stringray food costs

[sbuse]

thats an interesting idea im an avid fisherman and never thought about feeding any of my catch to my rays is there any risk of introducing a disease or or any other negative side effects in doing this? ive got acess to a pond i could get as many bluegill as i wanted fillete them and freeze them right now i manly feed my rays worms i go threw a dozen a day at 1.50 a dozen but as of right now i only have a 12" motoro female and a 6" marble motoro male when these guys get bigger i can see its going to cost me a lot more

Freezing kills most if not all diseases. I do it and have had no I'll effects. I know many people that also do it without issues.

The fish I feed is farm raised.

I still would not trust the source of any WC stuff in with thousands in livestock.

Just doesn't seem to be worth the risk to me as a hobbyist. We pride ourselves in taking great care of our stock and offering them the best we can. I don't trust the farmers or the crap they spray on their crops enough to trust it stays out of the water, and in turn out of the fish living in this water. Maybe I'm just taking the wrong angle on this, but if I'm busting my knuckles everyday to fund buying a fancy ray that costs $1000 I'm not even going to feed it crawlers I pick up in my own yard, cause I'd be scared of what the neighbors may or may not have done to the ground.

Paranoid??? Maybe. Lots of money in fish??? Yup. Some irreplaceable? In my opinion yes. Is the juice worth the squeeze? Nope. IF you can afford nice rays you should be able to afford keeping them without cutting corners or adding risks. I thought the whole point in keeping rays was reducing risks? Keeping rays is definitely stressful enough without having to account for more unknowns.

Isn't the whole point in paying more money for CB because of a reduced risk? Maybe people would actually pay more money for piece of mind? Less stress, less headache is worth more to people with money then a cheaper ray. Maybe rather then finding cheaper ways to make rays cheaper, maybe look at the fact that the people buying rays might not want cheaper rays, they might want a more sound investment.

Also seems to me that ray people are "clicky". Might have an easier time building your empire by promoting feeding the best foods possible instead of the cheapest ones possible. People want quality, NOT cheap quantity.

Like that saying goes...... Good is not cheap, and cheap is not good.

I know what your saying. Think if your $1000 ray only cost $500-600 wouldn't you be just as happy? You could have the same quality just cheaper. Not a hard concept. Freezing kill pathogens. Dedicating a pond to breed tilapia and convicts is even more in line with what your saying. I am giving options.

Yes ray people are clicky. To even mention it can be done cheaper ruffles feathers all across the board. Just the thought of change makes people cry out in protest. Just look at the last two threads. I have mention in both cases it can be done cheaper, but no one wants to do it. Look at all that oppose. Just based on the facts that it would be done differently from the past. Hell look at filtration. All the new things and way yet you still have people contest the new ways that work just as well.

You trust some random farm to have quality foods. The wild fish in the markets go through the exact same testing as farmed. It is frozen that kills anything that would harm your fish. I have gone by "if I would eat it my fish can eat it". It has never let me down.

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[DB junkie]

Yes ray people are clicky. To even mention it can be done cheaper ruffles feathers all across the board. Just the thought of change makes people cry out in protest. Just look at the last two threads. I have mention in both cases it can be done cheaper, but no one wants to do it. Look at all that oppose. Just based on the facts that it would be done differently from the past. Hell look at filtration. All the new things and way yet you still have people contest the new ways that work just as well.

It's your approach. You make it sound so simple and easy. You think it can be done so much cheaper, and you really think that no one here "wants" to. When people keep rays year after year generally there's a respect for each other that continue to do so. When someone with a couple rays comes in and says you guys are doing it wrong cause rays should be cheaper, and that nobody wants to do that, then I'm not sure why you would expect such a gracious reception? Some could easily view it as offensive, but I think most just grab some popcorn, buckle up, and wait for the collision between reality and what seems easy, should be cheap, and looks profitable on paper.

I'm not going to discuss any further. Good luck on your ventures and I hope it works out as well as you plan, I don't agree at all with your approach, and don't think it's going to get you very far with veteran keepers, but what I think is irrelevant, and probably wrong, so I'm sure this can carry on just fine without this guys opinion.

 

[T1KARMANN]

Rays don't do well on feeders alone

They wouldn't take food from mid water as much as you think

I know people who have put tilapia fry in a tank and they have grown to 13" as the rays couldn't catch them


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[sbuse]

It's your approach. You make it sound so simple and easy. You think it can be done so much cheaper, and you really think that no one here "wants" to. When people keep rays year after year generally there's a respect for each other that continue to do so. When someone with a couple rays comes in and says you guys are doing it wrong cause rays should be cheaper, and that nobody wants to do that, then I'm not sure why you would expect such a gracious reception? Some could easily view it as offensive, but I think most just grab some popcorn, buckle up, and wait for the collision between reality and what seems easy, should be cheap, and looks profitable on paper.

I'm not going to discuss any further. Good luck on your ventures and I hope it works out as well as you plan, I don't agree at all with your approach, and don't think it's going to get you very far with veteran keepers, but what I think is irrelevant, and probably wrong, so I'm sure this can carry on just fine without this guys opinion.

I guess your right. You veteran keepers have nothing new to try. You've done it all and proved it all.

Oh wait, I know a guy with dozens of rays that does the sane thing I am saying... No issues. His stuff gets complimented...that must be because he has more rays and has been in it longer so it makes it right automatically. That is the only thing I see different is time with rays and numbers. You can stay with your expensive fish and money lost in food. I'll do it my way, spend less and get the same enjoyment out if it. Exactly why I have not spent much time in the ray section. Anytime some "new guy" comes in you "veteran experts" push him out. Then wonder why it gets slow in that section.

Good luck with that.

Rays don't do well on feeders alone

They wouldn't take food from mid water as much as you think

I know people who have put tilapia fry in a tank and they have grown to 13" as the rays couldn't catch them


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I wouldn't be feed them live. I would kill them and feed them whole to the rays. That way I don't have a problem with some getting to big and picking on the rays. It would be a difficult task to get a 3" fish out of a big pond.


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[dogofwar]

Anyone else culture red wiggler worms? It's super easy and a single rubbermaid is enough to feed my 50+ tank fishroom a couple of times per week...

Matt

 

[sbuse]

Anyone else culture red wiggler worms? It's super easy and a single rubbermaid is enough to feed my 50+ tank fishroom a couple of times per week...

Matt

In the past I have had several worm farms for my fish. Due to space I don't have any right now. I used the recycling bins.

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[DB junkie]

I guess your right. You veteran keepers have nothing new to try. You've done it all and proved it all.

Oh wait, I know a guy with dozens of rays that does the sane thing I am saying... No issues. His stuff gets complimented...that must be because he has more rays and has been in it longer so it makes it right automatically. That is the only thing I see different is time with rays and numbers. You can stay with your expensive fish and money lost in food. I'll do it my way, spend less and get the same enjoyment out if it. Exactly why I have not spent much time in the ray section. Anytime some "new guy" comes in you "veteran experts" push him out. Then wonder why it gets slow in that section.

Good luck with that.

Are you sure you don't have it backwards? Is it possible that new experts run off the vets? Sure seems to me like it used to be a lot easier to come across good info in this forum.

Here's a good food for thought thread from some folks that used to share pretty good conversation.....

Wonder where they went? I don't, seems most eventually give up trying to pass info on and either lurk or just leave, but seems everyone reaches that point where participation just becomes too much of a headache after all the head butting.

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/f...0-Alternative-Ray-Diets-Collective-Brainstorm

 

[cjfrontlovr]

some people just don't get it

 

[sbuse]

Are you sure you don't have it backwards? Is it possible that new experts run off the vets? Sure seems to me like it used to be a lot easier to come across good info in this forum.

Here's a good food for thought thread from some folks that used to share pretty good conversation.....

Wonder where they went? I don't, seems most eventually give up trying to pass info on and either lurk or just leave, but seems everyone reaches that point where participation just becomes too much of a headache after all the head butting.

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/f...0-Alternative-Ray-Diets-Collective-Brainstorm

I am sure. Yes there are some people that won't take advise on the fish. Trying to put me in that category is a mistake. I listen and follow advise. Just when I know the lake is a clean source and I freeze the fillets it takes away the issues you bring up with it. Even in that thread it states the same. I read the whole thread and there is good info in there. Things that I have thought about doing was mentioned like the different depths to ponds and the sunlight. I expose my tanks to sunlight every day. My rays love to bask in it. In fact my bdxleo in my avatar was basking in the sun during that pic.

I feed a mix of foods and I have just been saying there are cheaper ways to do it. There is. I got 50lbs of a catfish/trout pellet to my door for $80, that is something like $1.60/lb for high quality pellets. The fish love it. I feed that to everything. I'll still buy massivore and food sticks to mix it up but that is a lot of dry pellets for cheap. You could do that or buy 2-3 bags of massivore for the same money. That is one huge way to cut feeding costs. I am getting large sinking ones next. I still have 3x 5 gal buckets of the pellets.

All I am saying is simple little things like that save a ton. Even if you go the all pellet route that is a clear way to do it. I don't see why I get the resistance I am getting for suggesting it. That pushes people away as well.

What firemedic was saying about the stingers showing quality nutrition makes sense and my stingers are big, solid and fully serrated.

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[T1KARMANN]

Dam the quotes in this thread are soooooo long its like 2 posts per page on my iphone


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