Reef Discussion

[Ziggy]

Hi folks all, your thoughts/suggestions welcomed.

I have a single, juvenile banggai cardinal, gender unknown and he/she is not fat enough to check the vents to see if there is one or two, so sexing is impossible. However, I'd like to have a pair in my 6ft.

My understanding is that more than one banggai, unless a mated pair, just leads to aggression and thats something I wouldn't be happy with. How then can I get a pair into the tank?

Thoughts:
1. Buy one more and hope its the opposite sex and then remove one if aggression develops?

2. Buy two more and hope statistically that one of those is the opposite sex, wait for a pairing and remove the "spare"?

3. Buy 5 more which would virtually guarantee a pair and spread out any aggression?

4. Remove the current banggai and sell hm/her and then buy a known pair???

 

[Sam Parker]

Can you wait till you can see the vent(s)?

 

[Ziggy]

Yep @Sam Parker I sure could but... 2 problems with that as I see it. The first is that the vents are only visible when the fish is really fat and then its hit and miss.

And secondly, I would need to check the vents on any proposed partner too which may be difficult if they have lost slight condition from transportation to LFS etc. Even buying one from a private person, where the fish has not been stressed, relies on it being fat enough to see the vents successfully.

 

[MagicJ]

I have found the vent method to be 100% accurate on my known mated pair. But, I agree that it is difficult to identify them in a crowded fish tank at the LFS.

You mention that yours is a juvenile - I'm not sure at what age they start to get aggressive towards others of the same gender so they might be OK until they mature.

Option 4 might be the easiest, but Option 5 wouldn't be a bad way to go.

 

[Trash]

I've been told when trying to establish banggai pairs is to get around 5 in total, then let them pair off. The problem then s once they have formed a pair, they will get very aggressive to the others. So if you get another 4 (total 5), make sure you can safely house the other 3 who may also form a pair (the odds are less in favour of this happening). Either way, the remaining 3 are likely to be aggressive to each other also. So i would make compartments for each of the 3 remaining individuals.

Good luck, it's really cool watching the process happen. As long as you're there to intervene of course!

Cheers Dave

 

[Agent M]

I'm going through this at the moment and at $40 a pop its proven to be an expensive exercise. One was killed during the night, not sure by who but I suspect it was the other banggai. The other was eaten by a BTA on its first night. I know this because it regurgitated the mangled remains :( The single banggai is doing very well on its own and I've benched the idea of having a pair for the moment.

I think the idea of separating the fish before harm comes to them is unrealistic as the signs can be subtle and/or only apparent during the night when the fish are most active. One night I caught sight of movement coming from the tank and the larger Banggai was in full pursuit of the smaller one, lapping the tank repeatedly. If you manage to spring them doing that, or see any damage to fins whatsoever, I would step in early in the case of these fish.

Getting a group of them should leave you with a pair, but probably at the expense of the others unless you get them out at the slightest hint of aggression. Then there are the dollars involved in buying them - make sure you have a plan of what you are going to do with the extra fish as a lot of LFS won't take fish back on a whim.

The vent method is all but useless at the LFS from what I can see.

Another option is you contact Acro Al and ask him for some advice. You may be able to purchase a known pair through him though I imagine there would be quite a wait.

 

[Sam Parker]

I too have had 100% success with the vent method, but yes, it aint easy finding one at the store with visible vents! Still, I'd rather that than buying a heap to watch a banggai styled hunger games take place in my tank..

 

[macca_75]

Hmmm - I also have a large female and would love to try and source a male.

What *might* be wroth a try (just throwing the feelers out as it were) would be to pool in if you live local and grab a school of them from a LFS. I have a *box* made from egg create that I can put inside my tank (to make them easy to catch/relocate if trouble starts). Might be easy to get some pairs if we have more, each person effectively only has 1 or 2 shares in the total purchase (depending on how many fish they wanted) and I am happy to throw heaps of food at them to try and ensure they feed (I have a large tank that can take extra feedings - anything they miss will be eaten anyway).

Any interest? The only bit I need to figure out is how we deal with a death?

 

[Andrew B]

you could find someone else who wants some and ask if you can all chip in and buy 4 and then that means less buying of them...

 

[Trash]

Wow, I didn't know they turned that quickly! So much for live and let live.