Cardinalfish not eating

**Fishfirst** · 08-12-2005, 06:58 PM

Well I just (this morning) tripled my cardinalfish population in my tanks. The only thing is the four in qt are not eating anything. I've even tried frozen brine (which not many fish can pass up) soaked in garlic. I happen to have brine shrimp cycsts that could be hatched. Should I start culturing a batch? The frozen brine the other two ate at first and did fine with.

**TheOldSalt** · 08-13-2005, 02:06 AM

Try everything you can throw at them. Hatch some cysts if that's your only option, but if you can buy live adult brineshimp they should work well.
Don't be surprised if they don't eat for over a week.
One extreme measure you can take, if you still don't get results after a week, would be to move your established cardinals into the QT, in order to them to teach the new arrivals what's on the local menu.

Larry-T · 08-13-2005, 06:39 AM

Cardinals are generally nocturnal feeders. Try lowering the light level in the tank and see it thathelps. You might even want to put cardboard around the quarentine tank to make them feel secure.

wrasser · 08-13-2005, 11:03 AM

LT is right, or you could feed them just after the lights go off

DavidDoyle · 08-13-2005, 12:05 PM

It is a not so well kept secret that cards do not like being moved. I lost a bunch until a wise old fishkeeper told me to feed new cards on freshly hatched bbs for the first week or two. I have had a large school ever since then.

**Fishfirst** · 08-13-2005, 06:04 PM

I don't have a light on qt. And I'm hatching some shrimp today. As for the other cards getting added to the tank, I don't know if thats such a good idea. The male is "well" established and probably will hassle any male that is in the group of four. I got 4 to make sure I have a pair, if I get two they will stay in qt until I sell them.

**Fishfirst** · 08-14-2005, 08:50 PM

well here an hour before my baby brine is scheduled to hatch the cards took the bait! they ate at least 6-8 frozen brine shrimp all together (not much but a start). Interestingly enough I used frozen brine soaked in garlic on both feedings before this and they didn't even look at it. Now next on the menu some baby brine and some possible bloodworms tomorrow.

08-12-2005, 06:58 PM	#1
Fishfirst Fish Guru Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Soon to be Northern Wisconsin Age: 24 Posts: 3,480 User Feedback: (1)	Cardinalfish not eating Well I just (this morning) tripled my cardinalfish population in my tanks. The only thing is the four in qt are not eating anything. I've even tried frozen brine (which not many fish can pass up) soaked in garlic. I happen to have brine shrimp cycsts that could be hatched. Should I start culturing a batch? The frozen brine the other two ate at first and did fine with. __________________ 210 Gal Reef w/ 55 Gallon Sump/Fuge, 125 Gal Fish Only, 65 Gal Seahorse-29 Gallon Sump, 55 Gal FOWLR, 54 Gal Corner FW Community, 20 Gal Nano FOWLR, 55 Gal Piranha, 29 gallon QT "All the yellow tangs and clownfish in the world can't save you now! hahahah" Peter from Family Guy

08-13-2005, 11:03 AM	#4
wrasser Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: on the reef Age: 41 Posts: 263 User Feedback: (0)	LT is right, or you could feed them just after the lights go off __________________ anything is possible, stranger things have happened

08-13-2005, 06:04 PM	#6
Fishfirst Fish Guru Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Soon to be Northern Wisconsin Age: 24 Posts: 3,480 User Feedback: (1)	I don't have a light on qt. And I'm hatching some shrimp today. As for the other cards getting added to the tank, I don't know if thats such a good idea. The male is "well" established and probably will hassle any male that is in the group of four. I got 4 to make sure I have a pair, if I get two they will stay in qt until I sell them. __________________ 210 Gal Reef w/ 55 Gallon Sump/Fuge, 125 Gal Fish Only, 65 Gal Seahorse-29 Gallon Sump, 55 Gal FOWLR, 54 Gal Corner FW Community, 20 Gal Nano FOWLR, 55 Gal Piranha, 29 gallon QT "All the yellow tangs and clownfish in the world can't save you now! hahahah" Peter from Family Guy

08-14-2005, 08:50 PM	#7
Fishfirst Fish Guru Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Soon to be Northern Wisconsin Age: 24 Posts: 3,480 User Feedback: (1)	well here an hour before my baby brine is scheduled to hatch the cards took the bait! they ate at least 6-8 frozen brine shrimp all together (not much but a start). Interestingly enough I used frozen brine soaked in garlic on both feedings before this and they didn't even look at it. Now next on the menu some baby brine and some possible bloodworms tomorrow. __________________ 210 Gal Reef w/ 55 Gallon Sump/Fuge, 125 Gal Fish Only, 65 Gal Seahorse-29 Gallon Sump, 55 Gal FOWLR, 54 Gal Corner FW Community, 20 Gal Nano FOWLR, 55 Gal Piranha, 29 gallon QT "All the yellow tangs and clownfish in the world can't save you now! hahahah" Peter from Family Guy

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08-13-2005, 02:06 AM	#2
TheOldSalt Darth Ichthyos Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 4,008 User Feedback: (5)	Try everything you can throw at them. Hatch some cysts if that's your only option, but if you can buy live adult brineshimp they should work well. Don't be surprised if they don't eat for over a week. One extreme measure you can take, if you still don't get results after a week, would be to move your established cardinals into the QT, in order to them to teach the new arrivals what's on the local menu.

08-13-2005, 06:39 AM	#3
Larry-T Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Near Washington, DC Age: 59 Posts: 101 User Feedback: (0)	Cardinals are generally nocturnal feeders. Try lowering the light level in the tank and see it thathelps. You might even want to put cardboard around the quarentine tank to make them feel secure.

08-13-2005, 12:05 PM	#5
DavidDoyle Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Age: 89 Posts: 497 User Feedback: (0)	It is a not so well kept secret that cards do not like being moved. I lost a bunch until a wise old fishkeeper told me to feed new cards on freshly hatched bbs for the first week or two. I have had a large school ever since then.

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