i was planning on starting to breed convicts to feed to my marble motoro stingray and his tank mates. I just wanted to make sure that it was safe to feed my stingray and his tank mates convict cichlids as long as i breed them myself to ensure that they are healthy. (im not planning on only feeding my fish convicts, they would just be part of the diet). I also wanted to know if there is any risk of transmitting diseases to my stingray if i feed him convicts that i bred myself.
feeding stingray convicts?
- Thread starter messesb52
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Convicts are easy to breed, but growth is relatively slow compared to many. Also if they don't get eaten then they may set up shop and start to breed. You would be surprised what a pair of convicts can do to even the largest tankmates if they start to breed. I have at least 10 pairs in my lab for practice rearing fish for my students. We once used the extras to feed a pair of oscars. A small group didn't get eaten right away, and from that group a pair bobbed and weaved long enough to set up shop and lay a batch of eggs. When I looked in the tank one morning there was a pair of two inch convicts holding back two 12 inch oscars.
If that happened to your rays then those eyes could be easy targets.
You really want to feed something live breed swordtails in a kiddie pool outside. They breed fast and grow even faster. Also if you are willing to set up a larger tank for breeding nothing produces or grows like tilapia. A 1.6 colony can produce 3000 babies a month and the babies can get to 2 inches in 6 weeks easily if you feed them enough and keep them in a large enough system to grow out.
If that happened to your rays then those eyes could be easy targets.
You really want to feed something live breed swordtails in a kiddie pool outside. They breed fast and grow even faster. Also if you are willing to set up a larger tank for breeding nothing produces or grows like tilapia. A 1.6 colony can produce 3000 babies a month and the babies can get to 2 inches in 6 weeks easily if you feed them enough and keep them in a large enough system to grow out.
yeah its only that they take a while to breed and hold their eggs for like 20 days or something... any other thoughts on the convict idea anybody?
If you're already breeding them, then feed them to the rays. Just ensure the convicts and their fry are eating a very healthy, enriched diet. Also maybe you can try breeding worms, or the crayfish are also a good idea.(note: I have no prior experience with rays, just my .02)
red worms are probably the easiest thing to culture in large quantities for rays. all they eat is kitchen veggie and fruit scraps and I haven't found a ray that will turn them down. Set up a vermicomposter in your garage or outside in warmer climates, put in a few hundred worms or more, and in no time you will be able to constantly take from your culture without depleting it.