Bengal cardinal

Mac1330 · Jul 20, 2015

Can anyone help? Bought 2 Banggai cardinals two days ago, both were doing great this morning when I left for work. Come back and one is in the bottom corner of the tank pointing down, if I put food near him he'll go for it as long as nothing else comes near?
Thanks for any advice in advance

Humblefish · Jul 20, 2015

Is he still eating the food? Any heavy breathing? Scratching on anything?

Mac1330 · Jul 20, 2015

Only ate when I put food practically on his nose. No not scratching odd flap of his tail but mainly face down will try get a picture.

Mac1330 · Jul 20, 2015

blitz49 · Jul 20, 2015

I hope yours pull through, mines didn't. I never had luck with this type of fish. They usually would be fine for a week or 2, and than all of a sudden ends up at the bottom of my tank and not surviving after. Mines was eating everything, but still ended up like yours. Don't know why it does that, I love this type of fish, but I would never buy it again.

Mac1330 · Jul 20, 2015

Did you ever find out why?
He certainly doesn't look like he's gonna pull through
Will be my first loss feeling sad

blitz49 · Jul 20, 2015

I searched all over the net, and there is no clear answer as to why this happens. Most sold at LFS are wild caught, and they don't seem to do well in captivity. The first two I had was was eating everything. Than one day, one sank to the bottom and died, than other did the same several days later. I didn't buy another pair until 6 months later, and that pair did the same thing. So sorry, I don't have an answer.

Mac1330 · Jul 20, 2015

Yeah mine were same ate anything even last night they were then tonight ones at the bottom the other is eating fine and keeps going and hovering near the one on the bottom. Thanks for your input though blitz

Paul B · Jul 20, 2015

I have never had problems with Bangai's and my pair now, like every pair I have ever had is spawning. You may have two males and one is bullying the other. It sounds like classic bullying.

Mac1330 · Jul 20, 2015

I'm actually beginning to wonder if my tang is bullying them as I just caught him chasing the other one around. If only you were able to tell them off. Two beauty's you got there Paul.

Humblefish · Jul 20, 2015

Lots of possible reasons why he may be doing this: hiding from an aggressive fish, ammonia burn from acclimation, disease, etc.

How did you acclimate him and for how long?

Mac1330 · Jul 20, 2015

I Dripped for a hour, would this not have happened to both? Both come from same tank in lfs then same bag to mine then same process into tank?

Mike in CT · Jul 20, 2015

I would think there might a small time frame before the bullying ensued...sounds more like problems the wild caught ones have.

Humblefish · Jul 20, 2015

Mac1330 said:
I Dripped for a hour, would this not have happened to both? Both come from same tank in lfs then same bag to mine then same process into tank?

Just with humans, some fish are tougher than others.