bangii experiment

dexterd · #1 08/05/2007, 08:18 AM

I have been told that if you have more than 2 male bangii in a tank they will kill each other. I am doing an experiment with 8 bangii and 4 elxg spiny urchins. None of the fish are fighting and I have one holding eggs now. Not sure how i am going to handle it from here on. Maybe have him spit at day 15 or 16 and move the babies to my breeder system. Any suggestions? Or let him release to the urchin and get the babys out that way. Teresa

Nagel · #2 08/05/2007, 10:26 AM

well, you're fortunate to not have any battles. As juveniles, its much easier, but as they age, they can become a little defensive. They don't mate for life, I've seen situations where people have 2 males and 1 female, (though only one male is with the female at any time), and the "holding" male is with her, and the other male is in another tank, being HEAVILY fed (since they cant eat while holding).

As for how to deal with these babies. I would wait till around day 18 - 20. Then net the papa out and put him in the breeder system until he spits them. I always waited until I could see eyeballs in his mouth, as he's almost ready to spit them anyway at that time.

I hate netting the babies, its stressful for them (they can "faint" and die from being scared!), and netting them around an urchin is harder.

just my .o2

dexterd · #3 08/05/2007, 06:39 PM

thanks for the advice, will wait untill i see their eyes.... btw the tank is a 150 with lots of rock so it may be that it is enough room to keep them from fighting.
Teresa

"Umm, fish?" · #4 08/05/2007, 09:53 PM

I have 3 pair in a 120 and there's some friction. What's really important is giving them places where they can be out of direct line-of-sight of each other. That said, they drive me crazy because they spend most of their time in hiding, only really interacting when there is a ripe female to compete over. I would really rather see one happy pair than six stressed-out fish, so they will all have their own tanks soon. (I'm in the process of moving and breaking down the display.)

Nagel · #5 08/05/2007, 11:12 PM

I also think that larger numbers tends to disperse some aggression. The Baltimore Aquarium has a tank with like two dozen, together, in a 300 or so gallon tank, and they've done alot of breeding there as well..

I think smaller groups tend to make a pair, and then the "outsiders" who get picked on.