Sting Rays!!!
- Thread starter barryi
- Start date
polarpooch
Active Member
Another species that stays relatively small is the blue spotted stingray, a little higher in price but extremely euatiful.
The Bluespotted Ribbontail Ray (commonly the Bluespotted Stingray in stores) IS gorgeous--but almost ALL guides will tell you that 95 percent of these things don't make it a month in captivity.
There is another kind of bluespotted stingray that is a bit hardier, but they are a fair bit larger...they are NOT the nifty ribbontail rays you see often in pet stores/LFS. They have more of a "whiptail" than "ribbontail". In fact, I've never seen one for sale around these parts. Scott Michael's "Aquarium Sharks and Rays" is a good book for info on this ray...and lots of other rays in the aquarium trade. It also provides info on minimum tank size for each ray.
Having said that, I've got a Bluespotted Ribbontail. She's doing very well. She cost me $89...I've seen them in pet stores for up to $120.
The Bluespotted Ribbontail Ray (commonly the Bluespotted Stingray in stores) IS gorgeous--but almost ALL guides will tell you that 95 percent of these things don't make it a month in captivity.
There is another kind of bluespotted stingray that is a bit hardier, but they are a fair bit larger...they are NOT the nifty ribbontail rays you see often in pet stores/LFS. They have more of a "whiptail" than "ribbontail". In fact, I've never seen one for sale around these parts. Scott Michael's "Aquarium Sharks and Rays" is a good book for info on this ray...and lots of other rays in the aquarium trade. It also provides info on minimum tank size for each ray.
Having said that, I've got a Bluespotted Ribbontail. She's doing very well. She cost me $89...I've seen them in pet stores for up to $120.
knight_reefer
New Member
A pacific round stingray would work well. Ihave one in an 110gal. Be sure not to add any hermit crabs!!
ac
Member
I don't think that they're not hardy. It's just from what I heard they don't ship well and it can often be difficulty to get them to eat. I think if you over come those hurdles they're very hardy. These are things I heard from others and why I went with the yellow sting rays. I just didn't want to take that chance. HTH
polarpooch
Active Member
barryi:
Here's the deal with Bluespots: they frequently never eat in captivity and starve OR they eat , but only live fare and die of malnutrition, OR they will eat at first, but will stop eating for no apparent reason OR they will eat and seem to be doing fine, but die anyway for no apparent reason. I've read a lot about them and speculation as to why they don't make it ranges from tank size to water quality to types of food to noise levels....but no one agrees on anything.
I have two aquaintences I met through the LFS, both had their Bluespots die. The LFS warned me it would probably die on me--and mentioned one they ordered died in the store . In short, no one can believe she's still alive.
If you have a big enough tank and can commit it to the stingray alone and get lucky from time to time, yours could do well. Just don't get too angry if your new $90 pet dies on you.
Also, I still feel bad for getting one in the first place, given their touchy natures--and for contributing to the demand of an animal that frequently doesn't make it as a pet. I won't be getting another Bluespot for that reason.
Here's the deal with Bluespots: they frequently never eat in captivity and starve OR they eat , but only live fare and die of malnutrition, OR they will eat at first, but will stop eating for no apparent reason OR they will eat and seem to be doing fine, but die anyway for no apparent reason. I've read a lot about them and speculation as to why they don't make it ranges from tank size to water quality to types of food to noise levels....but no one agrees on anything.
I have two aquaintences I met through the LFS, both had their Bluespots die. The LFS warned me it would probably die on me--and mentioned one they ordered died in the store . In short, no one can believe she's still alive.
If you have a big enough tank and can commit it to the stingray alone and get lucky from time to time, yours could do well. Just don't get too angry if your new $90 pet dies on you.
Also, I still feel bad for getting one in the first place, given their touchy natures--and for contributing to the demand of an animal that frequently doesn't make it as a pet. I won't be getting another Bluespot for that reason.
conogre
Member
One of the biggest mistakes people make with rays of all types is gravel size.
The aragonite most commonly used causes abrassions on the underside and to the gills, thus usually have a constant low-grade infection which usually ends up fatal.
The very fine aragonite will work, or even better, sand, as the rays love to bury and even their feeding method (awesome to watch....after they've pounced on prey, they literally shoot jets of snad out of their gills until they finally reach the food)
The aragonite most commonly used causes abrassions on the underside and to the gills, thus usually have a constant low-grade infection which usually ends up fatal.
The very fine aragonite will work, or even better, sand, as the rays love to bury and even their feeding method (awesome to watch....after they've pounced on prey, they literally shoot jets of snad out of their gills until they finally reach the food)