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[RoyalFlush]

So what is everyone's feeding schedule like?

If you guys wouldn't mind I would like to see what everyone is doing as far as this going.

I like to feed a little bit throughout the day. Rays spend their time in the wild looking for food all day/night long (amongst other things) so I like to give them something to do at all times.

[MoToro 21]

I am a ray newb so I don't know whats best for them yet. So far I am feeding them twice a day. Or should i do it once...

what are you feeding your hystrix stingrays?

[sergeyal]

asking for advice on how to convince my sp.perus to eat foods other than blood/tubifex/earth worms.

I've tried several methods : reduced feeding to make them hungry , later was trying to feed them with pieces of market shrimp, lance fish,calamari.

                                       mixed the same food with worms.

                                       left it in blood worm sauce for some time.

they refused to eat anyway, it only screwed my water parameters.

[RoyalFlush]

I am a ray newb so I don't know whats best for them yet. So far I am feeding them twice a day. Or should i do it once...

what are you feeding your hystrix stingrays?

Well, if you think about it. Rays in the wild are in a constant search of food.
They have high metabolisms so I like to feed mine sparingly a few times throughout the day.
I mostly work out of my house so  I understand this is not easy for everyone. So once in the morning and once or twice at night is fine in my opinion.

At the moment, I am feeding my rays Blackworms, Home grown earthworms in a highly nutritious compost box, Ghost shrimp gut loaded with Hikari Carnivore and bloodworms.
As well as pellets fed sparingly.

This is all subject to change as they get older. I will eventually get them to start eating small crawdads in place of the shrimp.
Fish will be offered on occasion when that breeding project takes off.

[Miles]

Put some weight on the rays and grow them out with whatever food necessary.  Wild caught rays have a hard time adapting to prepared foods.  I am under the impression that sp. Peru might be closely related to P. Orbignyi... and Orbignyi are suppose to have a relatively small mouth and jaw structure just like Reticulata.. Usually some size and time in captivity will allow you to do a prolonged feeding halt in order to have them give into new foods.  Having the extra size will help with mouth size and girth so that the 'fasting' method won't take such a toll on them.

[RoyalFlush]

Then again, it depends on which "sp peru" you are talking about. I believe the morph I own is closer to a Motoro then an Orb.

[sergeyal]

here an image of mine



I've noticed another difference , it seems that they much more peaceful then motoros,
a friend of mine bought a couple of peruan motoros at the same time from the same shipment and approximately same size as my sp Peru , during the first week they eliminated 6 hill stream loaches in his tank , quickly they started to accept marine shrimp , pieces of squid as well as medium sized gold fish.
I have a group of  rainbowfish in my tank some of them are juveniles (~ 2-3 inch), and my stingrays didn't even tried to hunt them.
I don't know whether its personal feature of particular specimens or  general characteristic of sp.Peru.

[RoyalFlush]

Perhaps mine is just a beast then lol

I think most of my opinion is based off of body type.

[sergeyal]

I'll try a method ,discribed here: http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=244921

[RoyalFlush]

I feel the more natural you go the better.

[sergeyal]

you mean not to use sea products?

[RoyalFlush]

I have spoken with a few people, and some sea food items are ok to feed rays. Never in excess.

I feel the majority is too fatty.

[Nic]

you have fresh water fish that never come in contact with salt water foods.... so why feed any saltwater foods?

krill is fine as a breaking food and works perfect for a week or 2...

the smelts and silversides i get are usually freshwater... clams are freshwater i will feed squid as a treat as i usually have some left over from a dinner or i left over from a friends salt tank...

other than that all you need is some pellets and shrimps and your set.... mix your pellets up i feed massivore and algea wafers... adds more of a balance...

[RoyalFlush]

Thank you Nic, my thoughts exactly. I personally have never and will never feed rays saltwater  based foods.

[sergeyal]

I agree, but my problem is that they don't accept any fish - freshwater/saltwater , dead or live , clams and freshwater shrimp (not ornamental) aren't available here .
i will try pellets , but i'm pessimistic about them.