Bangaii Cardinal Babies

[Ronnie]

Well, I am about to become a grandpa! I am watching the babies try to bust their way out of Dad's mouth - it's neat!

Anyways, his mouth is full so there will be a few in the next couple of days, and wondering what I can do to improve the chances of survival, without setting up a new tank. I don't have a black urchin but added some tall, stiff plastic grass which I am hoping will provide some cover. For food? I don't have "fresh hatched brine nauplii cultured in a phytoplankton-rich brine solution", so any suggestions?

Thanks,
Ron

[briansmyth]

Looks like having lots of food many times per day might be a key, Ron.

This article has pretty good info about feeding the babies:

http://www.masla.com/fish/bangaiibabies.html

From the aquariumpros.ca forum: http://www.aquariumpros.ca/forums/showthread.php?t=570

This coming batch will be my 14th. batch, I think. I have a pair that have been breeding for over a year. This current batch is from my second pair. I currently have 7 Bangaiis in the tank that are pairing up nicely. The success rate on raising them was a bit low, due to infestation of bristle worms. Now I have eradicated the tank of the worms so hopefully my yield will be better. I also have setup a propagation/grow out tank that will house the tanks as they get bigger.

No real tips and tricks. When they are first born, I feed them tahitian blend and decapsulated brine shrimp eggs. But I'm trying to change that and feed baby brine shrimp. What do you feed your babies.

I feed mine baby brine shrimp that I hatch myself and enrich with Selcon. So far I've been pretty sucessful, and my survival rate has increased with each brood.

Do your Bangaiis breed all year round, or seasonal? My pair have been back together for about a month, and haven't mated again yet. Previously when I re-introduced the male they would breed again within 2-3 weeks. I'm wondering if they are seasonal breeders and will not breed again for a few months now?

Also are your brood numbers typical since your pairs started breeding? I've been consistantly getting 20 babies hatched per brood, but have read that many others are getting 25-40 on a consistant basis. I guess I shouldn't complain about 20, as my sucess rate is getting better (17/20 in the last brood) but I am curious if the numbers will increase as the parents mature, seeing as this is only my pair's third brood.

I don't think that the bristle worms would be causing your losses. I have LOADS of brisltels in my hatch out tank, and I have never seen them bother any of the babies. Until my tank crash in january I had ,if i remember right, 29 out of 35 or so alive at the 4 week stage. I think part of your problem might be the lack of live food, but i am no expert

[Stasher]

How have the babies been doing? Haven't seen any updates and was curious to what the mortality rate has been for you.

[Ronnie]

100% mortality.

I have now had 3 batches, but have yet to see a baby Cardinal. I have seen them swimming around in the mouth in the evening, empty mouth in the morning but no other sign of them. Have lots of hiding places but...

Ron