I wish to share the data that I have collected over the past 12 months.
My largest female, Big Mama, has produced 3 litters in the past 317 days.
In the short term I have recorded the following:
Litter 1: gestation 112 days
temp. 78 deg.
litter 6, 3 male, 3 female average size 4 3/4 inches
Litter 2: gestation 116 days
temp. 72 deg.
litter 8, 4 male, 4 female average size 4 inches
Litter 3: gestation 89 days
temp. 70 deg.
litter 5 1 male, 4 female average size 4 3/4 inches
What has changed you ask?
1) I have slowly lowered the temperature of my system in addition to heavily insulating the main tank and sump with foam board. This has cut my costs $240/yr.
2) I rely heavily upon Pothos plants and Purigen in my W/D sump.
3) I reduced my sump to 60 gallons water capacity and the main tank to 265 gallons.
4) I have done less water changes. I did 5 in the past 13 months.
5) I fed my rays a precise diet of Mazuri gel diet for rays/sharks and Nelson Silver cup sturgeon blend.
As you may have noticed, the newest litter is smaller in quantity but the quality/health of each pup is stunning. They are darker in overall coloration, have much thicker cores and definitely have more vigor than previous litters.
Questions, comments, emotional outbursts?
Respectfully,
FireMedic.
My largest female, Big Mama, has produced 3 litters in the past 317 days.
In the short term I have recorded the following:
Litter 1: gestation 112 days
temp. 78 deg.
litter 6, 3 male, 3 female average size 4 3/4 inches
Litter 2: gestation 116 days
temp. 72 deg.
litter 8, 4 male, 4 female average size 4 inches
Litter 3: gestation 89 days
temp. 70 deg.
litter 5 1 male, 4 female average size 4 3/4 inches
What has changed you ask?
1) I have slowly lowered the temperature of my system in addition to heavily insulating the main tank and sump with foam board. This has cut my costs $240/yr.
2) I rely heavily upon Pothos plants and Purigen in my W/D sump.
3) I reduced my sump to 60 gallons water capacity and the main tank to 265 gallons.
4) I have done less water changes. I did 5 in the past 13 months.
5) I fed my rays a precise diet of Mazuri gel diet for rays/sharks and Nelson Silver cup sturgeon blend.
As you may have noticed, the newest litter is smaller in quantity but the quality/health of each pup is stunning. They are darker in overall coloration, have much thicker cores and definitely have more vigor than previous litters.
Questions, comments, emotional outbursts?
Respectfully,
FireMedic.
