Banggais won't eat

[saltwater4life1]

Hey guys,
I picked up 3 tank bred Banggais on Friday from a lfs and i can't seem to get them to eat. They'll act like they're going to eat but spit the flakes back out. I've also tried a few types of frozen foods and soaked them in garlic but they still won't touch anything. The lady who sold me them said they ate flakes but i'm starting to doubt her... So i guess i'm asking if anyone happens to know any tricks to getting these guys to eat?
Thank you!
~Nick
Btw, I won't be keeping all 3 i am just trying to get a pair and the 3rd guy will be going back to the store.

[mmotown]

I bought three wild ones about 2 weeks ago and they eat everything. In the store the ate pellets. In my tank they didn't. I bought some Hikari frozen mysis and some PE mysis and they love it! Try getting some live brine and don't turn off your ph. Mine seem to like the chase.

[saltwater4life1]

Hmm I'll have to try Mysis... I tried frozen krill and brine, Maybe i should shake some pods out of my chaeto and see if they eat them. I'll go set up my brine hatchery i guess and see how things go.

[snorvich]

Of course three will become two (or fewer) unless you have a pair. they do not like each other.

[saltwater4life1]

Yeah i know i am trying to breed them and read it was best to get more then 2 and once i get a pair to remove the rest.

[fishaman]

wow - I guess that explains what happened to my other 3:-( Ibought 5 of them and now I'm down to 2. I also recommend the live brine shrimps. That was all they would eat.

[snorvich]

OP: are you SURE they are tank raised? Does the LFS have more? If so, have them feed them and note what they eat.

[saix88]

I've never dealt with tank bred ones, but I've never had wild ones eat flakes. Whenever they eat the flakes they spit them out, but they gobble down frozen mysis.

If you plan on breeding it's best to keep them in a large group so the male doesn't get exhausted from continuously holding eggs.

[Cozen89]

the ones I had didn't eat for 4 days until I tried live brine. They ate that. then the next day, mix the brine with frozen mysis. Continue for a few days then they will eat the frozen.

[alovely]

Yeah defiantly try frozen mysis use a mixture though. Cut up like a quarter of mysis brine throw in some cyclopeeze and flakes, then soak w/ garlic they will most likely start eating the flakes and cyclo by accident and later on continue eating it.

[Arreola]

I have the same problem.
I got a pair from a local breeder and they were eating live brine shrimp.
One of the eat very good, but the other one does not eat at all. I throw some cyclop-ezze flakes and nothing.

Should I start hatching my own brine?
Thanks

[Cozen89]

try live bring soaked in garlic.

[timmmysli]

Make sure the frozen food is thawed. I tried feeding mine with every frozen food i could think of and it ended up that it was too cold and they spat it out. Just try soaking the frozen food in tank water and change the water out 2-3 times.

I've used live black worms to get bangaii eating. They now attack my turkey baster and try to bite the end of it.

Also the movement of the food can make a difference, try puting the food infront of a pump or just squirt one or two pieces of food at a time. Too much food seems to confuse mine lol

[saltwater4life1]

Thanks guys,
Hopefully i can get them eating today

[MikeandNicole]

We have a pair of tank raised, we feed them rods food soaked in garlic and selcon. They took to that the first day we put it in the tank. They also love PE mysis as well. I let the food sit for a while (until is is all broken up from just the additives) and they jump all over it.

[sanchoy]

try feeding them after lights out.

they are nocturnal.

[Grant W]

+1 on the late feeding they are nocturnal

[saltwater4life1]

Well i caught 2 of the 3 eat a piece of frozen krill earlier i fed again a few minutes ago but my other fish ate everything before the food even got close to them. So i'm getting there. If only they were alittle more aggressive when it comes to eating :(
EDIT: Going to try to spot feed them a few minutes before the lights go out and afterwards.

[saltwater4life1]

Hmm still not eating although i notice one of the smaller ones in the corner hunting pods, But the big one was trying to nip at my finger through the glass :( Poor guys... I'm about to feed again hopefully they eat this time :( Do you think they'll eat bbs? i assume they're to small but if they want live foods idk what else to do unless i hunt for pods to give them.

[saltwater4life1]

Caught 2 eating some frozen food! Hopefully the 3rd ate some but he was in the back of the tank so i couldn't see him that well. So to wean them onto flakes do i just make the flakes soggy and dump them in with the frozen food or do i let it sit on the surface?

[SirusX1721]

Mine never ate flake. The won't even look at them. They fed on Live Brine at first mixed with some thawed frozen foods. Now they eat frozen and Gel foods from Instant Ocean. I also noticed they will not eat with the lights on until they have been on for 2hrs or so. Around that time they, along with all the other fish, swim to their corner where I fed them.