# Stingray beginner needs help - Reticulated



## neverlookback (May 5, 2009)

So i bought a stingray and i loved the way it moves around and buries itself in the sand so i went and got 2 more. They are all reticulated (teacup) stringray. The one i got first is about 4.5 inches and 2 i got after are about 6 inches in diamater.

They seem to be ok but then i dont know anything about stingrays. My only concern right now is their feeding. I dont know what they are eating or even if they are eating. A lot of food i throw in there lands on the ground. This is what i'm feeding my other fish right now. Do they eat any of this?

1. Arowana sticks
2. cut up shrimp
3. cut up squid
4. cut up carrots
5. omega1 mix
6. super worms

Its a 180 gallon and these are the tank mates.

1. green arrowana
2. jardini arowana
3. 2 bichirs
4. peacock bass
5. 2 hi fin sharks
6. datnoid
7. pleco

Also, if anyone has recommendation as to what i can feed them considering thier age size. I know they love ghost shrimp but thats not going to fit in my budget.

Are stingray's mostly nocturnal?


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## ryno1974 (Dec 6, 2009)

I dont know anything about rays, but this tank seems way too over stocked to me. I think you should have stopped at the arowana's and bichirs. The hi fins and the bass are definitely going to be out of room very soon.

Alternatively you could upgrade to a something in the 300g + range. Check out monsterfishkeepers.com for some ideas.

Good luck!


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## neverlookback (May 5, 2009)

they are mostly babies. i will start to get rid of some of the fish as they get bigger. I got 2 fx5's running on there so i don't think capacity/filtration is a problem right now.

peacock bass - 3"
2 hi fin sharks - 2"
datnoid - 2"
pleco - 5"
green arrowana - 7"
jardini arowana - 5"
2 bichirs - 5"


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## ryno1974 (Dec 6, 2009)

want to sell the p-bass?


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## neverlookback (May 5, 2009)

Not right now, he's a monster. Eat anything in throw in there including dry food.

When he gets up to 6" i mite.


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## ryno1974 (Dec 6, 2009)

That should be by labour day  

Send me a PM if you ever want to sell him, I would definitely be interested.


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## neverlookback (May 5, 2009)

Here is an updated video of my tank with the new 3 rays and 2 hi find sharks:


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## taillight (May 19, 2009)

nice tank, i bet by labourday that bass takes out the 2 sharks. go to bass pro and buy a box of earth worms, i always wash my worms before i feed the rays. i didnt want the dirt in my tank, dry them. cut the worm into 4- 5 separate parts. you can use your hand to feed the rays. just get the worm in front and slightly under the rays rim, he will do the rest and eat the worm. your tank is kind of deep so go to to big als and get the 27" long extension tweezers. they use them for picking up plants and decorations. pick up the worm and use the extension to get down to the rays. this will keep you dry. the first few times the rays may be scared of the extension or your hand , but be persistant and they will take the food. do not get the worms next to your bass, he will eat them and then it will be a chore to get the worms down to your rays


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## bae (May 11, 2007)

Rays need extremely clean water, either substantial daily water changes or a continuous flow system. Your tank may not be large enough for three adult rays. I don't know much about their social behaviour, but you may not be able to keep two males together.

I agree that your tank is massively overloaded both in general and if you want to keep delicate species like rays. Carnivorous fish and fish that are growing produce a lot of waste. Your tank is already full for the fish at the size they are now.

Suggest you do some more reading. People have bred rays in captivity, but it takes a lot of space and serious attention to water quality to keep them healthy. If someone can breed them, they must know what they are doing, so read first hand accounts on the web.


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## bcarlos (Nov 19, 2009)

taillight said:


> you can use your hand to feed the rays.


I highly discourage you from doing this, especially with young and unpredictable rays. It's like people who want to pet their fish; if you want an animal you can touch or feed by hand, this hobby is probably not for you.

I'll forego the piece about a) not researching an animal before you buy it and b) your overstocked tank (I think you get the point from the comments above).

First, teacup rays are a generic term used by exporters that basically translates into "I don't know what the f$%@ I have." It covers an array of brown rays, usually retics and occasionally motoros. The issue with these rays is that they are cheap, and therefore they are ill treated in transport. The result is a ray that is very difficult to get eating, and very difficult to keep alive.

If you've begun to do your research on rays, you've definitely heard that rays are extremely sensitive to water parameters. This has to do with their evolutionary shift from saltwater to freshwater fish, and their unique ability to match internal fluids to their external environment. In short, even trace amounts of ammonia will kill a freshwater ray. To add to this problem, rays also have a very fast metabolism and are therefore insatiable carnivores. This means that water gets dirty quickly, and there is a great need for over-filtration.

A healthy ray should be eating right infront of you. If they are not, it's probably safe to assume they are not eating much, if at all. For young rays being acclimated, I would recommend frozen bloodworms and chopped earthworms. Focus on getting these guys fattened up. If you're having an issue getting the food to them, try using a PVC pipe that reaches to the bottom of the tank. You can drop the food into the pipe, and the rays will quickly learn that food ends up on the other end.

And lastly, do your damn research before you buy something that can live upwards of 20 years.


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## Gargoyle (Aug 21, 2008)

I'm an old geezer who has kept fish since he was a kid - my biggest tank is a 120 gallon - and I have never tried stingrays because the tank is too small for even one. I wouldn't touch them without a drilled 300 gallon and a heavy current sump system. That would be for two, at most, if the tank was shallow with a large open substrate.

I guess I'm a pessimist, but you did ask.... be careful, no fish I have ever removed from a (friend's) tank smells like a ray when it dies. If a dead ray is in there for more than a short time, you will have a complete crash on your hands. You have enough fish for a few 300 gallon tanks getting 50% daily water changes there.
If I were you, I'd look forward. Decide what species you like most and get down to two, maximum.


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## neverlookback (May 5, 2009)

So i put extra super worms in my tank so they fall on the ground and put the cut up shrimp/squid at the same time.

My 2 big stingray's were eating the superworms and shrimp! Eureka! I did take the advise of cutting them up into smaller pieces, i guess that was the trigger.

I noticed they just kind of take their time, they are also trying to get to know their new tank mates. I think their biggest threat honestly is the bichirs which i think i'm going to have to give up. The peacock bass, dat and sharks don't care for them much.


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## Gshock (Aug 23, 2009)

bcarlos said:


> I highly discourage you from doing this, especially with young and unpredictable rays. It's like people who want to pet their fish; if you want an animal you can touch or feed by hand, this hobby is probably not for you.
> 
> I'll forego the piece about a) not researching an animal before you buy it and b) your overstocked tank (I think you get the point from the comments above).
> 
> ...


Forget about trying to give advice to this guy. He clearly doesnt give a rat's ass both here and on MFK. I dont even know why you ask for advice if you're not planning to follow it anyways...


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## bcarlos (Nov 19, 2009)

Gshock said:


> Forget about trying to give advice to this guy. He clearly doesnt give a rat's ass both here and on MFK. I dont even know why you ask for advice if you're not planning to follow it anyways...


It's true, I saw this same post on MFK and Arowana Club, all with the same advice.


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## Gargoyle (Aug 21, 2008)

Maybe he isn't into really asking, but others more open may be reading. You never know.


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## neverlookback (May 5, 2009)

I have read everything thats posted in this thread and the others i have posted in other forums.

Bcarlos: I posted the thread to learn. I didnt post it for your critism and obnoxios remarks 

"And lastly, do your damn research before you buy something that can live upwards of 20 years" 

As much as i appreciate your feedback/information, what or who do you think you are? You need to get down from that high horse you think you are on. Did you know everything about stingrays when you bought your first one?

All the information i have gathered has been extremely useful and surprisngly overwelming. It is not easy to get the chemistry i have going on in my tank. Now i have to make changes to my setup that i honestly dont want to make but have to. Keeping ray's is going to be a bigger challenge than i thought but the efforts will be worth it in the end.

I'm sorry, i dont mean for this to derail from its original topic, but i guess it has and it more than likely needs to be closed at this point. 

Thanks again to everyone who posted!


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## Big Ray (Dec 8, 2009)

do you still have the ray ? if you do and want some info, PM me, 

been breeding rays for the past 15 years so I Can tell you alot about the myths and truth


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