Banggai Cardinal Dilemma

Demnok · 01/24/2017, 06:40 PM

I ordered three aqua cultured Banggais from my LFS. His supplier supplemented the order with wild caught. I watched them eat at the LFS and it wasn't voracious but they were eating. I brought them home to my QT and one of them flourished. He ate like a champ extremely healthy etc. after a couple weeks I have pulled him to the DT to lighten the bio load on the QT. The other two do not visibly eat, even live brine shrimp. I have also tried frozen reef frenzy, frozen brine shrimp and frozen blood worms all soaked in garlic, amino and vitamins. I believe they are eating after the lights go out though because there are not brine shrimp in the morning. And I don't think they break down that quickly. I know they are nocturnal. They visibly have sunken in bellies while the display tank Banggai has a flat or pronounced stomach especially after eating.

So here is the dilemma, do I add these two to the display and hope the more natural surroundings and watching another fish eat will get them eating or keep them in QT until their behavior is what you would expect during feeding? They have been in QT for over two weeks I would have thought that they would have adjusted by now. I also am worried that while they have no visible signs of sickness their lack of eating maybe a sign that that are not well.

Open to any suggestions.

QT numbers: ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 0
DT numbers: ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 0, ph 8.3, alk 7, phosphate 0 - 0.25, calcium 400, magnesium 1400.

chi · 01/24/2017, 07:10 PM

I've never had much luck with wild caught banggai''s. I would have suggested live brine but you've already tried unsuccessfully. I'd try and medicate with something like prazipro in case there's a parasite which is common with wild caught fish. Good luck.

01/24/2017, 06:40 PM	#1
Demnok Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2017 Posts: 29	Banggai Cardinal Dilemma I ordered three aqua cultured Banggais from my LFS. His supplier supplemented the order with wild caught. I watched them eat at the LFS and it wasn't voracious but they were eating. I brought them home to my QT and one of them flourished. He ate like a champ extremely healthy etc. after a couple weeks I have pulled him to the DT to lighten the bio load on the QT. The other two do not visibly eat, even live brine shrimp. I have also tried frozen reef frenzy, frozen brine shrimp and frozen blood worms all soaked in garlic, amino and vitamins. I believe they are eating after the lights go out though because there are not brine shrimp in the morning. And I don't think they break down that quickly. I know they are nocturnal. They visibly have sunken in bellies while the display tank Banggai has a flat or pronounced stomach especially after eating. So here is the dilemma, do I add these two to the display and hope the more natural surroundings and watching another fish eat will get them eating or keep them in QT until their behavior is what you would expect during feeding? They have been in QT for over two weeks I would have thought that they would have adjusted by now. I also am worried that while they have no visible signs of sickness their lack of eating maybe a sign that that are not well. Open to any suggestions. QT numbers: ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 0 DT numbers: ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 0, ph 8.3, alk 7, phosphate 0 - 0.25, calcium 400, magnesium 1400.

01/24/2017, 07:10 PM	#2
chi Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: detroit area Posts: 74	I've never had much luck with wild caught banggai''s. I would have suggested live brine but you've already tried unsuccessfully. I'd try and medicate with something like prazipro in case there's a parasite which is common with wild caught fish. Good luck.