Feeding new Banggais

[LockeOak]

On Friday I received two new tank-bred Banggai cardinals from bluezooaquatics.com . They appear to be in good health, but I've yet to see them eat anything (it's been almost 3 days). They will bite down on frozen mysis but then spit it out. They ignore flakes and I haven't seen them eat any baby brine shrimp either. How long before I need to start worrying? They've had a little bit of harassment from the ocellaris clowns but nothing serious, they're mostly left alone. There's nothing else in the tank to threaten them. I've tried feeding during the day and after lights out. Suggestions?

 

[LockeOak]

So I lost one of them today, found dead when I got home. The other is still around, but still hasn't been eating significantly. I see it eat the occasional live baby brine shrimp that passes by, but it still ignores all other food--mysis, flake, pellets, freeze-dried cyclopeeze. Help!

 

[BangkokMatt]

ime they are a very tricky fish to acclimate. Many die within the first week or so whether they are eating or not. If they get through the initialstages they become extremely hardy.
Unfortunately I only have my experiences but no hard answers to help you on this one.

 

[Zaita]

If the fish won't take live food, not much you can really do unfortunate. If it's tank bred, I would've expected it to be weened onto atleast a frozen meat diet.

 

[stunreefer]

Keep trying to feed them at night. Bangaiis are nocturnal feeders in nature, being one of the big reasons they're hard to acllimate. Their ginat eyes help them see in the darkness; Also leading to the notion that wild-caught specimens almost have to be light acclimated as well (they dont, but our reef lights is like Gods flashlight over these poor guys). I would think you should have the best luck trying with the live baby brine shrimp, and maybe mysis. Once the lights go out, wait about 15-20 minutes before trying to feed, its not something they'll generally do right when the lights go out.

Dont give up, sometimes they take a while. you mighta slo have success with mixing up other fods, or maybe a bit of garlic.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13373934#post13373934 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Zaita
If it's tank bred, I would've expected it to be weened onto atleast a frozen meat diet.

They're not tank bred, almost gauranteed. I'm yet to see a tank bred specimen that wont feed on frozen, flake, pellet, pretty much anything you dump into the tank they go after.

If this endevour doesn't work out for you LockeOak, have a go with tank bred specimens.





On another note I just went to bluezooaquatics.com, and they're selling wild-caught AND tank-bred specimens.....what the hell for?!?! Bangaii cardinals are on their way to becoming extinct: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1467705

Anyplace that sells WC specimens, or animals in a similar situation should be completely boycotted.

 

[LockeOak]

As far as I'm aware, these are tank-bred specimens. I have been trying to feed after dark, with the same results.

 

[stunreefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13376047#post13376047 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by LockeOak
As far as I'm aware, these are tank-bred specimens. I have been trying to feed after dark, with the same results.

Hmmmm, very weird. I see they're selling them right next to each other on their site, and the CB are about $30 and the WC are about $20. Maybe they sent you WC specimens, or maybe they became extremely stressed in transit.

I've seen/worked with thousands of CB Bangaiis and it was hard to find one in the bunch that would not eat. Something to mention though is that we made sure when they were very young that they'd eat anything and everything offered....perhaps whomever bred yours was only using one kind of food. I would inquire from the seller as to what were they raised on, then feed that.

 

[Lowredranger]

I received my CB Bangai Cardinal a month or so ago it acclimated really well but will not even look at pellet food. Mine will eat mysis and cyclopeeze. At least it was supposed to be CB it was from bluezoo.

 

[jmadison]

Try putting some garlic extreme on some flake or on some frozen and feed them after lights off.