How can I get my rays to eat more?

[burbon44s]

I've got two Leo's about a year and a half old. I've got them eating frozen foods of all kinds. They attack the food pretty aggressively but then only eat 3 it 4 pieces. I feed them twice a day.
The water perms are great.
This started about a month ago after I put them in their new tank.
The new tank shares water with a refugium sump and has a drip system on it.
Temp is between 78° and 80°.
With my sump being loaded w plants, and my rays never being w plants, could it just take awhile for them to get used to it?
Any ideas? I'd appreciate it
Thank you

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[DIDYSIS]

Do you ever skip meals at all?
3-4 peices at what size, weight (example:Shrimp 3-4 full shrimp 70-80 count per pound 2 times per day)(walmart frozen talapia full fillet a day)?
how large are the rays ?
Plants should not have anything to do with it.

 

[burbon44s]

Good questions
Shrimp from Walmart. 3 shrimp per feeding ,( used to be 4to 5) each cut up into 5 to 6 pieces. Other frozen foods about the same quantity.
Rest of the food gone within an hour
Rays r about 11 inches.
No I don't skip feedings. Once in the morning and once when I get home from work.
From what I've read on mfk, rays should b eating a lot more
I didnt think plants would cause the problem, but maybe the plant foods and supplements might.

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[DIDYSIS]

(Plant foods and supplements might) What are you adding into the tank for plants?? I am growing pothos and its growing like a weed in my tank but I know its not a hard plant to grow lol.

Do they always look full with a good hump back? or are they looking a little skinny at this point or you have seen a change?

Ill start with saying that when I feed I do feed allot of food.
I use to feed once daily but have recently switched to feeding every other day. Why?? Well cut back on food and also they always looked very fat. I think that my rays have been more active as well being fed really well every other day as well. I have only been doing this for about 2 months now so im still watching and keeping track of everyone. I do cheat some time and feed a little the off day but mostly do not.
I think change is a good thing, just like change in food type, sometimes I cut up the food really small, other times I throw it in full or at least in very large chunks when I throw talapia in and want it large. I found at first mine use to eat the most when I chopped it smaller but now it does not matter if its small or large size food.

Dont be afraid of making them get a little hungry and see what it does or also putting more food in and letting it sit in the tank for a while and see if they eventually eat it overtime.

My new challenge is that I added a new fish that will out eat my largest ray and thats something to see and also makes me want to make sure I am getting enough food to the rays but they are ok with hand feeding so should not be a issue if I really want to get them food.

Hope any of these thoughts help or at least gives you some ideas, I can understand how when one thing seems a little off or different to worry. Im here to see what you find out.

 

[vamptrev]

Feed them as much frozen as they will eat and then throw in a food they cant resist to rely fill them up. For my rays the food they cant resist is earthworms


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[sbuse]

Send them over to my house...lol all my fish never stop eating. They get the munchies as soon as they enter my tanks.

I feed once a day and I might toss in some massivore randomly during the day. I give one fast day a week. My ray acts like he has never seen food in his life every feed and stuffs himself like a prego female. The others are still settling in so they are picking at some things still.

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[burbon44s]

One of my other threads mentions that my male wants to spawn and female don't, could this be an issue with eating?
There is a little stress in the tank but not a lot.
I tried night crawlers and they went crazy.
Maybe I'll try feeding heavy once a day and see what happens

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[burbon44s]

And another thing. I also raised temp back up to 80° to 81° this is the temp they were used to in their old tank.

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