Man.. I sure hope you cant. As I'm doing my own little test study right now. With feeding with a few ray pups. I will post the results when I'm done
Overfeeding Stingrays?? Lead to problems down the road??
- Thread starter nickdog98
- Start date
I don't think rays have as much access to food in the wild as in captivity - there's no way. I think tons of fish kept in captivity are WAY overfed, so much that it probably does cause troubles for many of them.
Now I know cichlids are different from rays, but I think a lot of the basics apply to both. I spent 6 months living/working with an exporter in Malawi, and at first I didn't completely recognized a lot of the fish I had kept in my own tanks for years, simply because their basic body shape was so different - they were so much thinner and leaner overall, that the 'sausage shaped' fish I had were actually much more laterally compressed in the wild. These same wild fish when kept in captivity will eat every morsel of food you ever put into their tank, and not because they're always hungry, but because it's essentially instinct to eat whenever food is available.
Rays in the wild are going to be just like any other scavenger - when they can find food, they'll eat all they can, because it may be anything from days to weeks before they may find a meal again.
Then there's also the matter of the increased fat deposits from the overfeeding of captive fish. I've heard from others and have tried it myself with success, but often fasting fish can help get them to spawn. The internal fat deposits by constant overfeeding will often constrict the ovaries in the females, not allowing egg production. And I don't see why this couldn't apply to rays as well. When they're pregnant feeding the females as much as they can eat is probably going to help produce either healthier or more pups, but a vastly overweight female before she's been bred may not be able to produce as many, or even any, eggs to be fertilised.
Just my opinion, but something I've been thinking about with all the different ideologies on keeping rays and what's required to keep them alive and healthy.
Now I know cichlids are different from rays, but I think a lot of the basics apply to both. I spent 6 months living/working with an exporter in Malawi, and at first I didn't completely recognized a lot of the fish I had kept in my own tanks for years, simply because their basic body shape was so different - they were so much thinner and leaner overall, that the 'sausage shaped' fish I had were actually much more laterally compressed in the wild. These same wild fish when kept in captivity will eat every morsel of food you ever put into their tank, and not because they're always hungry, but because it's essentially instinct to eat whenever food is available.
Rays in the wild are going to be just like any other scavenger - when they can find food, they'll eat all they can, because it may be anything from days to weeks before they may find a meal again.
Then there's also the matter of the increased fat deposits from the overfeeding of captive fish. I've heard from others and have tried it myself with success, but often fasting fish can help get them to spawn. The internal fat deposits by constant overfeeding will often constrict the ovaries in the females, not allowing egg production. And I don't see why this couldn't apply to rays as well. When they're pregnant feeding the females as much as they can eat is probably going to help produce either healthier or more pups, but a vastly overweight female before she's been bred may not be able to produce as many, or even any, eggs to be fertilised.
Just my opinion, but something I've been thinking about with all the different ideologies on keeping rays and what's required to keep them alive and healthy.
Little confusing, but I think I agree with CSX, power-feeding is a bad idea. Furthermore, I am concerned about providing a varied and balanced diet for my rays. With rays, and any other fish I keep, I skip food a day every week.
rays need lots of food that why when we get fresh imports they are so skinny as they have not eatern for a few weeks
if you didnt feed a aro for a few weeks their would be no problems but a ray without food for a few weeks chould be in trouble
i have seen a aro go 6 weeks without food i would love to see a ray go that long and still be health
rays below 8-10 are still babys and need lots of food to grow
how would you tell if a ray was fat anyway they get the fat food hump at the rear when they have had a good feed but that has gone within say 4-6hrs that tells me they burn up the food fast
if you didnt feed a aro for a few weeks their would be no problems but a ray without food for a few weeks chould be in trouble
i have seen a aro go 6 weeks without food i would love to see a ray go that long and still be health
rays below 8-10 are still babys and need lots of food to grow
how would you tell if a ray was fat anyway they get the fat food hump at the rear when they have had a good feed but that has gone within say 4-6hrs that tells me they burn up the food fast
African_Fever;1676616; said:
think of all the worms shrimps etc.... in the bottom... they blow through all the muck looking for food.... i see what you are saying but i think they eat alot in the wild....
T1KARMANN;1676852; said:
i gotta agree here.... i would feed mine in the morning and come home later and they would look like i didnt just feed the hell out of them that morning... im interested to see how this turns out....
Hi,
I think many rays in captivity are overfeed. After a meal a ray should continue searching for food. If he stop eating he is already overfeed.
Study on the feeding behavior of wild rays was done, here is the paper (word document):
http://www-heb.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/congress/2004/Elasmo/7BragancaPreliminary.doc
I think many rays in captivity are overfeed. After a meal a ray should continue searching for food. If he stop eating he is already overfeed.
Study on the feeding behavior of wild rays was done, here is the paper (word document):
http://www-heb.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/congress/2004/Elasmo/7BragancaPreliminary.doc
OMG I just lost two rays yesterday and their liver's look just like those in the pictures huge and about the same color......(yes I disected my rays) and my rays were nice and fat!!!!! I wonder is this is why my two died... cause the other 4 are doing great weren't as fat as the two I lost but I checked my water and every thing is good..... still can't believe I lost the two.
