What to do with single Banggai Cardinal

HockeyRooster · Jan 4, 2021

I have a 90g DT with two clowns, foxface Lo, scooter blenny, cleaner wrasse and a Cardinal( oldest fish in my tank and fairly big. Way bigger than ones at lfs).
I want more fish but the wife has made a captive bred only rule so I have limited options for new tank mates for the group.
I like banggai’s and id like to have a pair. But I don’t think adding a new one is a good idea. I’ve had this one listed for sale for months and no one is interested. Lfs will give me $10 for it and ‘might’ be able to get me a pair to replace this single ( meaning they will try to get me a pair but won’t promise anything. New ones are $40)
I am going to get an orchid dottyback when my other lfs gets their ORA shipment so that is set.

My options for the Cardinal are:
1. Trade to lfs And hope they can sell me a pair
2. Put in small 10g tank that I was going to use as a qt (which hasn’t worked so I think I’ll be paying lfs to quarantine new fish)
3. Buy another cardinal and roll the dice on them pairing up.
4. have one mature cardinal in the tank alone.

what would you do R2R?

P-Dub · Jan 4, 2021

There is no guarantee that a pair will be or remain a pair. I had four wee little ones. In the beginning, they all four hung out together. I shortly lost one, haven't a clue what happened, and the three all then separated. Lost another, found in the clutches of my coral banded, and the remaining two have chosen completely separate sides of the tank to take up residence in... Fish, they do the darndest things... Just some food for thought.

Macbalacano · Jan 4, 2021

I bought a couple from LFS that said they were a pair. They turned out not to be. Had to catch one and give it back and got half of the value back as a credit. I decided to just keep the lone cardinal as I didn't want to roll the dice on another one. He seems happy and healthy!