Pups Getting Eaten

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calgaryflames said:
If you really know your rays I think your personal judgment will be best. I'd never let any of my rays give birth with a certain savage beast female I have. Besides that I'd trust my others .

The female I think your referring to was always a very cute timid ray when she was mine:) but times may have changed?

And another question ... Why who's prego mike lol
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I think my big female is - hard to tell for sure as I haven't seen any pup movement but she is getting bigger. There was definite signs of breeding before Christmas. I just have her in with the male. Other two females are in another tank. Planning on building a 750 gallon tank and putting all 4 black rays together - hence the post.
 
Out of at least 30 births I've had this happen to me 3 times when I have not gotten the pups out right away. One pop was mauled by the mom within 5 hours after birth, one pup was eaten by another pregnant female completely and the third was nipped by a curious male not killing it right away but it died shortly after that due to the injuries. Even with lots of driftwood in the tank it can happen. I think there are a few posts on what to look for when a female is about to give birth and from there most the time it's a sleepless night.
 
My male seemed to mouth one of the pups and did damage it, it seemed like he was exploring them and bit a few times so I separated straight away.
 
Well I am going to bump this thread for more suggestions. My Henlei gave birth sometime in the night with no tell tale signs of doing so. It was her first pregnancy so probably no more then one or two pups but no pups in the tank when I woke up and her belly is flat at the top and bottom,the bulge is gone. Her gestation period would have been 114 days.

The tank has 5 rays(3 females and 2 males), 2 black arowanas and 2 orino pbass. Pups have been born in this tank before but not with this group of rays or pbass. The pbass show no signs of eating the pup or pups and are more of a pellet eater anyway so I don't think it was them. It definitely wasn't the aros as they have been in the tank when I had motoro births. I am pretty sure it was one of the rays, either it being the males or other females. I still have one more female pregnant so short of dividing or maybe moving her what other option would I have but just to wait it out and see if it happens again. I never realized I would have this problem as my motoro births were fine except for my black wolf fish trying to eat one which still survived. I have since sold the wolf and all my brown rays so this is the first run at breeding the blacks in a community tank.
 
If you suspect the pups being eaten by another ray I would separate the prego females. That way unless they eat their own pups you should solve the problem.

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Wow that stinks.

I would guess that the mother felt her pups were in danger and ate them.

Males dont rely eat them they just get excited and nip things.

You couldnt tell which ray at them? None of them looked full?




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vamptrev said:
Wow that stinks.

I would guess that the mother felt her pups were in danger and ate them.

Males dont rely eat them they just get excited and nip things.

You couldnt tell which ray at them? None of them looked full?




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My other female is pregnant and the remaining female didn't look to be any fatter then usual. I was all hyped for my first batch of Henlei but now I have to wait and see what happens with my other pregnant female. Not sure when she got knocked up so the gestation period is just a guessing game. My previous females usually gave me a sign of when they were going to give birth but this one didn't change her behaviour. Now the male is trying to breed her again.
 
I have had pups nipped at in a community tank with 9 and 7 rays. They died shortly after. Ive also had what you say, a female seemingly prego got slim overnight, but no sign of any pups in the tank.
 
vamptrev said:
I would guess that the mother felt her pups were in danger and ate them.
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Odd way of protecting the offspring - think they are in danger so eat them. Rather counter productive, but I guess nature does some odd things.


Sorry to hear about the lost pups Trev. Hope the litter from your other female survives.
 
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