Keeping Freshwater Stingrays? Anyone?

[magic-city]

Truly love to learn about anyone personal experience with keeping freshwater stingrays!

Thank U for your time!
:)

[magic-city]

Maybe I should narrow down to….

Recommended sites, books, ect…

Good first species…(like to keep (smaller) 15-18inch adult size/there about)
(was considering potamotrygon leopoldi, ocellata, potamotrygon motoro)

Recommended size for purchase/shipping? (is the documentation tea cups(3inch) = removed from female premature) this true?

Water parameters of successful keeping?

What to look for from dealer/supplier/recommendations?

Common illness and problems with stingrays? Treatment?

Diet, substrate, tank dimensions, tankmates, breeding…ect…

Any other information/advise that might help in research/knowledge pre-purchase….your personal experiences or anything to share.

Thank U

[taksan]

Whats your location ?

[magic-city]

USA
:)

[taksan]

What state?

[magic-city]

*L* sorry

Montana

[magic-city]

to the best of my knowledge...they R legal here?
I know some states in USA R not legal to keep stingrays

[taksan]

Montana is ok....
Start off with Reticulateds..... they are inexpensive.
Leopoldi's are well over $2000 ea.

Your going to have to get fish in from Washington as no LFS in Montana has access to HQ Rays.
Try Waldo at Aquarium PAEX in Spokane.
Email him at abettas1@hotmail.com

BTW you need a BIG tank ....6x2.5x2 minimum

[magic-city]

Taksan, thank U very much!
:D
I was looking into the motoro and leopoldi only on the basis that the bit of study I do so far…they were suggested as being good novice easy keepers….the reticulated being a bit more challenge?

Not something I plan on doing right away….Just want to do my homework first…

Thank U very much for the recommendation…I will follow this up...WA is close
:D

[magic-city]

Also confused as to the actual adult size of the Reticulated? I found wide range of information in regards to their adult size?
:?:

[dynamixcoder]

i actually have kept freshwater rays before, what species are you looking into keeping?

Mine was a hystrix female about 8in in diameter...

Filtration:
you want nothing really less than a sump based filter and several moderate flow powerheads blowing in different directions.
you must also remember they poop turds the size of a locomotive lol.
MUST also be already biologicaly cycled.

Substrate:
Sugarsand or phosphate free sand is the way you wanna go, have about 2-3 inches worth in deep.

Tank:
anything with a tons of suface area, mine was a 175 Gallon.

Fish compatability:
Tetras, Cichlids (non -agressive ones), Rainbows, Silver dollars, Bala Sharks and larger non-aggresives.
ive even seen people put discus with them.

Keep in mind that they may be compatable fish but anything small enough to fit in the mouth of the ray, most likley will get eaten scince fish is part of a rays diet.

Diet:

Diced earthworms
Ghost shrimp (more popular to feed them, and also less risky of disease)
Rosy minnows (rosy reds)

i would advise you stick to ghost shrimp because not only is fun to watch them pounce like a cat on them but its alot safer than worms or fish.

Lighting:

Low power lighting is mostly advised as the ray mostly stay out in the open water longer than high output lighting.

Vitamins:

The most crucial aspect to rays is they need a constant source of B vitamins which here in the USA you have to go to a specialty store for it.

without B vitamins the ray will die off quickly, also try to keep a trace - low level of salt in the water as this helps the ray with his skin and breathing ... just like fish.

BTW, if your wondering what happened to my ray she died from a disease that they get from groundworms... basicly they LFS never told me they fed it earthworms from out back the store out of the ground... BIG NO NO.

[dynamixcoder]

Taksan, thank U very much!
:D
I was looking into the motoro and leopoldi only on the basis that the bit of study I do so far…they were suggested as being good novice easy keepers….the reticulated being a bit more challenge?

Not something I plan on doing right away….Just want to do my homework first…

Thank U very much for the recommendation…I will follow this up...WA is close
:D
actually the motoro and leopoldi grow a big more bigger and are a tad more sensitive... but yes reticulated is a hard one just to keep alive from transit.

[dynamixcoder]

i also forgot to mention water chemistry and a few others,

now this is disputed by alot of people and im not saying it is 100% right but its what my ray was happy under.

PH: 6.5-7.5 is fine as long as your properly DRIP acclimate them to the water they are entering, mine was kept at 6.5

Ammonia: 0pmm of course
Nitrite: 0ppm ""
Nitrate: as close to 0pmm as you can get

Temp: 78F - 84F (mine at 82F)

Social habits:

Generaly none with other rays except when breeding or just avoiding each other but with no aggression usually noticed.

Breeding:
These rays are livebearers, the way to sex them is:

Male:
will have enlongated pictoral fins with what look like pistons pointing toward the tail
Female:
just usual pictoral fins with no other features like the male

ill try to post pics on the sexing part.

Breeding is no sure thing, sometimes they will court once they are of breeding size and age or they may never... i havent really seen a Proven way to do it.

[dynamixcoder]

sorry one more bit of info in case someone uses this article.

Heaters must be placed in the sump box!

rays WILL burn themselfs traveling over the heater (titanium or glass).

Also no sharp rockwork or pointy driftwood as they will get scrapes all over the body.

[dynamixcoder]

This picture is a female ray:

[magic-city]

Thank U very much dynamixcoder!

U have been very helpful and informative!

I deeply appreciate your time and help!

:) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)