Hi
When talking rays and pellet foods most people feed hikari, and I have done so myself for many years. Mostly massivore and carnivore. The problem with this stuff (I have found) is firstly the price, I am generally paying $100AUD per Kg (2.2lb) in Australia online - it is more in most stores $110-130 a Kg.
The second point for me is its addictive nature, there is something in carnivore is particular that is like crack. I have found Rays that are fed carnivore for the bulk of their diet are very reluctant to eat other pellets and to some extent other foods. The smell can also be quite horrendous at times (even with excellent filtration). I made the mistake once of seeding a cycling tank with a couple spoonfuls of carnivore - made my house smell like a stagnant river. Never again.
I went on the hunt for something cheaper and less addictive. I have been feeding my rays at the moment a mixture of Fishwerx 'gold' and Otohime ep2, with great results. Both have proteins that are not derived from plant proteins (something i think is important. Both are about 1/4 the price of the more popular Hikari. My rays are growing at an equal rate to when I was feeding Hikari, and the waste that is produced comes out in spirals (similar to hiker) but it breaks down and is consumed by the filters much easier.
All in all I think it is a win for my rays and system, much better on the hip pocket.
This is not a Hikari bashing thread, just want to discuss alternatives. I think Hikari make great food, but IMO/IME it comes with some pitfalls.
I also feed my rays a mix of frozen food. I am a fisherman so I always have plenty of locally caught fresh fillets and frames that I feed my rays - I try minimise feeding frozen foods that are known to be high in thiaminase. Fresh locally caught squid is a great alternative.
What alternatives do people feed?
Cheers,
Alex
When talking rays and pellet foods most people feed hikari, and I have done so myself for many years. Mostly massivore and carnivore. The problem with this stuff (I have found) is firstly the price, I am generally paying $100AUD per Kg (2.2lb) in Australia online - it is more in most stores $110-130 a Kg.
The second point for me is its addictive nature, there is something in carnivore is particular that is like crack. I have found Rays that are fed carnivore for the bulk of their diet are very reluctant to eat other pellets and to some extent other foods. The smell can also be quite horrendous at times (even with excellent filtration). I made the mistake once of seeding a cycling tank with a couple spoonfuls of carnivore - made my house smell like a stagnant river. Never again.
I went on the hunt for something cheaper and less addictive. I have been feeding my rays at the moment a mixture of Fishwerx 'gold' and Otohime ep2, with great results. Both have proteins that are not derived from plant proteins (something i think is important. Both are about 1/4 the price of the more popular Hikari. My rays are growing at an equal rate to when I was feeding Hikari, and the waste that is produced comes out in spirals (similar to hiker) but it breaks down and is consumed by the filters much easier.
All in all I think it is a win for my rays and system, much better on the hip pocket.
This is not a Hikari bashing thread, just want to discuss alternatives. I think Hikari make great food, but IMO/IME it comes with some pitfalls.
I also feed my rays a mix of frozen food. I am a fisherman so I always have plenty of locally caught fresh fillets and frames that I feed my rays - I try minimise feeding frozen foods that are known to be high in thiaminase. Fresh locally caught squid is a great alternative.
What alternatives do people feed?
Cheers,
Alex