Banggai Cardinal – Complete Care Guide

Banggai Cardinals, also known as the Kaudern’s Cardinalfish, are fairly common saltwater fish with a unique body shape and color pattern. These fish have become a little harder to find. You’ll likely find tank-bred specimens compared to their wild-caught counterparts. Since the time of this writing, the Banggai Cardinal has become endangered in the wild. Luckily, they breed fairly easily in a saltwater fish tank. They grow to be around 3 inches and should be kept alone or in pairs when kept in smaller aquariums. This guide will go into detail about the needs of this fish, including their aquarium requirements, reef compatibility, diet, and more.

Aquarium Requirements

Kaudern’s Cardinalfish do not require an incredible amount of space, and a single specimen or bonded pair (male/female) will do well in saltwater fish tanks that are 30 gallons or larger. They prefer having rockwork with different-sized caves to swim in and out of. Just like most other fish in an aquarium, the Kaudern’s Cardinal prefers having quite a bit of live rock with holes and caves of varying size. This will give the fish spots to hide when it is stressed and also a place to go when the lights are off. More hiding spaces will help settle some territorial disputes as well.

Generally, Banggai Cardinals are slow movers and are commonly found just above rockwork, hovering in a small area. They’re not known for jumping out of fish tanks, but there is always a risk with any fish that may get startled. I always recommend a lid/cover for your fish tank to prevent fish from jumping.

Is the Banggai Cardinalfish Reef Safe?

Yes, the Banggai Cardinals are reef safe. They do not bother corals and most crustaceans. However, this fish is carnivorous, so small ornamental shrimp, such as Sexy Shrimp, always run the risk of becoming food for this fish.

Water Parameters

The Banggai Cardinal has similar water parameter requirements to most other saltwater fish. They do well in aquarium water temperatures ranging between 72° and 78°F. The dKH level in this fish tank should range between 8 and 12. The salinity level for saltwater aquariums ranges between 1.020 and 1.025. It’ll likely be on the higher end of that range if you’re keeping corals. Lastly, the pH in the fish tank should be anywhere between 8.1 and 8.4. If you’re looking for ways to test your salinity levels, I recommend reading “Different Salinity Reading Tools for Saltwater Fish Tanks”.

Food & Diet

The Banggai Cardinalfish is a carnivore, so providing protein-rich foods such as mysis shrimp, brine shrimp, and krill is essential. They should also readily accept pellet and flake food without any issue. Keep in mind that this fish moves a little slower compared to more aggressive eaters. They may get outcompeted for food, so keep on eye on that during feeding time.

Tank Mates

Banggai Cardinals are considered semi-aggressive and will primarily fight over territory with others of their species. They may also fight with similarly shaped fish like Pajama Cardinals. They are slow-moving fish, so sharing a tank with other peaceful fish is the best route to successfully keeping this fish. They normally do well with:

• • Clownfish

• • Dwarf Angels

• • Anthias

• • Basslets

• • Blennies

• • Gobies

• • Tangs

As stated earlier, they should do fine alone or as a pair. Some aquarists claim to have success with small groups of Banggai Cardinals in large fish tanks. However, this is risky to try because you may get immense aggression within the group. Usually, the cost of the fish scares people away from risking purchasing a large group. If you are curious about trying this, I would at least try to get 1 male to at least 3 females.

Breeding

Banggai Cardinalfish are fairly easy to breed, but some work must be done to keep the fry alive. To begin, a pair must be found to breed successfully. It is hard to tell the sex of males and females because they look very similar. When hunting for a pair of cardinals, observe their behavior in the fish tank. In a group, the dominant male will push away any competition and spend a lot of time with one other fish, the female. Keep an eye out for that when looking for a pair.

Once paired, keeping the male and female happy and fed will increase your chances of acquiring babies. Consider getting a sea urchin to assist in the success of the fry if your aquarium can handle a long-spined urchin. Some hobbyists have created fake urchins to fill the niche a real one may provide.

The male will hold the babies in his mouth, so making sure the male is well fed before holding the brood in his mouth is very important. The male will not eat as it is holding the offspring. The female will be the primary defense for the male when he is in this vulnerable state.

Once the fry leave the male, they may spend their time in between an urchin’s spines. They will most likely perish if there are other fish in the aquarium. Also, it is very important to have live baby brine shrimp ready to feed the offspring once they leave the male’s mouth. It is also important to feed the babies multiple times a day.

Final Notes

Banggai Cardinalfish are very interesting and easy to care for. They may not be for everyone, but they’re fantastic for anyone who loves their unique shape and color pattern. It is one of the few fish in the saltwater hobby that can quite easily breed in captivity, and growing a brood to adulthood is always exciting!