Banggai Cardinal Breeding Questions

[Brit’s Fish]

I have a pair of Banggai Cardinals that just spawned in the last week or so. (Something must have set off a chain reaction - 3 different pairs of fish have eggs at the same time.) The only fry I’m even remotely interested in raising are the Banggais but I’m not sure how much time this takes as it’s my busiest time of the year. I had hoped they would breed in the future but I wasn’t expecting it so soon. I’ve only had them for about 3 months and they were already an adult pair when I got them, turned in to the LFS.
The pair is in my 180g DT and I do not have a long spine urchin currently. I already have 5 tanks running but I do have a spare that I could start back up if I really need to.

I have several acclimation boxes of different sizes. Would that be adequate to keep the fry safe in the short term? Maybe with a fake anemone so they feel like they’re hiding?

This sounds like a horrible question to ask but if I didn’t separate the fry immediately, would they be eaten like the clownfish fry that hatch every month in my tank?

TBH, I think baby Banggais are the cutest baby fish ever and even though they haven’t been born yet, I already feel much more attached to them than any clutch of eggs my clowns have laid. What would you do?

 

[sfin52]

I have a pair of Banggai Cardinals that just spawned in the last week or so. (Something must have set off a chain reaction - 3 different pairs of fish have eggs at the same time.) The only fry I’m even remotely interested in raising are the Banggais but I’m not sure how much time this takes as it’s my busiest time of the year. I had hoped they would breed in the future but I wasn’t expecting it so soon. I’ve only had them for about 3 months and they were already an adult pair when I got them, turned in to the LFS.
The pair is in my 180g DT and I do not have a long spine urchin currently. I already have 5 tanks running but I do have a spare that I could start back up if I really need to.

I have several acclimation boxes of different sizes. Would that be adequate to keep the fry safe in the short term? Maybe with a fake anemone so they feel like they’re hiding?

This sounds like a horrible question to ask but if I didn’t separate the fry immediately, would they be eaten like the clownfish fry that hatch every month in my tank?

TBH, I think baby Banggais are the cutest baby fish ever and even though they haven’t been born yet, I already feel much more attached to them than any clutch of eggs my clowns have laid. What would you do?

You would have to move the father to a separate tank. When he releases the fry it would be hard to catch all of them.

 

[Brit’s Fish]

You would have to move the father to a separate tank. When he releases the fry it would be hard to catch all of them.

Any ideas on just how small the fry are when they’re released? also, if they get released overnight, is there any chance of any of them making it through until morning without being eaten? I have a Green Coris wrasse and two gigantic Spotcinctus Clowns that I do not trust.
I’d be happy to move this pair to a different tank in a month or so but I just can’t do it right now.

 

[sfin52]

Any ideas on just how small the fry are when they’re released? also, if they get released overnight, is there any chance of any of them making it through until morning without being eaten? I have a Green Coris wrasse and two gigantic Spotcinctus Clowns that I do not trust.
I’d be happy to move this pair to a different tank in a month or so but I just can’t do it right now.

They will be small. They are in the mouth of the father. Everything will eat them.

 

[Brit’s Fish]

They will be small. They are in the mouth of the father. Everything will eat them.

I don’t know why and I feel like it just sounds awful but for some reason, that makes me feel a little bit better. At least the circle of life continues. :disappointed-face: I didn’t feel sad about the damsel eggs or clown eggs because they were just eggs that disappear one day. The way these guys are grown feels different to me for some reason.

Would it maybe be better to strip the eggs now rather than let the male continue to carry them and not be able to eat for weeks? I have read that if you catch the male in a net and hold him above water for a short time, he’ll spit them out.

I’ll be ready for them the next time around. I’ve been reading up on raising the babies but I’m just not ready for them yet.

 

[dochoot]

I’ve had good luck with adding an urchin.

 

[Brit’s Fish]

I’ve had good luck with adding an urchin.

Im still considering this! My LFS is ordering some in their next order since it sounds like I’m not the only one possibly looking for one at the moment.