Why do I listen to my local lfs

rich nyc · Jan 21, 2018

I wanted to get one banggai cardinal. My lfs had some tank bred ones and told me they do poorly when they are by themselves. I bought 4 put them in copper and started doing my own research. It seems like I will end up with 2. I am figuring out if I can sex it by looking at bumps but hey are too small. Hopefully if I dont have 3 or 4 males I will just have to split in display tank and nano. ugh...

PatW · Jan 21, 2018

Yeah, they tend to pair off. A pair is fine but otherwise not so much.

SashimiTurtle · Jan 21, 2018

Cardinals I've found only do well in a pair, or singly. I got a trio of flame cardinals from LADD. The largest one chased/bit/beat up the smaller two until they died while in QT. I've read that happens a lot with these fish.

cracker · Jan 21, 2018

I assume it's the same for pajama's? Is that the same as Cardinals?

SashimiTurtle · Jan 21, 2018

cracker said:
I assume it's the same for pajama's? Is that the same as Cardinals?

Yes, all of these are territorial and will fight unless they are a bonded pair.... from what I've read/experienced.
https://www.liveaquaria.com/category/26/cardinalfish?c=15+26

rich nyc · Jan 21, 2018

I thought pajamas and blue eyed cardinals were fine in a school

SashimiTurtle · Jan 21, 2018

You may be correct on the PJ cardinals. I know most will get aggressive with conspecifics.

Zack K · Jan 21, 2018

Yes Bangaii’s will unfortunately pair up. Pajama and Blue eyes will school in a large enough tank.
-Zack

cracker · Jan 21, 2018

I was thinking 3 pajama's in a 75 . Maybe just 2? if only only one I won't do it.
So, rich nyc, how are your Banggai's doing? Are they getting along? Let's hear it from the source!

eatbreakfast · Jan 21, 2018

I've found pj cardinals can take or leave conspecifics.

trmiv · Jan 21, 2018

Robin Haselden said:
Cardinals I've found only do well in a pair, or singly. I got a trio of flame cardinals from LADD. The largest one chased/bit/beat up the smaller two until they died while in QT. I've read that happens a lot with these fish.

Yea I bought a bonded pair of Bangaii from Divers Den and the larger one eventually killed the smaller one. Still have the big one.

lacrosseboss18 · Jan 21, 2018

trmiv said:
Yea I bought a bonded pair of Bangaii from Divers Den and the larger one eventually killed the smaller one. Still have the big one.

That’s upsetting. I’m always eyeing them when I see a bonded pair for sale on DD. What size tank and setup/ other fish did you have?

rich nyc · Jan 21, 2018

They are very small still so I think they have not paired up. They are in copper but eating frozen food like pigglets. I was hoping to be able to tell which is which and just split them into 2 groups or I guess give away a couple. Sort of disappointed I didn't do more research.

ccbobafett · Jan 21, 2018

I have a pair of pjs never fight and hang out together all the time, I must have got lucky and got a pair it seems.

mort · Jan 22, 2018

ccbobafett said:
I have a pair of pjs never fight and hang out together all the time, I must have got lucky and got a pair it seems.

Pyjamas can be fine in groups if you have enough space.

I had 200 bangaii in a tank once that were all tank bred. As they matured they began to pair off so I simply (well not simply, with great difficulty actually) caught the pairs and separated them for sale. So even in massive groups it didn't work. You'd find the odd one cowering in a corner nearly every morning so it took a lot of tanks to keep them safe. Luckily they are so popular.
unless the male has eggs and the other one is happily coexisting with it I'm always dubious of the term pairs.

ccbobafett · Jan 22, 2018

Wow 200, that must have been cool, I hope I have a pair but have not seen the male with eggs yet but they are happily coexisting and still small ish so I guess that is good.

trmiv · Jan 23, 2018

lacrosseboss18 said:
That’s upsetting. I’m always eyeing them when I see a bonded pair for sale on DD. What size tank and setup/ other fish did you have?

This is in a 120 with a breeding pair of occ clowns, starlicki damsel, Tomini Tang, Purple firefish and a wheelers goby.

They were fine in quarantine but the second they got in the main tank the bigger one went after the smaller one. I separated and put them back and it calmed down for months and then the big one started in again and it escalated fast after that.

mort · Jan 23, 2018

ccbobafett said:
Wow 200, that must have been cool, I hope I have a pair but have not seen the male with eggs yet but they are happily coexisting and still small ish so I guess that is good.

It was cool and looked really natural. The tank was a 8x2ft coral tray and we added 5 diadem urchins for them to make it just like nature. It happened because we got too good at breeding them that we flooded the local market for a while.

Reef Stu · Jan 23, 2018

mort said:
It was cool and looked really natural. The tank was a 8x2ft coral tray and we added 5 diadem urchins for them to make it just like nature. It happened because we got too good at breeding them that we flooded the local market for a while.

Any pictures?