What does cardinal eat?

[iamborg]

I bought a cardinal (black-white-kind) 4 weeks back.

3 weeks in qual and 1 week in display, did not see it eat anything.

It is like paper thin now.

I fed :

1) Pellets (big and small, Omni and Vegi, + garlic)
2) Dried bloodworm
3) Frozen mysis

It tried to eat, but spit it out. It just stays in a corner.
I think its days are numbered .

Not interested in anything food .

Please advise.

 

[D-Nak]

I assume you're talking about Banggai cardinalfish. I had a pair that only ate live food. You may want to try live brine and slowly wean it off back to frozen food or refrigerated food such as those made by Reef Nutrition.

 

[650-IS350]

I have seven Banggai's and they're voracious eaters. They eat anything they can put in their mouth. Currently feeding them PE mysis, soft sinking krill pellets but mostly frozen brine shrimp.

Have you tried adding garlic to help them wan to eat more?

 

[ChiiBear]

I have two in my 100g for more than 1 year. I've never seen them eat. I only fed NLS palette to my fish. They don't look thin at all. They seem to be more active when lights are off. I didn't lose any fish or inverts. I'm puzzled too!

 

[iamborg]

Yes, + garlic. Not interested too.

Mine is a small 24G, and I dont think I have enough pods to sustain it
much longer.

 

[Reefer1225]

Mine has been in the tank for 3 years now. Started him off with frozen or live brine just to get him eating. After a couple of weeks, mixed in frozen Mysis. Tht is all he eats besides small copepods that he happens to find. Mine was wild caught. I heard people having better luck with tank-bred ones. I read they were a schooling fish and like to be in multiple numbers. Best of luck with your Bangaii, which I think is an underrated fish.

 

[jayu]

Mine seems to like instant ocean cyclopeeze and frozen brine.

 

[Tenny]

No experience with Banngai's, but with all new fish I start them off on live brine shrimp and then transition to frozen brine / mysis, and then eventually just the pellets.

So I highly would suggest some live brine shrimp to see if they eat that.