How much do you feed your ray?

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
Piscine said:
I'm not trying to be a smart-alec, but how does posting a thread about it answer the question? You stated that the tanks have algae because of high humidity as if it were fact, or at least that's how I interpreted it.

Can I learn how you came upon this fact?
Click to expand...

I am sorry that it came out that way.. it was not meant to... but I am assuming that is what it is from, as none of my tanks upstairs have this algae, even from sitting in front of windows.

The room in my basement that the algae tanks are in is more humid that the other areas, as it's enclosed within the basement.

It was a theory based on observations.
 
I think you guys are going off the topic of this thread.
To put it back on track: 5 rays 18" 12" 7" 6" 6" i feed once a day usually at night 10/20 massivore, 10 prawns, 10 small mussel, earthworms, fresh sardines and lance fish.
I have a 8x16x18 sump with filter sock, jap matting,al***rog and coral gravel my tank is well oxgenated and gin clear with no uv but i am thinking about adding a steralizer at some stage.
 
In the morning, all the Motoro ray get about 10 to 15 worms each..
Then I feed each Motoro ray about 1/2 a talipa filet every evening, two or three shrimp (for the ones that will eat shrimp) and put in about 10 or so pellets.
But this depends on which ray gets to the food faster and how much they eat first.lol
They also get silversides, krill and mussles about every 3 to 4 days as a snack or treat...

The Retics get about half of what the Motoro rays get daily...

If your water is not as clear as you want it, step up your filtration.
What filtration are you running and what size tank is it?
Rays put off alot of Bio.
So I would step up your filtration and Im betting your water will be clear...


Off subject. I dont think algae has anything do do with humidity.
Green water can also come from plants.. I have a 75 gallon tank, up on the main floor. No sunlight but am running T5 lighting (2 bulb only) on it.
Now, this tank has alot of plants in it.
I NEVER get algae on the walls of the tank due to I have two sucker fish in the tank, but I do sometimes have a green tint to the water.
This tank gets water changes like the rest. Weekly.
I know the lighting doesnt help, but before you say its the reason. The green tint to the water was the same before the T5 lighting got put on that tank.
Had a different lighting.. Nothing special..
The plants have alot to do with it.

Now you say, well I dont have plants so its something else ..
Well, do water changes. Step them up if you have to...
Algae is grown by ammonia in the water that is turned into nitrite/nitrate and is food for algae to grow.
It also needs a little light. To get rid of it you can put fast growing live plants in your aquarium to reduce the nitrite/nitrate in the water that algae feeds on.
But you still may get green looking water due to the plants..

Simple cure for it all is WEEKLY WATER CHANGES or again, step up filtration..
 
bcfd144 said:
In the morning, all the Motoro ray get about 10 to 15 worms each..
Then I feed each Motoro ray about 1/2 a talipa filet every evening, two or three shrimp (for the ones that will eat shrimp) and put in about 10 or so pellets.
But this depends on which ray gets to the food faster and how much they eat first.lol
They also get silversides, krill and mussles about every 3 to 4 days as a snack or treat...

The Retics get about half of what the Motoro rays get daily...

If your water is not as clear as you want it, step up your filtration.
What filtration are you running and what size tank is it?
Rays put off alot of Bio.
So I would step up your filtration and Im betting your water will be clear...


Off subject. I dont think algae has anything do do with humidity.
Green water can also come from plants.. I have a 75 gallon tank, up on the main floor. No sunlight but am running T5 lighting (2 bulb only) on it.
Now, this tank has alot of plants in it.
I NEVER get algae on the walls of the tank due to I have two sucker fish in the tank, but I do sometimes have a green tint to the water.
This tank gets water changes like the rest. Weekly.
I know the lighting doesnt help, but before you say its the reason. The green tint to the water was the same before the T5 lighting got put on that tank.
Had a different lighting.. Nothing special..
The plants have alot to do with it.

Now you say, well I dont have plants so its something else ..
Well, do water changes. Step them up if you have to...
Algae is grown by ammonia in the water that is turned into nitrite/nitrate and is food for algae to grow.
It also needs a little light. To get rid of it you can put fast growing live plants in your aquarium to reduce the nitrite/nitrate in the water that algae feeds on.
But you still may get green looking water due to the plants..

Simple cure for it all is WEEKLY WATER CHANGES or again, step up filtration..
Click to expand...

My ammonia is Zero. 50% wc's are done every other day. They have regular aquarium lighting, and no plants.
And I have 2 Ac110's on the tank. It's a 50 gallon tank, so it's definitely enough.
 
Every tank has algae. Its if you control it on how much of it you really see.
I said ammonia in the water is turned into Nitrites/Nitrates.. The Nitrites and Nitrates is what the algae feeds on.
And just because your test says "0" ammonia, doesnt mean you dont have it. Same for Nitirtes. Its just the levels they are at are not enough to read. But even that little bit of Ammonia that turnes into Nitirites and then Nitrates is what the algae feeds on.

Algae grows in an aquarium because of excess nutrient. Several types of algae can occur under different conditions, but it's all caused by nutrients. Algae is a plant, a very remarkable plant that can grow at extremes of temperature and varried lighting. Brown Algae will tend to grow in tanks with less light, Green Slime and Beard Algae will grow in the presence of more light and Red algae, really a cyanobacteria grows sometimes that can be difficult to remove. The best way to controll algea, and I say controll, because it's going to be there, even if you have trouble finding it, is by paying careful attention to what you put in the tank. Fish food is High is Phosphates, yep that's the stuff you can't have in dish detergent because it causes algael blooms in drinking water. Limiting the amount and types of food as well as water changes to keep nitrates in check is the best approach, avoid sunlight hitting the tank. If you keep plants, make sure they are densely planted and provided with enough iron, this will enable them to out compete the algae for nutrients. Co2 injection is not difficult either, and it makes a more stable enviorment.
Algae is not a bad thing, but its not very attractive.


Also: intresting reading...

Algae Explained


Algae is present in virtually every aquarium on the planet. Like all other plants algae needs light, heat, and a nutrient supply. In general terms algae do not compete with other plants as they have different nutritional needs than higher plants. In order to do well, they need ammonia to develop into the flagellate state from the spore state. Thus, they do not do well in an aquarium with favorable water conditions and plants that are growing well (plants are getting all of the nutrients they need, CO2, Macros potassium, nitrogen, phosphates, micronutrients, and organic matter in the aquarium is kept to a minimum). Contact me for nutrient levels for your specific setup. If water changes are not done on a frequent basis, (once a week in my opinion is best) and other conditions in the aquarium are deteriorating such as organic breakdowns producing ammonia, the ammonia levels will increase to levels that bring algae spores into the flagellate state. When plants don't get every nutrient they need, plants will go into a starvation mode and release ammonia through their leaves and or organic breakdown will produce ammonia and awaken the algae spores. Algae conditions are now favorable, and will multiply rapidly because these are the favorable conditions of algae. Because of their rapid growth rate, they rob the other plants of light and nutrients to the point where they cause further damage and eventually the plants die.
New aquarium setups are perfect for these conditions because the filter has not had time to be broken in and the normal breakdown of ammonia by bacteria does not yet occur. New aquarium setups need to be cycled with fish first so that ammonia is converted to nitrate by the newly growing bacteria before plants go in, if you give light and nutrients with ammonia levels you will get algae! New plants need a lag time to form roots and grow before they can produce oxygen and take up nutrients and ammonia to stabilize the new aquarium setup. Disturbing the aquarium substrate while replanting can stir up ammonia from the substrate and so planting should only be done at the end of the lighting photoperiod (twenty to thirty minutes before lights out) to lesson the chances of algae utilizing ammonia under the light to begin growing. The next section will now cover each specific algae and show why they are actually useful in solving existing problems in your aquarium. Blue Green Algae

Blue green algae (actually a cynobacteria) is present as blue green, violet, or brown-black covering plants, rocks, and substrate. They particularly favor the substrate where water circulation is poor and ammonia is present. Other causes are that food and debris accumulate, oxygen levels are low, filters are poorly maintained or aquarium water is low in nitrate levels. I use my fingers in a new tank setup to remove the slime from the plant leaves, if you don't then your plants will literally suffocate to death, and suffer from lack of light due to the covering. Cure? Remove existing algae, make sure you have adequate nitrate levels, get your filter working properly to utilize ammonia feeding bacteria, do frequent water changes, and clean up excess debris with a siphon. There are no critters that will eat this form of algae. It can be killed with Erythromycin!

Red Algae

Red algae grows in beards or off color green threads on plants, rocks, or driftwood. They are difficult to remove and they will kill the leaves of the plants. They thrive in hard water with a PH over 7.0, and again, an ammonia content. Cure? Up your CO2 to acceptable levels, get nutrient levels to where they should be and concentrate on getting ammonia levels down with water changes and organic removal.

Diatoms (substrate or gravel algae)

Diatoms grow in a thin brown layer on rocks, driftwood and plants. Occurs in newly setup tanks due to silicates and ammonia as the filter and substrate have yet to mature. Cure? It can be vacuumed out or removed by hand. This usually disappears after a few weeks when the tank has matured. Otocinclus will remove some of it.


Green Algae

Light green floating algae more often than not is a result of overfeeding your fish. (most aquarists overfeed, take what you think your fish need in the palm of your hand and then cut that in half and that will be plenty) Other forms include the common glass algae. Cure? For green water a three day blackout of the tank (cover all so it is total darkness) with at least 40% water changes DAILY for those three days will generally take care of green water. Again, ammonia levels need to come down and water changes will help to do this. For glass algae a good old fashioned algae scraper will take care of it, and phosphate levels need to be adequate.


Green Thread Algae

Unfortunately, this algae actually occurs only when all conditions are RIGHT with an aquarium, namely clean, well fertilized water! So their presence is a good sign? Cure? Remove by hand being careful not to pull up the plants with them in the process. Florida Flag Fish love this algae and will keep your aquarium clear of it. (Florida Flag Fish get to be good size and are territorial and semi aggressive so do your research on them first before adding to a community tank)


Bottom Line? (For all algae)

KEEP AMMONIA LEVELS AT ZERO! How? By properly maintaining your filter (clean pads every other week in old aquarium water), frequent water changes (once a week, thirty to fifty percent), less food during feeding and more frequently for those who think their fish are not getting enough, giving plants all the nutrients they need, using proper lighting, carbon dioxide levels of 30 parts per million, using algae eating critters, cleaning suspended debris by removing it, and planting densely enough to begin with including some fast growing stem plants with newly set up aquariums.
 
We are going to get told off for going off topic again but to BCFD thanks for taking the time to add all of that. What are your thoughts on this being brown water caused by Algae...not brown algae on the rocks nor glass but brown water.
 
its on everything..
 
Well if its not on the glass and rocks, then its prob not a algae. What if anything do you have in your tank. Decor, Substrate, etc..
WHat I found was: Although driftwood is often responsible for most tinted or tea-stained water. Other organics can also be responsible. Decaying plant matter and other debri can over time release tannins just like driftwood and cause the brownish tint.

By far, the best and simpliest thing you can do is daily 25% water changes. Changing a little bit more than 25% would provide results even faster. Vacume your substrate. (may take a few times to finally get all the tannins out of if. Another remedy you can try is adding activated carbon to your filter. The carbon will absorb discolorations and really helps clear brownish aquarium water.


But if it is Algae
Brown Algea is caused by three things:
  • Excess silicates & nitrates
  • Inadequate light
  • Low oxygen levels
This is what I found as information on brown algae:
Brown algae is a common occurrence in a newly set up aquarium but can happen in est aquariums as well. It is generally caused by too little light, an excess of silicates, an abundance of nutrients, and too little oxygen. Silicates can build up through tap water that is high in silicic acid, and silicates that leech from some types of substrates.

Cure
  • Wipe off surfaces & vacuum gravel well
  • Use silicate adsorbing resin in the filter
  • Increase the lighting
  • Stock a plecostomus or several otocinclus
This type of algae does not adhere strongly to the tank surfaces, and is easily wiped away. Vacuuming the gravel with a siphon will quickly remove coatings from the substrate. Increasing the lighting will inhibit re-growth of brown algae. As a new tank matures brown algae is often eliminated naturally by plants and green algae competing for nutrients.
Some sucker-mouth catfish will readily eat brown algae, most notably plecostomus and otocinclus. If the problem is due to high silicates in the water, and the brown algae persists, a special silicate absorbing resin can be used in the filter.

Prevention
  • Use of RO water
  • Regular water changes
  • Regular aquarium cleaning
  • Good lighting
As with any algae, keeping the tank clean and performing regular water changes is one of the best preventative measures. Unfortunately it is still possible to get algae in spite of regular maintenance, especially in a newly established aquarium. Prompt attention to sudden algae growth will prevent more serious problems.
 
Wow this thread is schizophranic lol

I feed about 12 sinking cichlids pellets and about 5 ounces of diy food to my 10" male ray once a day
 
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