Bangaii Cardinals fighting

[Str8linespeed]

I have a breeding pair of Cardinals and last night I saw dad chasing mom around the tank. Almost appeared they were fighting.. Well this morning moms fins are all beat up, and she is struggling to breath (I forget whats its called when they are opening there mouth and gills). But she is just hiding is very low flow areas and laying there.. I've had this pair for a year now and they have never fought until last night. I dont think she will make it thru the day.. Is this common, or why would this happen?

[Str8linespeed]

Well she didnt last long, already died. This morning dad was staying next to her like normal. Its just odd, all day yesterday they were getting along. That was until last night.

Now is it possible to add a new cardinal to the tank or even 3 more? Will they get along and survive?

[farfromsea]

Are you sure they weren't the same sex? I know you've had them for a year but maybe the supplier made a mistake? I would hesitate to keep 2 pairs of cardinals but what is your tank size?


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[Str8linespeed]

Originally Posted by farfromsea

Are you sure they weren't the same sex? I know you've had them for a year but maybe the supplier made a mistake? I would hesitate to keep 2 pairs of cardinals but what is your tank size?


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Um yes, I stated they were a breeding pair.. That would be a male and female. LOL. Unless that was a miraculous miracle that happened in my tank and all those babies came from the same sex...

Thanks for the info on keeping a couple of pairs.

[ca1ore]

That is odd. Bangaii will generally squabble like crazy until they pair up. I had three and as they've grow two formed a pair and beat the third to the point I had to remove it.

[Str8linespeed]

Originally Posted by ca1ore

That is odd. Bangaii will generally squabble like crazy until they pair up. I had three and as they've grow two formed a pair and beat the third to the point I had to remove it.

I thought the same thing.. Ok here are my other tank inhabitants just in case..

2 Oscilaris Clowns
1 Royal Gamma
1 Purple Firefish
1 Diamond Goby
1 Starry Blenny
1 Christmas Wrasse
1 Bangaii Cardinal

The newest fish is the Wrasse who has been in the tank 2 months. I've never seen any of them fight. Maybe dad just got sick of her crap and had enough. LOL I mean he was carrying eggs every 2 months and the poor guy was probably just hungry

[ThRoewer]

While it's not happening all the time, aggression between Banggais, even if it's a pair, is quite common.
Banggais do not form bonded pairs like anemonefish or large angels, but rather find each other for spawning, separate from the larger group for a while and then go their separate ways again. Usually the female stays with the male for a few days after spawning, but then returns to the group.
However, this doesn't work in the confines of a reef tank where you can generally only keep a "pair". It can work for a good while, but sometimes aggression may ensue for no apparent reason. It's one of the risks of keeping fish that are used to open space in confined boxes.

Btw, I would just get a replacement and see how it goes.


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[Str8linespeed]

Originally Posted by ThRoewer

While it's not happening all the time, aggression between Banggais, even if it's a pair, is quite common.
Banggais do not form bonded pairs like anemonefish or large angels, but rather find each other for spawning, separate from the larger group for a while and then go their separate ways again. Usually the female stays with the male for a few days after spawning, but then returns to the group.
However, this doesn't work in the confines of a reef tank where you can generally only keep a "pair". It can work for a good while, but sometimes aggression may ensue for no apparent reason. It's one of the risks of keeping fish that are used to open space in confined boxes.

Btw, I would just get a replacement and see how it goes.

Very interesting, thanks for that info!