Foods For Thought.......

OK, first off... Happy Holidays to all my MBI friends May Santa bring you lots of finned fun,lol!
Here is my question: What does everyone feed their Banngai's?
I saw Chad's post, as well as the prepared 'nonlive' foods... but what is the best from experience?
I am noticing the pair is darting for the food right away- then turns away.
Not hungry? Not tasty enough? I mixed mysis, flake, otohime C1, and brine this morning (it was a feeding for all my tanks- I gave a sample to the Banggai's... no luck)
Maybe because they are still new? Adjusting? Or could they be ready to spawn..and thus not eating? What can I start them on to entice their appetite?
I have read Chad's post this morning, and I will have to adjust the flow in the temporary tank for now in order to 'suspend' the food, but not topsy turvy the fish - Any favorite recipes to share?

Michelle  
 

Only advice is that you should give them live food and wean them to frozen after they are use to their new home.

-Adam

Will do - thanks

Michelle  
 

Behavior leading up to spawning does not affect their appetites, unless the male is already holding egg in which case he won't eat, but the female still will.
 
I have had some of the pickiest Banggai on the face of the planet I think. Are yours freshly wild caught?  Or are they captive bred, and/or previously eating?  If they have eaten prepared foods before, then they are probably just being picky.  Many Banggai will starve themselves to death rather than eat flake, pellet, or some frozen foods.
 
I had a pair for over a year that got pickier and pickier as time went on.  They used to eat PE Mysis like pigs, then they went off it and would dart or to eat and turn away from the food like you describe.  I experimented and finally found they ate Bloodworms like pigs...couldn't get them to touch anything else.  Then they slowly decided not to like that anymore either.  The female actually died from starvation even though I was trying every food I could get my hands on.  After she died and the male was well on his way I threw in the towel and made my own homemade food (about 60% white shrimp, 10% capelin roe, 10% halibut meat, 10% clam meat, 10% squid).  The male Banggai GOBBLED this food when I first introduced it to him, and he is still eating it now a few months later.
 
HTH.

I had similar experience with my banggais. I bought 4 CB ones from a local wholsaler and they were very picky. at first they all would only eat live amphipods I picked out of the filter sock. Then that led to two of them eating rods food mixed with bloodworms. one died of starvation, i could not pick enough amphipods out for it. one was still very picky. I placed all remaining banggais including one I raised from a spawn into a 20 gallon tall tank hoping that the three that were eating frozen foods would show the picky one to eat whats given. didn't work, it died too. So I still have two out of the four surviving and eating very well. I feed them a homemade food from clams, mussles, lobster, salmon, shrimp, squid, and some algae sheets and some added vitamins. with this food I had three pairs of fish start to spawn for me, including newly paired up banggais.

This has been my experience as well.  I have never kept a sp. of fish that can be so varied in what each fish likes to eat. 
 
I have had a pair before, and they would eat bloodworms with gusto and that was it.  I currently have a solitary cardinal in my reef tank, and it will only eat frozen....it does not care what it is, but it has to be frozen. 
 
Now ive had a group before (6) and some would eat pellet, some would not.  Some would eat frozen, some would not.  All of them ate live black worms however.....so that is a could place to start. 

Thanks guys - yes after looking into glass worms, I found black worms easier to get ahold of. They do like , and eat, these with the quickness of a cheetah, lol... but are becoming more like a sloth when I put the mysid in there. They initially ate the mysid. So now I guess I spoiled them by giving live feed. I have gone from mysid, to black worms, now adding ghost shrimp here or there as a treat. I do not mind feeding the blackworms, as from what I have read- they are the most nutritious- however, they aren't lasting long.
 
So I think I will buy smaller quantities more frequently, as opposed to my initial thought of buying a larger batch each week. I was told to keep them in the fridge. Any other options?
 
I have asked- they are wild caught, from Sea Dwelling Creatures. They were feeding - and appeared healthy. There were 3 of them in the tank, until 2 had began to show aggression towards the third, so it had been removed... then I came to the store, lol
 
I am still observing the "nip and run" but they stop doing it if I have my camera in hand. I will be smushing the videos together to get something to show what I am seeing, as I have sat there - quietly- waiting, and tried to capture it, lol Darn camera shy buggers I will need to delete alot of "stand still" footage

Michelle  
 

video would be great!

RLTW

180 Gallon Mixed Reef

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!" Isaiah 6:8

the best holding i have ever seen for black worms was a flow through with ice cold well water trickling into the holding tub on a constant flow
 
fridge works too but make sure to rinse them everyday and leave no more then 1/4" of water covering them so they can breathe

The worms: my mistake initially was adding (too) much water. I found out I drowned them. [ ]
So I now have them in a small container with just a bit of water, enough to cover them, but not so much that they can't stretch out and breathe...in the fridge.
 
My pair is doing well- I have since picked up some more caulerpa and just grabbed a small frag of a fern today.
 
(finally caught that stupid cold/flu that has been going around the office for the past 2-3 weeks, so have been dealing with that- will try to get some videos posted this weekend)
But in general I am keeping brine, (a few) marine ghost shrimp and a pinch of black worms in the tank at any given time, my son also adds to the tank when he gets home from school- so they have a constant supply - but not too much that they are over eating. I am happy with them- they are getting along so well. And they do not mind coming out more and more as I approach the tank-

Michelle  
 

Sounds like you have it all down. Can't wait till you get some the size to ship! lol

RLTW

180 Gallon Mixed Reef

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!" Isaiah 6:8

From what I have observed from my many bangs,
 
Even WCs will take frozen pretty quickly, I use exclusively Rods when they are brought home initially.  Even the fiesty ones take to it within 24 hours.  As far as darting at the food and then not taking, I see this in well adjusted Bangs from time to time.  I have not found a rhyme or reason, but I have observed, non-carrying, bangs to go on a hunger strike for 24-48 hours on several occasions.
 
They are not picky eaters and can be acclimated to eat just about anything, including flake, although I would not suggest making this their normal diet.
 
As a norm my current bangs, mostly WCs are fed a mix of Rods, mysis, brine and blood worms.  The food is rotated, but always includes some Rods.

Excellent tips, and noted Thanks for sharing
 
I will continue with the varied diet - so far it is going well. I do have to pick up some more Rod's this week... so I will be adding this to the mix as well
The male keeps gulping every now and then- then yawns. But the lil bugger is always facing the back wall when he does it- so I cannot see if he is holding anything- or if he is simply yawning, lol.
(lol- so new into the game and my mind is wanting to see what it is jumping ahead to, it is too soon I know to be anywhere with this pair... but I am still excited nonetheless. It will happen... be patient, Michelle, lol)
 
I am reading up on several threads, and sites posted on this fish- very cool - definitely glad I got this pair, will be a fun project to gain more experience in the breeding world

Michelle