Bengai Cardinal not eating

[out2lnch]

I have a new Bengai Cardinal in my QT who doesn't seem to want to eat. I've tried a variety of flake foods. Can anyone make some recommendations? I'd like to stay away from live foods as I am often away and using an auto-feeder. Thanks for the advice!

:D :D :D

[ri]

Most Banggai will not eat flake food. Get some frozen meaty foods such as ocean plankton, brine shrimp...

ri

[rmendis]

Frozen mysis worked for me.

[Dakan]

My two newest will only eat live food or frozen brine. Its a pita

[wooglin]

Mine grubs down on frozen mysis. He tries to eat flake, but spits it out. I bet he would eat something more solid.

[Entropy]

Brine shrimp.... I have come to the conclusion that everything will eat brine... Even brine will eat brine :D

[Putawaywet]

I'm afraid that autofeeder and your Bangaii are not the best suited match.

They are notorious for only excepting mysis, brine and the like. Mine actually eat cyclopeeze as well, but won't touch flake or chopped anything. And any that by chance accept flake are the exception rather than the rule.

Brett

[JHardman]

Originally posted by out2lnch
I have a new Bengai Cardinal in my QT who doesn't seem to want to eat. I've tried a variety of flake foods. Can anyone make some recommendations? I'd like to stay away from live foods as I am often away and using an auto-feeder. Thanks for the advice!

:D :D :D

If the fish is CB (captive bred), chances are pretty good that it will eat frozen foods, like mysis, brine shrimp, etc. as soon as it is comfortable in the new tank.

But if the fish is WC (wild caught), chances are very good that it will not eat anything but live food. If this is the case, you will need to provide live food like brine shrimp (make sure to fortify before feeding) and slowly introduce frozen meaty foods. Sooner or later you should be able to covert it from live to frozen.

Chances of it ever eating flake is not very good, but not impossible.

[bori]

Mines take "ON" Formuluas 1 & 2, Frozen bloodworms,brineshrimp,mysis. but no flakes. --Rob--

[Myladyfish]

I don;t have a banggai but I have a pajama... he really likes this pellet of "marine soft&moist" Krill by HBH... this food is great (I'm not promoting) but it's been cool, I've never seen a carnivore refuses to eat this... even my shy green clown goby eats this... also try other frozen foods and be patient...

[out2lnch]

Thanksd for all the advice. I tried what I had in the house this am...frozen mysis and just for a try some silversides. He's pretty obstinate and lets the food bounce off him on the way to the bottom. Guess I'll head out for some live brine today, but I think he'll be dieting periodically. Do you think he'll make up for it when I am able to feed live brine?

[angelsil]

We just had one come through quarantine with the same problem. We resorted to hatching our own brine. I fed him that with a little bit of mysis and frozen formula one. At first, he would only eat the brine. Now, he's taken to the frozen mysis and formula one. Keep at it. Ours is going on a 'diet' over Thanksgiving for a few days. For a healthy fish, a few days won't hurt them.

[out2lnch]

How do you hatch your own brine? This sounds like it may be a solution!

[ri]

I fill a plastic cup about 3/4 full of tank water. Next, add about 1/2 teaspoon (or less) eggs and mix well. I then place the mixture in my sump (to keep warm).

About 24-36 hrs later, you have baby brine shrimp. Only feed the bbs, not the eggs that float (empty shells). You'll want to enrich them with a supplement such as Selcon.

I would not suggest feeding the brine daily as they are not very nutritious. (Although newborn bbs aren't too bad.)

ri

[JHardman]

All you wanted to know about culturing your own live foods...

http://archive.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=135137

Remember to fortify the brine before feeding, otherwise it is like feeding a 3 year old cotton candy; they love it, but it has no real food value.

[dragon_slayer]

IME most all fish that require live food will take the cyclop-ezze. my pair of mandarines love it.

kc