding.

 

[TankCla]

I am getting concerned about my cardinals. They don't want to eat anything. Tried frozen food, pellets, faking live food with turkey baster. They are taking frozen mysis in the mouth and spit it out.
Any advice?

 

[indyjaco]

Do you have anything to soak it in?

Mine only eat frozen but was lucky enough they are quickly

 

[saltwater808]

I am getting concerned about my cardinals. They don't want to eat anything. Tried frozen food, pellets, faking live food with turkey baster. They are taking frozen mysis in the mouth and spit it out.
Any advice?

Did you try mashing up the mysis. I notice some picky eaters will eat micro bites of the same stuff they spit out when its whole Worth a shot.

 

[TankCla]

Do you have anything to soak it in?

Mine only eat frozen but was lucky enough they are quickly

I don't have anything to soak in. I will look for something on the market.

Did you try mashing up the mysis. I notice some picky eaters will eat micro bites of the same stuff they spit out when its whole Worth a shot.

I have Sally's Frozen Marine Cuisine which has small shrimps in it.

I am thinking to buy live brine from LFS, but I don't know how to handle those.
Can I keep them for a longer time? Disease they might have. How do I feed them to my fish?
Live brine, big question mark for me...

 

[TankCla]

Last minute update: they are eating Hikari frozen brine shrimp. Yey!!!

 

[saltwater808]

Last minute update: they are eating Hikari frozen brine shrimp. Yey!!!

Good Job! Thats what Ive had best luck with for first feeding. How many days was it again 4?

 

[homegrowncichli]

Just give them a taste for the brine, they won't last long on it. I think the distributor was feeding them that, which is why they are going for it. They might (I assume must have been) also have been fed shrimp, but the mysis you have tastes a little different. When conditioning my fish, I also fed them chopped fresh shrimp from the seafood market. It needs to be cut into small strips, like a big mysis. Then shoot it in with the turkey baster.

You can also get live feeder shrimps on ebay from Florida. They last for months in a sump and that's one of their natural foods. I've had cardinals hold a shrimp in its mouth for a day, slowly chewing it up (well, if I can chew that is). If it's too big, it will spit it out.

 

[TankCla]

Do you have anything to soak it in?
Mine only eat frozen but was lucky enough they are quickly

I got Kent Zoe. Do you have experience with it?

Good Job! Thats what Ive had best luck with for first feeding. How many days was it again 4?

Around 7 days. They are eating like crazy now. Round bellies. I think they needed ~7d to acclimate with the new setup.




Yesterday I tried for the first time, live brine. I was a frenzie. They didn't stop until all of them were gone.

Is there any way of keeping live brine shrimp in the sump, w/o going up in the DT? Or it doesn't worth the trouble?