Yeah I need to start a worm farm as well. Im also trying to find the rainbow farms place here in canada that sells them 500 for 50 bones. Im spending close to 30 a week on worms. Thats from the fishing hole. I just buy bags of frozen raw prawns from local grocery stores. They range from 10 to 20 bucks a bag. Depending on number and size obv. I also buy whatever seafoods that is on sale for them. They eat all that easy and would eat more. I should also add that there is a 10 inch fla gar in there as well so he eats a decent percent I figure. I should try silversides, my females will eat anything if they miss a meal or two. A tub of nls wafers last my rays quite a while but they will only eat one or two each at a feeding. And only if fed first.
HOW TO KEEP RAY BILL CHEAP
- Thread starter calgaryflames
- Start date
Very true! I got lil rays on purpose knowing this and the cost of upkeep is still pretty high. It cost me more to feed them in a few months than the whole setup cost. The initial cost was the cheapest part hahah
Red wiggler worms are super easy to culture. They're like earthworms except a little smaller, eat veggie scraps from your kitchen and thrive at room temperature.
I've had a big Rubbermaid of these guys for a couple of years and (after and initial investment of $20 for a couple of pounds) pull as many worms as I need for my 40+ tank fishroom...at no cost.
Lots of great DIY for these guys available on Google.
Another place for savings is electricity. Cover and insulate tanks or heat the room. Also check the energy use of pumps.
Finally, I have dump filters on all of my large tanks. Basically, a sump on top of the tank...with a pump in the tank and water "dumping" back via gravity. Feeding a dump filter with the outflow of a canister is a great way to add extra filtration without an extra pump.
Matt
I've had a big Rubbermaid of these guys for a couple of years and (after and initial investment of $20 for a couple of pounds) pull as many worms as I need for my 40+ tank fishroom...at no cost.
Lots of great DIY for these guys available on Google.
Another place for savings is electricity. Cover and insulate tanks or heat the room. Also check the energy use of pumps.
Finally, I have dump filters on all of my large tanks. Basically, a sump on top of the tank...with a pump in the tank and water "dumping" back via gravity. Feeding a dump filter with the outflow of a canister is a great way to add extra filtration without an extra pump.
Matt
Talapia would definitely help if they will eat it, in the US its $12-14 for 4lbs at walmart. My big rays all readily accepted it, the smaller 8-12" ones took a bit but have come around. I would go broke trying to feed these monsters shrimp.
There's really no easy way or cheaper way of doing this other than downsizeing the amount of rays that you keep.
I feed my rays smelt, tilapia, shrimp, worms and massivore.
Smelt is by far the cheapest at $ 2-3 a lb. My 8 rays can go through about 20 lbs of smelt a month
I go through about 24 lbs (2 bags) of walmart tilapia a month. I go through about 2 lbs of massivore and cichild gold in a month
I feed shrimp occasionally, usually 4 lbs a month, same with crawlers.
As far as culturing crawlers, unless you have a REAL farm, you can't keep up with what the rays can eat. My largest henlei (17") can eat 30 night crawlers and 15 shrimps in one sitting..
$$$$$$$
I feed my rays smelt, tilapia, shrimp, worms and massivore.
Smelt is by far the cheapest at $ 2-3 a lb. My 8 rays can go through about 20 lbs of smelt a month
I go through about 24 lbs (2 bags) of walmart tilapia a month. I go through about 2 lbs of massivore and cichild gold in a month
I feed shrimp occasionally, usually 4 lbs a month, same with crawlers.
As far as culturing crawlers, unless you have a REAL farm, you can't keep up with what the rays can eat. My largest henlei (17") can eat 30 night crawlers and 15 shrimps in one sitting..
$$$$$$$
Unfortunately, Tilapia and shrimp farmed in Asian and Latin America tend to be grown in really unhealthy and eco-damaging conditions...and can contain contaminants (
e.g. metals such as mercury and lead, industrial chemicals such as PCBs, and pesticides such as DDT and dieldrin): http://www.edf.org/page.cfm?tagID=1521 .
Of course, that's what Wal-Mart sells (because it's cheaper).
US raised shrimp and Tilapia are much better (for rays and humans)...
Matt
e.g. metals such as mercury and lead, industrial chemicals such as PCBs, and pesticides such as DDT and dieldrin): http://www.edf.org/page.cfm?tagID=1521 .
Of course, that's what Wal-Mart sells (because it's cheaper).
US raised shrimp and Tilapia are much better (for rays and humans)...
Matt
Red wigglers reproduce pretty darn quickly. I support a 40+ tank fishroom (of mostly cichlids) with a single 40 gallon bin. Haven't bought a worm in years.
Matt
Matt
There's really no easy way or cheaper way of doing this other than downsizeing the amount of rays that you keep.
I feed my rays smelt, tilapia, shrimp, worms and massivore.
Smelt is by far the cheapest at $ 2-3 a lb. My 8 rays can go through about 20 lbs of smelt a month
I go through about 24 lbs (2 bags) of walmart tilapia a month. I go through about 2 lbs of massivore and cichild gold in a month
I feed shrimp occasionally, usually 4 lbs a month, same with crawlers.
As far as culturing crawlers, unless you have a REAL farm, you can't keep up with what the rays can eat. My largest henlei (17") can eat 30 night crawlers and 15 shrimps in one sitting..
$$$$$$$
since you are in edmonton I am sure you can swing by to chinese or vietnamese market and pick up a solo fish. It price range from $1.99 t0 $2.50 a lbs. Still it is very expensive with ray no matter what since they only eat sinking stuff, unless you can get them on the fish that you catch from fishing.
I think everyone feeds their rays and fish way too much. HERE IS MY STOCK LIST!
I have 12 rays, 18" Mbu puffer,18" Armatus,two 22" black arowanas,2 adult Lenticulata pike,13" ID shark, 7" Black wolf fish,13" Arimara wolf fish, 7" Geryi piranha, 9" Black Diamond rhom,7" marbled goby,21" Tigrinus catfish,two 6" Hydrolycus tatauaia,two 5" clown loaches,5" striped raphael , two 3" spotted raphael and a 18" Aba knife fish.
My cost a month in food is probably only $65.MY STAPLE IS SMELTS! I get 11 lb boxes of smelts for $30 and 2lbs of raw shrimp for $12. Then I have some shelled seafood for my Mbu puffer. A box of smelts last at least a month and I use probably about 2 1/2 bags of shrimp. I only drop some massivore pellets once a week to the rays and feed some pellets to the clown loaches and ID shark. My rays are breeding and have had pups and all my other fish are growing. All my tanks get starved at least once a week, except the tank with the pregnant stingrays.
My tanks only get the water changed once a week with the exception of my 450 gallon with the adult rays. It gets changed about every 5 to 6 days. Depending on how much I fed them during the week.
My only real big cost is the power bill, which usually is around $400/month. Water is about $150 and my food bill is $65. So as you can see it's the utilities that kills me not the food. Just cut back on the feeding of your rays and they will be fine. The result will be a cheaper food bill,happy healthy fish and better water quality.
I have 12 rays, 18" Mbu puffer,18" Armatus,two 22" black arowanas,2 adult Lenticulata pike,13" ID shark, 7" Black wolf fish,13" Arimara wolf fish, 7" Geryi piranha, 9" Black Diamond rhom,7" marbled goby,21" Tigrinus catfish,two 6" Hydrolycus tatauaia,two 5" clown loaches,5" striped raphael , two 3" spotted raphael and a 18" Aba knife fish.
My cost a month in food is probably only $65.MY STAPLE IS SMELTS! I get 11 lb boxes of smelts for $30 and 2lbs of raw shrimp for $12. Then I have some shelled seafood for my Mbu puffer. A box of smelts last at least a month and I use probably about 2 1/2 bags of shrimp. I only drop some massivore pellets once a week to the rays and feed some pellets to the clown loaches and ID shark. My rays are breeding and have had pups and all my other fish are growing. All my tanks get starved at least once a week, except the tank with the pregnant stingrays.
My tanks only get the water changed once a week with the exception of my 450 gallon with the adult rays. It gets changed about every 5 to 6 days. Depending on how much I fed them during the week.
My only real big cost is the power bill, which usually is around $400/month. Water is about $150 and my food bill is $65. So as you can see it's the utilities that kills me not the food. Just cut back on the feeding of your rays and they will be fine. The result will be a cheaper food bill,happy healthy fish and better water quality.
