Convicts for rays

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Ihsnshaik

Giant Snakehead
MFK Member
Aug 20, 2015
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Windy CIty
So I got a nice pair of convicts and ended up letting them breed. Is it okay for them to eat the convicts babies at .5-1". My rays have eaten a dozen of my clown loaches at 1" lol but don't know if feeding them a dozen a week will benefit them or not. They started to eat some pellets but not much and strictly on a tilapia diet. They are 4 months old and 6" in size both males.

I liked how they killed the loaches in terms of natural predatory behavior. I feed them tilapia every other day and a few pellets in between. I used to feed them everyday tilapia but noticed they got too picky lol so tapering them off to other foods.
 
lol convicts aren't clown loaches, they'll outsmart the rays ;)

I'd imagine them to get picked off at night though
 
I would avoid anything live if you are trying to get them on pellets as a staple. It will only prolong the pain for converting them to pellets.

I want a varied diet not just pellets I combination with fish to feed. Don't mind the tilapia since it's cheap and seem to love them.
 
lol convicts aren't clown loaches, they'll outsmart the rays ;)

I'd imagine them to get picked off at night though
The only reason why my clown loaches got eaten is because I got them with ich and had no idea I bought s big batch and all died the next day
 
I want a varied diet not just pellets I combination with fish to feed. Don't mind the tilapia since it's cheap and seem to love them.

To each his own. I completely understand. I just can't justify feeding live at my place with so many other nutritious options available. Now on the flip side if an excess of convicts is an issue this is a rather efficient way to handle that problem.
 
I haven't fed live for fear of encouraging aggressive behavior. That said, if you intend to get them on pellets I'd do it before getting them comfortable with live. For me at least, it seems like they will show hesitation to eat pellets if they think they can hold out for worms and I believe feeders will be much the same.
 
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I haven't fed live for fear of encouraging aggressive behavior. That said, if you intend to get them on pellets I'd do it before getting them comfortable with live. For me at least, it seems like they will show hesitation to eat pellets if they think they can hold out for worms and I believe feeders will be much the same.
I don't want to feed the Rays cons for the nutritional value just thought since in the wild they probably do eat little fish so thought it might be a good treat for them. They literally go nuts when I feed them tilapia and tried other foods like shrimp they don't really care for it im scooping most of it out.

All I can say they're growing pretty quick since I've had them. I might just toss a few in there at first to see if they can even catch them but chances are they will hide and rays won't be able to get to them.

Thanks everyone and also I never would feed live from any lfs and never have fed live before. Was an idea I got since I don't have any intentions of growing out fry and didn't think they would breed since the con male is much
Smaller and thought it wouldn't happen but eggs look viable and been two days and are all
Brownish.

She just laid on the damn glass lol oh well I'll just have the parents deal with their kids then
 
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