How Reef Safe Are Cardinals?

[NewbyReefer]

I have a trio of Gold Striped Cardinals and they never really gave me any consern until I went to feed my Brain Coral 1/2 a Silver Side and the cardinal stole it out of my tweezers and gobbled it down. I was debating on getting some smaller fish for the tank(gobys) but now I'm not to sure if I should. Just seeing if anyone else has them or know how they are.

Heres a pic.

 

[EdKruzel]

Cardinals are completely safe, however take in to consideration that any hungry fish will attempt to grab a piece of food that fits in its mouth. Once engulfed by a coral, the Cardinal will ignore it, but other species such as wrasse or angels as an example will often tear a LPS to retrieve a quick morsel.

 

[km2]

I think most aquarium fish or shrimp will steal food from corals. Might be better to feed the fish first, then when they are full they will be less likely take food from corals or your tweezers lol.

 

[NewbyReefer]

Cardinals are completely safe, however take in to consideration that any hungry fish will attempt to grab a piece of food that fits in its mouth. Once engulfed by a coral, the Cardinal will ignore it, but other species such as wrasse or angels as an example will often tear a LPS to retrieve a quick morsel.

So if I put a small fish (say clown goby) in there they should leave it alone?
Its just that if they can swallow half a silver side a goby would be no problem.

I think most aquarium fish or shrimp will steal food from corals. Might be better to feed the fish first, then when they are full they will be less likely take food from corals or your tweezers lol.

These thing are pigs. They are on the hunt. I've fed pellets prior to feeding the corals and the big one still got the 1/2 a fish. They remind me of tiny piranha. Just without the teeth.

 

[betamed]

feed at night while they are sleeping

 

[Empty Bottles]

You could cut a soda bottle in half and place it over the coral then spot feed.

 

[SushiGirl]

feed at night while they are sleeping

Cardinals hunt at night, that's why they have large eyes & hang out in the shade during full lighting.

They will go after small shrimp if they think they can catch them. I had one try 5 minutes after I put it in the tank I put in the little pistol. It missed LOL. It never did try again, but live amphipods at night make it crazy. It has stolen dangling bits of mysis from the chalice a couple times according to my boyfriend.

Maybe you should be feeding them silversides instead of pellets. Or cover your corals with strawberry baskets until they ingest their food.

I don't have any small fish, can't help you there.

 

[snorvich]

The Cardinalfish require a well balanced diet of meaty foods such as feeder shrimp, flake foods, pellet foods, marine flesh, bloodworms, and depending on its size, live feeder fish.