Banggi Cardinalfish feeding causing nutient problem

[Kiboshed]

32 Gal Biocube to start.

So I have had my Banggai Cardinal for about 3 weeks now and it is doing great.

Problem is that it will only eat frozen meaty foods. Mostly any kind of shrimp. Spits out or won't touch any kind of flake or pellet.

The feeding of frozen food every day adds a cloud of nutrients to the tank that is leading to an explosion of filter feeders in my tank (Mainly Spirobid Worms and White Spaghetti Sponges). To specify I only feed once a day what my 3 fish can eat in less that 5 min, but it's always frozen food because that's only what my cardinal will eat.

My question is will they eat cleaner foods like dried shrimp or worms? I am going to the lps tomorrow and will pick some up if others have had luck with this.

If he won't take it I am sorry to say that he will be going back to the pet store. My Clowns out compete him for food so I have to put enough frozen in the tank for him to get some or he won't get any at all. Which leads to an extra cloud of nutrients in the water... Which leads to my pest filter feeders.

Appreciate any advice.

 

[HuduVudu]

@Kiboshed if you had done research on this creature you would know that they won't take prepared foods.

Best to take him back now.

Sad

 

[Kiboshed]

@Kiboshed if you had done research on this creature you would know that they won't take prepared foods.

Best to take him back now.

Sad

Not really common knowledge unless you have been in the hobby a while or already owned one.

Read nowhere that they wouldn't take dried foods and I did extensive research across multiple sites.

Have you personally tried giving them freeze dried meaty foods like shrimp and worms?

 

[doubleshot00]

Mine eats mysis and really anything frozen. Rinse it before you add it or use a set of tweezers to feed. No need to add the water.

You act like your fish needs pellets. They don’t. Feed a fix of frozen and be done with it. Your doing more harm to your tank adding pellets then frozen imo.

 

[Kiboshed]

Mine eats mysis and really anything frozen. Rinse it before you add it or use a set of tweezers to feed. No need to add the water.

You act like your fish needs pellets. They don’t. Feed a fix of frozen and be done with it. Your doing more harm to your tank adding pellets then frozen imo.

I never said my fish needed pellets, or flakes for that matter.

I have given my fish almost exclusively frozen food since I got them.

The issue is that it is making a cloud of nutrients when I do.

I thought pellets or flakes might fix that, rinsing them sounds much better. You rinse them with a bit of the tank water or fresh distilled?

 

[fanistevan]

mine, when they grow up they want to eat pellets ( only ocean nutrition formula one) 2 years now, big and fat

 

[Kiboshed]

I have been using this stuff every day since I bought fish. 4 day rotation, bit of eat different type of feed each day. I pull the cube out and shake it out between my fingers in the water till enough has melted off to feed the gluttons for about 2-4 minutes. I never use a whole cube, not even half most days. This also leaves a cloud of nutients behind. Its all my cardinal will eat though. He hates the green medley though lol

experimented with the flakes and pellets cause it's so messy.

Definitely will just start cutting off a little chunk and rinsing it first, but what do you guys rinse frozen fish feed in?

 

[Hankcorals]

You guys are just mean... this individual is trying to learn the hobby. Purchase a brine hatchery and start making baby brine every other day to suppliment the frozen food. Frozen food isnt bad. Just keep up with clean water and the fish will be happy!

 

[Kiboshed]

You guys are just mean... this individual is trying to learn the hobby. Purchase a brine hatchery and start making baby brine every other day to suppliment the frozen food. Frozen food isnt bad. Just keep up with clean water and the fish will be happy!

This forum really is brutal to newbies.

I try to ask genuine questions and I constantly get shamed or insulted.

I know people are passionate about the hobby and the living things in it, but I am not hurting anything. Just seeking knowledge. The fish is happy and healthy, it's extra food is just making for pests in my tank that I don't like.

How does that make me such a bad person? Lol

Best to take him back now.

Sad

So pretentious lol

 

[Hankcorals]

Its ok to make mistakes. That's how we learn. We all strive for clean, pest free, show quality tanks but its just not realistic. There are pests in the ocean and we are trying to mimic this enviroment inside a glass cube.. if your fish are healthy and the corals are growing I say just enjoy it and dont sweat the small stuff.

 

[X-37B]

I have 2 in a 20g nano cube and only feed frozen. They get a small amount a few times until all the food is consumed. It also feeds a 6 line wrasse.
Never thought of pellets but I have some Hikari and will have to try them.

You can rinse the mysis in ro/di and no cloud should form when feeding.

 

[Tired]

If you thaw the frozen food in a separate container and drain off the water and tiny particles, that'll help with the nutrients. Though you might have a hard time not having filter-feeders, once your tank winds up nicely established.

 

[ninjamyst]

1. pellets actually have more nutrients in them and usually are dirtier.
2. Frozen is preferred but get cleaner frozen. Not the stuff you buy at Petco. Find a real saltwater fish store and get Larrys aka LRS. Hikari mysis is also good, not the PE mysis. Those are too big.
3. Feed less but more often. Instead of one me, do two smaller meals. If the clowns are out competing the banggai, just squirt the frozen closer to banggai.

 

[Kiboshed]

I don't think that you are being honest here.

People that are honest get honest feedback.

I appreciate your honesty, no matter how condisending and pretentious it makes you sound. Your comparing apples to oranges, giving a fish back to a pet store that can take better care of it than you can is in no way immoral or comparable to giving a kitten or a dog back to a shelter that will terminate it once it uses up too much space, but way to be dramatic.

I have already gotten lots of great advice on my post on how to solve my problem AND keep my pet from other posters.

All you have posted about in this thread is some passive aggressive attempt to shame and insult me.

Your the sad one. Move along.

I have 2 in a 20g nano cube and only feed frozen. They get a small amount a few times until all the food is consumed. It also feeds a 6 line wrasse.
Never thought of pellets but I have some Hikari and will have to try them.

You can rinse the mysis in ro/di and no cloud should form when feeding.

Great advice. Thank you. I will try this for tomorrow's feeding.

If you thaw the frozen food in a separate container and drain off the water and tiny particles, that'll help with the nutrients. Though you might have a hard time not having filter-feeders, once your tank winds up nicely established.

I am not worried about having SOME pests and filter feeders. That is inevitable and I am happy to have the biodiversity. Just want to head it off before it become a nuisance or horror story.

 

[Kiboshed]

1. pellets actually have more nutrients in them and usually are dirtier.
2. Frozen is preferred but get cleaner frozen. Not the stuff you buy at Petco. Find a real saltwater fish store and get Larrys aka LRS. Hikari mysis is also good, not the PE mysis. Those are too big.
3. Feed less but more often. Instead of one me, do two smaller meals. If the clowns are out competing the banggai, just squirt the frozen closer to banggai.

Thanks for the tips. Only real fish store close to me is over 3 hours away. I'll look and see if I can order that Larry's online .

 

[Kiboshed]

Going to try two light meals a day going forward and rinsing the frozen food in distilled water going forward and see if that helps reduce the pest filter feeders.

Thank you all so much so far for your help.

 

[Cali Reef Life]

I feed one cube to my 90 gallon and a small pinch of pellets a day with 7 fish some big. If that puts in perspective how little you need to feed.

 

[ninjamyst]

I feed one cube to my 90 gallon and a small pinch of pellets a day with 7 fish some big. If that puts in perspective how little you need to feed.

I feed 3-5x a day. Go through 4-5 cubes plus lots of pellets. 200g with about 20 fish. Fish should be fed a lot and often if your filtration can handle it. Feeding your fish will also feed your corals. Just have to balance big import of nutrients with big export. Having filter feeders appear in your tank is a good thing. It's maturity and biodiversity.

 

[Kiboshed]

I feed one cube to my 90 gallon and a small pinch of pellets a day with 7 fish some big. If that puts in perspective how little you need to feed.

Honestly the issue could just be with how much I am feeding lol my female clown has a beer belly.

Might just need to feed a fraction of what I am, but all my research has told me whatever they can eat in 2 min twice a day or 5 min once a day.

I will try the rinse feed twice a day going forward and adjust from there.

 

[Kiboshed]

I feed 3-5x a day. Go through 4-5 cubes plus lots of pellets. 200g with about 20 fish. Fish should be fed a lot and often if your filtration can handle it. Feeding your fish will also feed your corals. Just have to balance big import of nutrients with big export. Having filter feeders appear in your tank is a good thing. It's maturity and biodiversity.

I like that and agree with you. Just worried the sponges and worms will become a nuisance.