Banggai Cardinal fish Baby

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So I was feeding my Red Sea XL525 reef and thought, I’m sure that my Banggai Cardinal fish (I have 3) are bigger than that. Well guess what, we have a baby. And it survived in the reef naturally. So now I need to know what to look for and how to collect the babies so I can raise them like I am my Clownfish.

 

[blaxsun]

I don't have any helpful advice - only just wanted to say that's really cool!

 

[sabeypets]

They are mouth brooders, look for the male to quit eating and holding eggs in his mouth. He holds them around 20 to 28 days. I net the male 18-20 days after spawning and make him spit them out in a cup, they are fully formed babies and can easily be raised on Reef Nutrition TDO "B". I think feeding rotifers for the first few days along with TDO may be of benefit.

 

[HankstankXXL750 Verified Sponsor]

They are mouth brooders, look for the male to quit eating and holding eggs in his mouth. He holds them around 20 to 28 days. 18-20 days after spawning they are fully formed babies and can easily be raised on Reef Nutrition TDO "B". I think feeding rotifers for the first few days along TDO may be of benefit.

So I just have to figure out which is the male? I have three one is larger than the other two. Then when he quits eating should I transfer him to a breeding tank?
Well covered in TDO and rotifers.
Thank you,
Kent

 

[sabeypets]

So I just have to figure out which is the male? I have three one is larger than the other two. Then when he quits eating should I transfer him to a breeding tank?
Well covered in TDO and rotifers.
Thank you,
Kent

The one with a mouth full of eggs will be the male. In my reef when the male was holding egg he hung back in the shadows. Yes just net him and put him in a breeder tank by himself. Some have reported that netting the male made him spit the eggs, I didn't have that problem if caught in the first couple of days after spawning.

 

[HankstankXXL750 Verified Sponsor]

The one with a mouth full of eggs will be the male. In my reef when the male was holding egg he hung back in the shadows. Yes just net him and put him in a breeder tank by himself. Some have reported that netting the male made him spit the eggs, I didn't have that problem if caught in the first couple of days after spawning.

Thanks
Any idea how often they breed? Are they like clowns and breed regularly or just once a season?

thanks.

 

[sabeypets]

Thanks
Any idea how often they breed? Are they like clowns and breed regularly or just once a season?

thanks.

Regularly, you will need to feed the male for 4 to 6 weeks before putting him back in with the female. If put back in with the female after he spits (the babies) they can/will spawn within a couple of weeks and the male will starve to death after 2 or 3 spawns. You can rotate 2 or 3 males between a female to keep your males in shape and always have babies.

 

[Hawkaholic]

Good luck! If you get overrun by Cardinal fish send some my way!!! Very cool

 

[Huff747]

Regularly, you will need to feed the male for 4 to 6 weeks before putting him back in with the female. If put back in with the female after he spits (the babies) they can/will spawn within a couple of weeks and the male will starve to death after 2 or 3 spawns. You can rotate 2 or 3 males between a female to keep your males in shape and always have babies.

How do you end up with a pair (or more)? I've tried a few times to get a small group, or a trio, or a pair and I end up with 1. I've seen the info on trying to count vents and such but that's hard to do when ordering or even most the time I'm in a fish store. I currently have a single one in 2 different tanks because I'm afraid to put them together.

 

[JasonVH]

How do you end up with a pair (or more)? I've tried a few times to get a small group, or a trio, or a pair and I end up with 1. I've seen the info on trying to count vents and such but that's hard to do when ordering or even most the time I'm in a fish store. I currently have a single one in 2 different tanks because I'm afraid to put them together.

What happened with the pairs/trios/groups?

If the two are 'large juvenile' or adult size, introduce one to the other. Normally they'll show immediately if they have an interest in each other(lots of excitement and 'dancing') or it happens to be two males(immediate aggression, one is forced to hide/flee). At least that is how some sex their banggais, using a single known male and checking his reactions to the introduced banggai. There doesn't seem to be much on how an adult female will react to an introduced adult female, though.

 

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What happened with the pairs/trios/groups?

If the two are 'large juvenile' or adult size, introduce one to the other. Normally they'll show immediately if they have an interest in each other(lots of excitement and 'dancing') or it happens to be two males(immediate aggression, one is forced to hide/flee). At least that is how some sex their banggais, using a single known male and checking his reactions to the introduced banggai. There doesn't seem to be much on how an adult female will react to an introduced adult female, though.

When I got mine, I didn’t do my homework and just bought three as you always see them in schools at LFS. I got lucky with the Banggai as all three seem to coexist. I think I lost two of my first three pajamas and bought two more and they have been in the same tank. Both sets probably a year. Banggai in 5’ 110 gallon Pajamas in 7’ 210 gallon. Lots of rock.

 

[JasonVH]

When I got mine, I didn’t do my homework and just bought three as you always see them in schools at LFS. I got lucky with the Banggai as all three seem to coexist. I think I lost two of my first three pajamas and bought two more and they have been in the same tank. Both sets probably a year. Banggai in 5’ 110 gallon Pajamas in 7’ 210 gallon. Lots of rock.

Gotcha, read your other message as ending up with only one surviving each out of several tries with either a pair/group/trio.

Your group of three banggais, they're old enough to show pair behavior if there's at least a male and a female. Do you see any of them get super excited with fins flared out, lining up with one in front of the other with the one in front primarily making the 'jerking motions'? That's pair dancing. An established pair will dance many times daily, this will increase as the female becomes gravid and nears egg laying.

If there's none of that yet, I guess still young or possibly all females.. some report their females 'getting along'- others say not so much. Read of one account of two sex unknown banggais getting along fine, until a third was added then one of the two immediately engaged in 'dancing' with the new fish and these went on to be a pair, with the third pretty much left to itself.

 

[HankstankXXL750 Verified Sponsor]

Gotcha, read your other message as ending up with only one surviving each out of several tries with either a pair/group/trio.

Your group of three banggais, they're old enough to show pair behavior if there's at least a male and a female. Do you see any of them get super excited with fins flared out, lining up with one in front of the other with the one in front primarily making the 'jerking motions'? That's pair dancing. An established pair will dance many times daily, this will increase as the female becomes gravid and nears egg laying.

If there's none of that yet, I guess still young or possibly all females.. some report their females 'getting along'- others say not so much. Read of one account of two sex unknown banggais getting along fine, until a third was added then one of the two immediately engaged in 'dancing' with the new fish and these went on to be a pair, with the third pretty much left to itself.

That was another person I think who was having issues. My three Banggai (well two of them) bred and I have one line baby that I saw. Thinking it might need to be moved.

 

[sabeypets]

How do you end up with a pair (or more)? I've tried a few times to get a small group, or a trio, or a pair and I end up with 1. I've seen the info on trying to count vents and such but that's hard to do when ordering or even most the time I'm in a fish store. I currently have a single one in 2 different tanks because I'm afraid to put them together.

Observation either with a group or a known male. There is also a vent method for sexing (I can't tell with this method). They don't do well in groups or trios, usually if you start out with a group you will end up with a pair (or single). The exception is an Extra EXTRA Large Tank, in several hundred gallons they will school loosely. I have a tank with a 4' X 8' footprint. Added 18 Banggai and have at least 7 pair/males that spawn, also have a small group of pajamas (they also spawn) that school with the Banggai.

 

[Tub Life]

Observation either with a group or a known male. There is also a vent method for sexing (I can't tell with this method). They don't do well in groups or trios, usually if you start out with a group you will end up with a pair (or single). The exception is an Extra EXTRA Large Tank, in several hundred gallons they will school loosely. I have a tank with a 4' X 8' footprint. Added 18 Banggai and have at least 7 pair/males that spawn, also have a small group of pajamas (they also spawn) that school with the Banggai.

Dude. pics!
I aspire to keep a "loose school" of banggais. My display will be 9' x 30" and would appreciate some pics of your system as motivation. I currently have a single breeding pair. But had attempted a school of 5 a few years back with no success in having them cohabitate. Here is a pic of them when they were recently introduced. I believe they school nicely when introduced for safety, but soon after do not display the behaviour.