180 tank what to stock
- Thread starter dsmith
- Start date
gasguzzler
Active Member
Ill tell you what, if the tank is set up properly, try a Bluespot ray. Not the Bluespotted ribbontail ray, the much more hardy urobatis halleri. They are actually a member of the eagle ray family so they are active swimmers and very graceful. Im surprised a lot more of us dont keep them.
gasguzzler
Active Member
Oh no. My scientific names screwed me now. The name I gave you is for a California ray. The one you want is Dasyatis Kuhlii. Sorry for the mix-up.
gasguzzler
Active Member
If you want a ray, ditch all but half of that LR. You only need a small ledge. As far as turnover, I would say about 1200 gal/hr should do it (I flow 2400 gal/hr with my canister included on my setup.). For the rest, definately a RO/DI source (to remove metals), some source of carbon or a large canister, the lagest skimmer that you can reasonably afford and a UV sterilizer if you want to go over the top. Other than that, youre in good shape.
leopard_babe
Active Member
I have a cortez ray in my 180. Only a little rock, and lots of room to swim. She is the coolest ting. Between puffers and Rays, rays are one the the coolest fish. She swims all day, back and forth. So to answer your comment... Yes you do want a ray.
Leopard
Leopard
conogre
Member
One thing worries me here....I keep hearing the words puffer and triggerfish in the same sentence with ray.
With puffers, you'll probably be OK, as many of the Arothrodons don't like fish flesh BUT I've noticed they don't always seem to consider sharks and rays as fish(they'll eat raw shark, yet spit out raw bony fish flesh) PLUS you've got the problem of the tail.
If a puffer goes after that tail, which would certainly tempt many puffers, there'll be severe damage ASAP, and while not fatal, could lead to some serious infection problems.
With the small puffers known as Tobies, the odds of them biting and attacking the disc and tail both go UP 100% with an additional problem.
Most puffers and tobies sleep on the bottom or buried in the bottom, which is where stingrays hunt simply by trapping the prey animal under their disc and then "humping up" in the middle until it swims near the mouth, at which time the ray slams down and dinner begins.
If this happens, you have two dead fish.
Most puffers contain tetrodotoxin an EXTREMELY strong poison with no antidote..this is the famous Fugu gai Pan that people eat, playing "Russian Dinner".
If it's cleaned right, you have a delicious meal and you're way cool and macho.
If not, you're dead.
Same with a stingray.
As to Triggerfish, while the triggers are small, same problems as above, minus the poison.
When they get larger, the ray dies, one bite at a time.
With puffers, you'll probably be OK, as many of the Arothrodons don't like fish flesh BUT I've noticed they don't always seem to consider sharks and rays as fish(they'll eat raw shark, yet spit out raw bony fish flesh) PLUS you've got the problem of the tail.
If a puffer goes after that tail, which would certainly tempt many puffers, there'll be severe damage ASAP, and while not fatal, could lead to some serious infection problems.
With the small puffers known as Tobies, the odds of them biting and attacking the disc and tail both go UP 100% with an additional problem.
Most puffers and tobies sleep on the bottom or buried in the bottom, which is where stingrays hunt simply by trapping the prey animal under their disc and then "humping up" in the middle until it swims near the mouth, at which time the ray slams down and dinner begins.
If this happens, you have two dead fish.
Most puffers contain tetrodotoxin an EXTREMELY strong poison with no antidote..this is the famous Fugu gai Pan that people eat, playing "Russian Dinner".
If it's cleaned right, you have a delicious meal and you're way cool and macho.
If not, you're dead.
Same with a stingray.
As to Triggerfish, while the triggers are small, same problems as above, minus the poison.
When they get larger, the ray dies, one bite at a time.
saltfisher
Member
All Triggers................Like me..., well, I have a few others.
mattiej
Member
Mike is absolutely correct in that puffers and triggers do not make safe tank mates for any elasmobranch. Even if they haven't bothered the shark/ray yet, they will in time. I would highly recommend getting a copy of Scott Michael's book, Aquarium Sharks and Rays. It is packed full of info and has some recommendations for tank mates. My only criticism would be an under-estimation in tank size, otherwise a very good book to have in your library. Of course you can always pick Conogre's brains as he is very well informed and an expert!
saltfisher
Member
That is true. I never believed that until recently all my Triggers started to attack my S&T Puffer, which was bigger than all of them. It got so bad I had to put the Puffer in another tank.