Bangaii Feeding Tips

[Bear Claw]

Hello! Yesterday I purchased two Bangaii Cardinalfish to add to my 32.5 gallon reef tank. The only other fish I have in it are my two clownfish I have had for 2 years. I don't have a quarantine tank but am in the process of making an area for one. One cardinalfish is quite skittish and will hide in the rocks and behind things to where I can't find him and the other is much less skittish. Neither of them has any interest in the food. I've tried frozen and pellets. I know they might just be adjusting to their new tank. Does anyone have any tips to get them to eat or like some kind of process or a way to get them to be a little more aggressive with the food (The clownfish take almost all the food I try and spot feed them)? Any kinds of tips or info about them would be great! Thank you!

 

[Bear Claw]

Also, I will be attempting to feed them tonight since I know they are mostly nocturnal hunters

 

[afrokobe]

Mine absolutely will not eat prepared foods and only frozen. I would keep try a variety and see if there is something he likes

 

[RabidDragon]

My bangaii seems to be more nocternal than anything but does "wake up" at feeding time (during the day). I feed all frozen, mysis and mixed reef stuff which it eats.
I originally had two but one killed the other after being in the same take for nearly a year, can't help but wonder if your skittish one is being picked on by the other.

 

[DaJMasta]

My banggais don't go for pellets (or more accurately, they'll take a bite and spit them out), but they will eat basically any frozen food offered. Live foods also do the trick, but adult banggais are a bit too large to take notice of most copepods.

You could try feeding with the pumps off, and feeding at night is an option, but they are fairly aggressive feeders for their normal demeanor, so they shouldn't have any problems going after things during the day and in full flow. Aggression could also contribute to them not eating, so it's worth watching to see if there's any.

In any case, while they will eat frequently (multiple times a day is no problem), they can actually go a long while without, too - the males won't eat for 3+ weeks when carrying eggs, but will seek out lower flow, lower energy areas to hang around in.

 

[Bear Claw]

My bangaii seems to be more nocternal than anything but does "wake up" at feeding time (during the day). I feed all frozen, mysis and mixed reef stuff which it eats.
I originally had two but one killed the other after being in the same take for nearly a year, can't help but wonder if your skittish one is being picked on by the other.

If I was to feed at night should I just turn my room lights on and feed like normal or do something different so the fish can see the food? Also, what would you recommend doing about the two Cardinalfish? I haven't seen them picking on each other at all so far. They spend most of the day side by side and were born in the same clutch. Thank you!