Miniature Banggai cardinal fish swimming around urchin

[cemmerts]

I was changing some water and looking at my urchin because he hasn’t left a little corner in several weeks and I was afraid he has gotten himself stuck. I noticed tiny little banggais swimming in his spines. I’ve done a bit a reading and I see they are typically bread into a separate tank and fed baby brines. I don’t have the time to set up another tank, so not an option. My sump doesn’t really have any room even if I could capture the male or babies. So the only option is to survive in the display tank, if possible. I don’t have baby brines and they aren’t available anywhere close. I can order from BRS, which usually gets here quick (maybe can have in about 48hrs). Then I have whatever time there is to hatch those. So my questions are:

is there anyway these things can make it in the DT? I have only 2 banggais, 2 clowns, 1 hippo tang, 1 goby, 1 coral banded shrimp, 1 longspine urchin, and some corals/shrimp. The corner they are in is low flow and isolated.

are live baby brine the only feeding option? Anything I can do while waiting to get the hatchery?

Or is it futile and I should just enjoy it while they are?

lastly, does it seem like a longspine urchin could get stuck in a cave?

 

[Fish Think Pink]

I was changing some water and looking at my urchin because he hasn’t left a little corner in several weeks and I was afraid he has gotten himself stuck. I noticed tiny little banggais swimming in his spines. I’ve done a bit a reading and I see they are typically bread into a separate tank and fed baby brines. I don’t have the time to set up another tank, so not an option. My sump doesn’t really have any room even if I could capture the male or babies. So the only option is to survive in the display tank, if possible. I don’t have baby brines and they aren’t available anywhere close. I can order from BRS, which usually gets here quick (maybe can have in about 48hrs). Then I have whatever time there is to hatch those. So my questions are:

is there anyway these things can make it in the DT? I have only 2 banggais, 2 clowns, 1 hippo tang, 1 goby, 1 coral banded shrimp, 1 longspine urchin, and some corals/shrimp. The corner they are in is low flow and isolated.

are live baby brine the only feeding option? Anything I can do while waiting to get the hatchery?

Or is it futile and I should just enjoy it while they are?

lastly, does it seem like a longspine urchin could get stuck in a cave?

think other fish will want to eat baby fish

maybe those baby fish might eat phyto (live or dead) - some LFS stock Reef Nutrition Phyto Feast - I use it to feed my tank's pods, corals... if it glumps at pour spout (rarely) my yellow tang likes to eat it but otherwise ignores (size likely too small unless it glumps)

EDIT - frozen rotifers might be at local fish stores if you call around... I have some in the back part of my freezer because they are uncommon so I grabbed a pack when I saw it

EDIT 2 - maybe eat zooplankton? Brightwell has product that might be on LFS shelves if you call around - but think I got mine from BRS

what about moving baby fish into net hatchery and leaving that suspended in DT?

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[JohnMzreef]

I've noticed that my banggais seek cover that matches the pattern on their bodies. Birdsnest corals, gorgonians.. your urchin is probably excellent cover.

 

[shwareefer]

Since they're planktonic feeders at this stage I would try Reef Roids target style if you have any. Feed the big fish first.

 

[cemmerts]

I do have reef roids actually. I can try to spot feed. Nothing really goes to the area they are in. Petco is the closest pet store for hours. I live in the middle of Wisconsin. I can call and see if they have any rotifers. I do have frozen brine, mysis, krill, this carnivore quisine stuff, and formula 2. The urchin has been back there for a couple weeks and nothing else has gone back there.

A net in the tank seems like a good idea, I’m just not sure how I would catch them at this point. They are in a corner that opens from a cave. I can see them from the side glass, but otherwise, there is no direct line of site to reach them with a net or anything.

 

[cperry7467]

I've been breeding my banggai for about a year and raised probably 200 babies now. Definitely hard to raise them in the display tank. They can feed on pods if the population is high enough. Adding live baby brine shrimp to your display tank will increase your phosphates quite a bit so if you have coral you'll have to take that into consideration. Your best bet would be to put them in a sump and just let them feed on pods. I had 5 in my sump for about 2 months and never fed them and they got fat just eating pods.

I have 2 of these and keep a constant rotation of brine shrimp going to feed mine in a separate AIO tank.
Hatchery

 

[vtecintegra]

That hatchery is ingenious. I put 1.026 water in it, no extra light, no heat, and in 12~18 hours have BBS. That's what I would be feeding, and maybe frozen rotifers.

The urchin is the babies natural habit if I remember right.

 

[cemmerts]

I think my pod population is ok, not crazy, but ok. I used to have an infestation and something has been eating them.

ive got a BRS hatchery on its way, a pod hotel, more pods, and phytoplankton on its way. Should be here tomorrow vs Saturday. Would be really cool if these guys make it. I saw one appear to eat something out of the water. I sprayed some reef roids at them…