Do male rays know when females are pregnant? Experienced only

[Raymann88]

For those who's rays breed at a younger age is you water soft or hard? We have fairly hard water and around 8 ph. I'm wondering if that has an effect on the development of rays given their natural habitat / water parameters. Most of us have large tanks (some with drip systems), do frequent water changes and feed tons. I have black rays 2 1/2 years old and my male's claspers started developing a few months ago.

 

[Raymann88]

My male Motoro would continue to harass the female all through pregnancy biting her on the back. Her second pregnancy he was more persistent and I had to separate them. I put him in with my black rays and he went after the females right away but they weren't ready.

 

[calgaryflames]

So according to your guys experiences do you think the males knew she was pregnant when they still continued to beat her

 

[HULON]

Yup......

 

[Raymann88]

I had just the pair - so he would have been the father. Even when I could see pups moving he still tried.

 

[calgaryflames]

So I did an experiment about 2-3 weeks ago now. I have a Leo male that's about 5-6 years old . Has been aggressively trying to breed with my much larger females but he was not sucessful yet. he has laid such bad whoppings on my females I've had to seperate

I moved into a different tank of a friends who had two pregnant females. He did not and has not beat those females at all??

So I would say not all males try and breed already pregnant females.this is just one male ray perhaps your guys are younger or less matured? Don't know if this has anything to do with it but my 5-6 year old Leo is not the father of the two that are both holding but he has recognized they cannot be bred. Judging On his past and how aggressive of a male he was and now he hasn't put a mark on the two tells me he definately is leaving them alone because they are already pregnant.

 

[T1KARMANN]

Just would like to hear from some of the guys who have seen or learned first hand if male rays can smell or sense when the female is pregnant.

Not everybody will see the same thing due to maturity of the males ,but I'm talking about black rays ,henlei,Leo,p14.

It seems that the males in these take years to mature like over 5 maybe closer to ten years. I've heard stories about Asian breeders being able to breed blacks at 3 years . I'm wondering if it's not just the females they are breeding at that age with more older established breeding males they have.

And most of all do the males know when the females are pregnant? Sure if you only have a pair and they breed the male will stop beating her cause he knows he's done it.but say if you had a female and put her in a group of 3-4 males from 3-7 years old. Would the others know if she was already pregnant. Could your younger less experienced males still try beating females after they are already pregnant.will males continue to try and mate an already mated female?

I don't want to start an argument would just love to hear experiences from some of you guys.

It's not just in Asia I have bred from new born p14 that were 2.5 years old in my care and that wasn't in a pond but a 350 gal tank

As for males having a sent my male won't stress a females ounces she's preg
But he will breed with her nearly right after birth

I have had pups born in the tank and the water go cloudy so I was doing a water change and the male bred with her again just 5 hours after birth
Now I don't know if she had a scent or the water change simulates rain fall as I have had a lot of rays breed during a water change
I never used to heat the water during water changes and my temp used to drop from 86 to 77 in the winter which simulated rain fall

But as for the sent some rays are different my male will only breed with one female no matter how many you have in the tanl


Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app

 

[Blkpiranha]

So I did an experiment about 2-3 weeks ago now. I have a Leo male that's about 5-6 years old . Has been aggressively trying to breed with my much larger females but he was not sucessful yet. he has laid such bad whoppings on my females I've had to seperate

I moved into a different tank of a friends who had two pregnant females. He did not and has not beat those females at all??

So I would say not all males try and breed already pregnant females.this is just one male ray perhaps your guys are younger or less matured? Don't know if this has anything to do with it but my 5-6 year old Leo is not the father of the two that are both holding but he has recognized they cannot be bred. Judging On his past and how aggressive of a male he was and now he hasn't put a mark on the two tells me he definately is leaving them alone because they are already pregnant.

That's what I was saying with my motoro's. The mature males would leave the females alone when they were pregnant and only started trying to breed with them at the end of their pregnancy. Maybe it was just that I had good breeding males.

 

[calgaryflames]

Every body is seeing different results.i didn't expect it to be the same for everybody's. I'm wondering if age has anything to do with it?


T1 ....86 is pretty hot man do you not agree?
I've only kept newer rays at temps that high for short periods,77 is where I keep mine at.
Do you purposely keep it that high so it's easier to drop temp and trigger breeding?
So Yah 2.5 years for breeding p14 from pups is Amazing

 

[calgaryflames]

Foods could too?
T1 and vamp trev have both bred black rays at very young ages. I know the thialand guys use alot of live ghost shrimp because they are dirt cheap.cost a fortune out here,
I'm wondering if diet plays into or triggers anything.