How to profitable to breed stingrays???

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Mercury2234

Feeder Fish
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Sep 8, 2009
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Orlando, FL
Greetings,

As the title says, just how profitable are to breed rays? I am not talking about quitting my fulltime job type of deal, but rather being able to sustain the hobby by the proceeds from the babies sold.

What are your experiences with it? Ive seen forums of people with 15+ pups and what they usually go for...:headbang2

I guess the biggest question is...demand! Is there a big enough demand to sustain all those rays offpsrings? It's just that Ive heard some Discus breeders having problems offloading all the babies.

Many thanks,
 
F

FishDog

Bronze Tier VIP
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Jan 2, 2008
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It is not profitable unless you dump out $10-20,000 off the bat. Rays usually don't breed until 2-3 years old and there is no guarantee they will breed. Most people breed motoro and there is not a strong demand for them maybe $100 a pup and even at that price could takes months to sell. Black rays are the rays to get into as you can sell pups for $700 and up but you need black ray money to buy the adults. Even with a single male and 3 females at breeding size you are out $6000 with no guarantee at all. Better just to enjoy them as pets and hope for the best.
 
vamptrev

vamptrev

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Apr 23, 2007
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u are better off doing it for the love of the fish... if they breed for u in the future, think of it as a bonus.

the demand is pretty low compared to other fish
 
T1KARMANN

T1KARMANN

Giant Snakehead
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Sep 19, 2005
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if you are breeding motoro then no profit at all you will probably lose money by the time you take food and other things in to account

even with the more expensive rays it would take you a few years to brake even the out lay for black rays would cost you $2k+ for a pair which could take over 3 years to breed so add the price of the rays the cost of food and other thing in the 3 years you would need $3-4k before you even got your money back

what i have stated is just for the average hobbyist if you wanted to throw lots more $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ at it and get a breeding programme going it would still take a few years before you saw any profit

for most people who keep rays its not about money its all for the love of the game
 
T

turkeyboy85

Jack Dempsey
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Oct 14, 2007
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T1KARMANN;3849474; said:
if you are breeding motoro then no profit at all you will probably lose money by the time you take food and other things in to account

even with the more expensive rays it would take you a few years to brake even the out lay for black rays would cost you $2k+ for a pair which could take over 3 years to breed so add the price of the rays the cost of food and other thing in the 3 years you would need $3-4k before you even got your money back

what i have stated is just for the average hobbyist if you wanted to throw lots more $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ at it and get a breeding programme going it would still take a few years before you saw any profit

for most people who keep rays its not about money its all for the love of the game
Click to expand...

well said...... plus..... your in an illegal state ;)
 
M

Mercury2234

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Sep 8, 2009
208
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Orlando, FL
Thanks all for the response...I will scrape that approach entirely.

Rays in Florida are not illegal, but rather RESTRICTED. You need a permit....I have exchanged several email with the FWC and If I have the rays for commercial purposes (selling the offsprings to LEGAL state), then a license can be warranted (amazingly, FREE). The fine prints are, submitting business plan, "random inspections" and etc...

There is one RAY that is LEGAL here and you dont need a permit. It's the Atlantic Stingray (not sure the exact me), but I hear they are not entirely FW. I saw a few at LFS.

http://www.aquabid.com/cgi-bin/auction/auction.cgi?fwstringray&1265165089
 
F

FishDog

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If you keep the atlantic ray it is best to do so in brackish to full salt because they do not do well in a freshwater aquarium do to waste production.
 
DB junkie

DB junkie

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Jan 27, 2007
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I've spent well over $5K just on the rays that I have living right now. That's not counting any tanks, food, or all the ones that didn't make it. I'm 3 years in, and have 1 pup to show for it. Looking back it seems like a horrible idea. If I didn't really enjoy the rays this would be hands down the biggest financial epic fail I've ever participated in putting myself in.
 
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skynoch

Fire Eel
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Jan 14, 2007
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DB junkie;3851340; said:
I've spent well over $5K just on the rays that I have living right now. That's not counting any tanks, food, or all the ones that didn't make it. I'm 3 years in, and have 1 pup to show for it. Looking back it seems like a horrible idea. If I didn't really enjoy the rays this would be hands down the biggest financial epic fail I've ever participated in putting myself in.
Click to expand...
lol sums it up best
 
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Trevor0015

Candiru
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Sep 24, 2009
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DB Junkie whats your location in Iowa? And wow you only have one ray after spending over 5k on them, what kinds of rays did you buy?

Trevor
 
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