Conogre, Please look.

[chandler04]

Conogre, yer kinda like an idol to me, lol. I just wanna see a bunch of yer pics of yer tanks and stuff, either post em or email em to me PLEASE?!?!?! Anyone else can chime in if they got some cool pics too. Thanx
Chandler044@aol.com

 

[gasguzzler]

I still havent figured out how to post pics with this new pic program but I know Ive been after Conogre to see some pics for a few weeks. Come on man, one retired officer to another!

 

[gasguzzler]

I think Ive got it. Heres my rays.

 

[gasguzzler]

Heres a closer shot.

 

[chandler04]

OOO, do they breed? Looks like big guy is in charge, hehe

. Musta been in prison together:hilarious . JK. How big is that?

 

[gasguzzler]

From tip to tail, the male is about 10" and the female is about 7". They are a long way from being mature enough to breed, but we can hope!

 

[chandler04]

That would be super sweet. Do they breed though? Like, ever in captivity?

 

[gasguzzler]

Im not sure. I heard that they will. Someone told me that he had a pair that did, but I dont believe him.

 

[conogre]

Somehow I missed this thread...sorry! **sheepish grin**
That is a sweet tank, bar none.
As to breeding it depends on what type of ray they are, with many simply getting way too large to breed in a home aquarium.
Idol?
That's a scary thought! **another grin**
Do you have a pnone modem or cable/DSL?
I remember the old days when people would go over board and my PC would time out waiting for photos to download!!!!
My regular e-mail is in my profile, but here it is, just in case:
Mdandane@tampabay.rr.com
Congrats on a sweet looking tank.
By the way, on my last trip to the bait shop for frozen shrimp (my favorite staple food for almost all marine fish) they gave me a little sharksucker.
It's the first time I ever put one in a tank that contained another larger fish, and trust me, that vlamingi tang was NOT a happy camper until the hitchiker finally let go.
Whoulda thunk it? **grin**

 

[flatzboy]

Nice tanks!

 

[gasguzzler]

What is he doing? It looks like has sucking his eye out!

 

[conogre]

Nah, just hitchin a ride.
We get used to seeing Plecos all the time and forget that with the sharksuckers and remoras the suction disc is on top of the head and has nothing to do with the mouth.
In the photo you're looking at the sharksucker's belly and mouth along the front edge.
The tang STILL wasn't real crazy about it, though!
BOTH fish are about 10".

 

[chandler04]

I DO have a modem, and I nice one too. Optimum online is the way to go man. Please, send pics. I would love to see em. Yea, id think that tang wouldn't like the remora too much. Thanx for looking conogre.

Chandler044@aol.com

 

[conogre]

My pleasure...are those yellow rays? If so, they're one of the smaller vaieties and you might just get them to breeed with good food and a cuople of years worth of TLC.

 

[gasguzzler]

No, a pair of urobatis halleri.

 

[conogre]

These are definitely breedable in a home aquarium if you decide to give it a try.
Maturity (sexual) usually takes 2.5-3 years with a fall breeding period which is probably largely decided by photoperiods, so you have two workable options if you decide to try it.
What's worked for me is to place the tank in a room with windows that have an eastern view, even though your lights may be on a timer, which gives a seasonal "dawn" light period that can trigger breeding (we had symbiotic hermit crab anemones sexually reproduce in one of our tanks by accident, with the additional window light finally being determined as the causative trigger....we had tiny little anemones on every snail, rock and invertebrate in the tank! **grin**)
A second method would be to set your timers on the average length of daylight for California in about 2 years, but I strongly suggest the first, if possible.
One of the scientific sites (as opposed to hobbyist oriented), by the way, said "sexual differences unknown".
Do you think the claspers were too tough for them?
SOMEBODY flunked zoology but got their degree anyway!!!!