Getting pups off earthworms and redworms

[SandNukka15]

How long have you guys gone on starving pups to switch foods?

I know i should starve them ....bit i have fatten them up on worms....i hate feesing worms and trying to get them to rat tilapia and shrimp

I was soaking the worms in garlic guard thought this might help when switching to frozen as i would soak frozen in garlic guard as well. But no luck so far

 

[SandNukka15]

Sorry title was supose to say getting pups off red worms and earthworms

 

[Bigfishnut]

I'm going thru the same thing right now. Worst part is, the little female used to eat anything, now it's worms or nothing! Good news is the WC male is putting on weight fast and looking great. I'm not going to try starving for a few more weeks tho, I'll stuff worms with pellets to keep the vitamins up. It's a pain but I think it will pay off in the long run.

 

[jim barry]

Don't starve try cutting the earthworms up in a container mixed with raw fish of choice and pellets
Let it marinade for a few hours and feed
Over the next few weeks most rays learn to eat this and you can slowly reduce the worm content but continue to defrost raw fish with pellets mixed and try that
Has always worked for me bar one pup that took a year or more to break!

 

[Fatlungy]

Took me months with my pearl female, like Jim said mix the pellets with cut up worms. Slowly add more pellets to the mix and less worms.

 

[vamptrev]

Yes i chop earthworms and shrimp in the same container and just dump the mixture in. Sometimes you need to scoop the extra shrimp out of the tank but it dosnt take long and they will all be eating the shrimp too. Then just do less and less earthworm every day...

Starving small pups is a very bad idea

 

[SandNukka15]

Thanks guys

 

[Lepisosteus]

What I always do is I raise the rays on food that will put on growth so earthworms and such. Then covert them to pellets when they reach a larger size. Or just feed them the same food until they become mature then I find they eat anything and everything. Pups are fussy eaters

 

[Bigfishnut]

What I always do is I raise the rays on food that will put on growth so earthworms and such. Then covert them to pellets when they reach a larger size. Or just feed them the same food until they become mature then I find they eat anything and everything. Pups are fussy eaters

That's reassuring and makes sense! Thanks!

 

[Lepisosteus]

That's reassuring and makes sense! Thanks!

No problem. I know a few of the big ray breeding facility's power feed their rays earthworms shrimp and fish fillet. As a result some rays breed for them as early as one year. After I found this out I no longer try to pellet train, I find the growth is slow on pellets as well