starving bangaii cardinal?

[jamiegrl]

I started out feeding my fish, bangaii cardinal and percula clown, what the LFS recommended, Formula B frozen food.
They both ate it but i noticed that even when cut into tiny slices it partically breaks up n drops to the bottom of that tank and then they wont go near it. The clown readily accepts pellets.
The cardinal has slowly decreased his intake. I noticed lately he isn't taking anything. He looks hungry and speeds over to food but will rarely take it in or if he does it spits it right out.
I tried to supplement with brine shrimp but he wont even eat enough of that.
What else can I do?
How will i know if he is starving?
any suggestions?

 

[bizoid]

i added bangai x3 mo ago. it won't eat pellet food, but it does really well with frozen brine & marine quizine

 

[fishfanny79]

Try soaking the food in either garlic extreme or garlic guard.
Pete

 

[jamiegrl]

thanks for your help!

 

[gatorwpb]

Banghai cardinals are definitely picky eaters. They dont eat pellets, and only just recently, after close to a year with mine, I saw it for the first time eat garlic flake food.
But I make my own food, which consists of just about everything you can find at a seafood counter at the grocery store, plus cyclopeeze and garlic. The banghai loves that stuff. He only seems to eat the larger pieces though, so I make sure to not break up the pieces too much with my fingers when I put it in the tank.
Before I made my own food, he would also eat the frozen "plankton" prepared food, although I was never sure what exactly was in that.
Soaking in garlic stimulates their appetite or makes the food more desirable. Or try frozen mysis shrimp as another alternative.

 

[smartorl]

I agree with the above poster, making your own is the way to go, I lost one and almost another before I started. They are so picky!

 

[jamiegrl]

yea... it just seems like a lot of work ya kno?
I work and go to school full time so it's hard to have to buy crap to make food.
I did try frozen brine which didn't work. I'll see if i can find frozen mysid, im not sure that my LFS has it.
What kind of garlic stuff can i soak it in? What brand cuz im definately gonna have to find it.

 

[jamiegrl]

Thanks SO much for the advice. I got frozen mysid shrimp and he went crazy on them! no more worrying about my starving bangaii!

 

[dawman]

Mine eat flake and frozen .