What do your bangaii cardinals like to eat

[SakuraSky]

My 2 bangaii are from Dr Reef, fully QT and as expected didn't eat for a few days upon arrival and then they both started eating like pigs! For about 5 days they were doing well and eating (one even tried some pellets!) and now they have both stopped eating again (it's been 3 days) is this normal behavior for them? I feed enriched brine, mysis, reef frenzy nano soaked in garlic and selcon.
I know they sometimes go weeks but wasnt sure if them stopping eating was normal.

 

[Cthulukelele]

Cardinalfish in general can be finicky eaters. I've found their favorite food is live brine or live white worms. They also really like frozen mysis. They're known to go on hunger strikes though. Luckily they are fairly sedentary and have large stomachs so they can go longer than most fish without eating in my experience.

 

[DaJMasta]

Mine will try eating almost anything mid water, but prefer frozen. If they stop eating, it's only the male, and it's only when he's carrying eggs. From the images, I don't see a jawline that suggests that, and they're a little on the young side to be spawning already, so there could be a problem.

You certainly could try a live food, but while mine will spit out pellets, they will still try to eat them - no feeding behavior if not carrying eggs is probably not a good sign.

 

[Rob Biederman]

Mine eat any frozen food I have used

 

[SakuraSky]

Mine will try eating almost anything mid water, but prefer frozen. If they stop eating, it's only the male, and it's only when he's carrying eggs. From the images, I don't see a jawline that suggests that, and they're a little on the young side to be spawning already, so there could be a problem.

You certainly could try a live food, but while mine will spit out pellets, they will still try to eat them - no feeding behavior if not carrying eggs is probably not a good sign.

Hopefully I can get them eating again, I know how picky they can be and they don't ship well. Sad to see them have such a good appetite and then stop lfs sells live black worms so I can get those

 

[SakuraSky]

Cardinalfish in general can be finicky eaters. I've found their favorite food is live brine or live white worms. They also really like frozen mysis. They're known to go on hunger strikes though. Luckily they are fairly sedentary and have large stomachs so they can go longer than most fish without eating in my experience.

Good to know, I'll try some black worms from the lfs.

 

[nereefpat]

My current one eats all the things I feed pretty well (mostly mysis, spirulina brine, flakes), except for nori. My last one would only eat frozen, and would grab but spit out any flakes/pellets.

The couple I've kept seem to be among the fastest growing SW fishes I've had, going from 1-1 1/2" to big adults within a year.

 

[littlefoxx]

Mine like frozen food that I feed my other fish

 

[litsoh]

I also got my cardinals from Dr. Reef, eating brine and mysis well and they also help themselves to pods in the water column and glass. If you have pods in your system it's possible they're eating those while you're not watching

 

[Idech]

Mine eats frozen mostly.

 

[SakuraSky]

I also got my cardinals from Dr. Reef, eating brine and mysis well and they also help themselves to pods in the water column and glass. If you have pods in your system it's possible they're eating those while you're not watching

Ahh yeah thats a good point, my tank is stocked full of pods, thousands and thousands of pods. Sometimes I do see them eating the "water" just weird for them to be so enthusiastic about brine and mysis and then suddenly stop. But they do have pods to eat

 

[SakuraSky]

Update: one has passed (can't find it)
And the other one isn't looking well at all, fast breathing/lethargic so it's probably going to pass as well. really was.looking forward to having them. Maybe will try ordering again in the spring

 

[VintageReefer]

I have 3 pajama cardinals. After 1 year and 4 months 1 pajama cardinal decided he wants to eat and kill my 5 yr old gold hammer colony. Then he ate and killed a new Duncan frag I put in. He was also caught biting acans. He was isolated to qt box. Then a few weeks later cardinal 2 started eating a 25 head Duncan colony I’ve been growing for 2 years. Duncan was moved to another tank. I swear cardinal 2 hovers by my other lps and just thinks about eating them. Cardinal 3 shows no interest in corals

Other than coral…they all eat frozen mysis and I trained them to eat mysis flake

 

[SakuraSky]

Update#2, the 2nd one has passed.
What a shame poor things. Guess the shipping was just too rough on them.

 

[nereefpat]

Darn it. That seems strange. Let Dr Reef know

 

[SakuraSky]

Darn it. That seems strange. Let Dr Reef know

Even though it's out of the 3 day garuntee? Do they generally care to know?
I will be making another order once it's stops being below freezing at night because I have a few animals that I have credit for that didn't get shipped out. Not sure if I want to chance another 100 on the cardinals though

 

[nereefpat]

Even though it's out of the 3 day garuntee? Do they generally care to know?

Absolutely give them that feedback. They may be able to help, or may give some credit. There may even be a problem with a whole batch of cardinals