Rays on a budget- My (somewhat long) story w/pics

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
On a side note. I'm feeling really confident about my shipping from now on. I've learned a few very important things about strengthening the fry when they first hatch, and my procedures are getting a lot smoother. I'm also studying ahead to be ready for the colder months that are coming. Winter is on it's way, but the show must go on.

out of 2700 fry in the last shipment, only just a few were lost.

Mike
 
You'd prolly save a good amount of money even if you just covered your tanks with a roller of plastic and weighted it down at the ends, help keep in a little heat and humidty and deff keep you from losing water.just put a marble or something on top of the plastic in the middle so that all the condensed water runs to this spots and drops back into your tank rather than running to the sides of your plastic and then down the sides of the tank. Then when its time to obeserve your rays, roll back a corner or even pull the whole thing off. Should help with your water and electric bills, atleast a temporary fix for now. What are the dimensions of you tanks. I have 5. 5ft5in by 4ft piece of tempered glass. About 1/4in thick, so youu wouldn't be able to cut it but if ur dimensions are close to that size you can have them free, just stop by and pick em up if ur coming out east some time
 
Ok, I have this running. I'm about to run some errands...I need a better heater and I need some craft supplies to make a little fry basket. I bought one of those little fry-saver baskets last week, and as soon as I put fry in there they all tried to crush themselves in the corners behind the frame...that fry-saver became the pre-filter screen that is tied around the foam which the pump rests in.

I made an awesome accidental discovery...I knew this was possible, but I didn't think it would be so easy to do on accident. I was warned that if power was lost to the pump, that there could be reverse-siphoning out of the jar that would suck the eggs into the pump, so I drilled a tiny little hole in the top of the elbow where the flow turns downward into the jar. Now that the pump is turned on, it is acting as a venturi which is bringing a tornado of micro-bubbles all the way to the bottom of the tube. Eggs need lots of oxygen...this is the best thing I could ask for.

I'll explain how all this works a little later. I need to get this done and get some eggs in there that are now probably sac-fry since I was waiting for this new setup. Basically, the flow of water into the rounded bottom of this cone-shaped jar tumbles the eggs safely with UV sterilized and aerated water.

I'll try to update later, but I have a banquet I have to go to this evening.

venturi action 002.jpg
 
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Hey Clearwater guy,

I'm glad you were able to pay your bills. Just consider this a lesson learned.. nothing is "SOLD" until the money is in your hands. Next time someone puts an order in, tell them they need to pay within 24 hours in order to hold it.. Otherwise, the Ray goes back for sale, and they can get one out of the next litter.

Sadly, most people in the world do not understand what a commitment is.
 
paulW;4553369; said:
Hey Clearwater guy,

I'm glad you were able to pay your bills. Just consider this a lesson learned.. nothing is "SOLD" until the money is in your hands. Next time someone puts an order in, tell them they need to pay within 24 hours in order to hold it.. Otherwise, the Ray goes back for sale, and they can get one out of the next litter.

Sadly, most people in the world do not understand what a commitment is.
Click to expand...

I agree here but at the same time I think he was trying to be a nice guy and doing all he could to help these people out which does not sound like it payed off. Business tactics can be hard to balance, especially when first getting going. You are trying to make a good name for yourself and do what you can for the customers. It is easier to play a little hard ball when you are more established.

On another note, I would really like to know all the details about your hatchery and tilapia setup. I am going to be doing an aquaponics system after I move and will be growing tilapia (probably will get them from you) so I will need to know the details about getting them through there whole life cycle. I know some basics but it seams you have learned a thing or 2 since you started.

I actually am going to do a ray tank as well, so maybe I can get the tilatia and rays from you.:D
 
That is 100% the case. I wanted these rays to go to certain people who would update pics and keep me up to date. I need to be able to associate the offspring with the parents....so It's the same reason I never actually placed an ad. Pups don't eat much at all, and I need to be sure that I know what I have in order to be able to have an Idea exactly how future litters will turn out.

The Tilapia thing is pretty easy to go through...And even the tumblers aren't really bad on a smalle, or hobby scale. But on a larger scale, they reach their limits quickly, and the precentages are pretty important when you are counting on them.

Mike...
 
Ok, I have to just get this done, explained, and behind me. I'd way rather just crawl in a hole and hide. But this thread, this story, is about reality and brutal honesty. I can't go another single post without getting this out in the open.

My Leo male is dead.

I made an idiotic mistake today switching some power cords and moving the battery backup over to the hatching tank. I thought for sure I had everything but the litle exhaust fan pugged in, then I had to rush off and get things done and head to this banquet thing.

The pump for the ray tank was the one that got left unplugged, and my little buddy was dead when I got home, and 3 others were floating on the surface gasping.

I got everything going and the other 6 in the pool are just fine. Right now I could give a rat's backside about the financial aspect... I'm feeling as if I backed over my own dog.

I'll be back at it tomorrow though. That's what I do.

Mike
 
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Reactions: Matteus
Ahhh man that's bad news. Very sorry for your loss
 
Thats one of the worst feelings in the world. Sorry for your loss, you've had some hard lessons! I believe if anyone can succeed in this business, you have the tenacity to do so.

For my own clarification, the male leo = a leopoldi ray?
 
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