Best Builder Food for rays

[Zoodiver]

My bare minimum comment to T1's statement about doing things the easiest way for the person caring for the animals.

I also don't feed exclusively Mazuri gel to anything. Again, variety is proven better.
Of course healthy rays will produce healthy pups - I wouldn't argue otherwise. But there is healthy, and then there is HEALTHY.

Another thing shown in the wild population studies is that the animals need different levels of prot /nutrients at different times. A steady flow of a certain type can be bad over extended periods. It's the sine wave curve of variation in the diet that gives them the EXTRA healthy aspect.

 

[RD.]

Ok, thanks, it was early & I misread what you were referring to about bare minimums. I totally agree. I don't feed what I do because it is easier, or cheaper, I feed it because to date I haven't found anything that exceeds it in quality.

Another thing shown in the wild population studies is that the animals need different levels of prot /nutrients at different times. A steady flow of a certain type can be bad over extended periods. It's the sine wave curve of variation in the diet that gives them the EXTRA healthy aspect.

Correct, this is pretty much common knowledge within aquaculture circles.
Feeding a pellet doesn't mean that you should feed them the same formula throughout the entire life stage of the fish. I certainly don't, but that doesn't equate to feeding pellets exclusively, being less healthy for a fish vs one that is fed a mixed variety of various fresh/frozen foods, even with added pellets.

I completely agree with the variety concept, and certainly wouldn't suggest that supplemental feeding with fresh/frozen is going to be detrimental to the growth of a fish, but variety is only as good as the variety being offered. The Mazuri Gel diet is a classic example, that type of variety isn't going to be doing anyone's rays any extra HEALTHY favours.

 

[T1KARMANN]

We keep coming back to variety
If a pellets is providing all the ray needs and it loves to eat them why do you need variety

This variety thing makes no sence to me if you feed a ray prawns one day then worms the next and something different the day after then surely on some of them days when you are feeding one type of food it may not be getting one or two vitamins it needs on them days

By feeding a pellet you have no need for variety as you are feeding all the vitamins daily in the pellets which will give you everything variety will

 

[RD.]

Because variety is the spice of life.

It's not just about vitamins & minerals, it's about the entire nutrient package.

The problem with many in the variety camp is they don't have the slightest clue what nutrient levels their fish are consuming on a daily basis. For many it's by guess, or by golly. DavidW certainly didn't respond when I asked him, because he had no idea.

I feed a wide variety, it's a nutrient dense food made up from a wide variety of highly digestible high quality raw ingredients, more variety than most people that feed fresh/frozen.

But it's in the form of a pellet, so shoot me.

 

[T1KARMANN]

Your not understanding me right

You stand a much better chance with feeding pellets every day of providing the ray the right nutrians or if you feed different foods daily then some days the rays may not be getting the nutrients

We now know for a fact that rays can be fed pellets from birth to adult maturity breed have pups and them pups can then grow to adult breeding size with just being feed pellets and love to eat them everyday

Can the same be said for a ray that just eats beef heart

The fact is that you need to feed so many different thing to provide the same nutryains as a pellet

I have said this before I don't just feed one type of pellet I feed lots of different pellets all mixed up in one big tub

I even feed a earth worm pellet because people go on and on how great earth worms are for rays

Feeding different types of pellets is a variryed diet in it's own right

I will carry on feeding pellets to my rays as long as I am able to keep them which is getting harder and harder to do each day due to health problems I'm even in hospital now typing on my iPhone which goes to show the ease of feeding pellets as I would have no chance of getting my girlfriend to wash worms and cut up lots of frozen fish but she has no problem throwing in a few handfuls of pellets

We see many members come and go with their big ideas about feeding this food or that food I have been a member here for a few years now so have the proof that pellets can't harm rays like David said would happen 4 years ago when he stated long term my rays would end up with fatty liver

I like the ease of pellets as I like to spend like looking at my rays not preparing food for them and preparing my own dinner

 

[RD.]

I understood completely, and agree with you.
Not to worry, take care of yourself & I hope that you are feeling better soon.

 

[Rickross]

How do you get them to eat tilapia

 

[daybbday]

Normally in Thailand we use prawn to build up pur ray, Pallet and any others are not popular in Thailand in order to use as the food for our rays

 

[Brent]

A mixed diet is always going to be best. Pellets can be a part of that but should not imo be the exclusive diet any more than a kid should eat just candy or just steak, no matter how convenient it may be for the ray keeper.
A ray is evolved to deal with seasons of feast and seasons of famine, so having a permanently fat ray is not necessarily the best thing. Fatty liver problems are a big issue shortening the life of a ray. Everything looks fine, but they just don't live as long.
Fresh food is always going to be better than processed food for vitamin and amino acid content. Live food will also promote more 'natural' behavior.
Hikari is a pretty good product but are also pound for pound one of the most expensive ways to feed a ray.

my rays prob have fatty livers .....i think fasting is good from time to time im going to start unlesss preg