lionfish28
Member
What size tank would i need for a stingray?There's a pet store about 20miles a way from my houe that sells 3inbaby stingrays.And would i beable to hose it in a 55 for a few months?:notsure:
stingray!
- Thread starter lionfish28
- Start date
alison
Member
:happyfish It depends on the stingray. The blue dot stingray requires a minimum of 150 gal. when adult. The green kind nedd a minimum of 300gal! I think your ok with a 60 gal for now if they are very small, but they grow fairly quick, so be prepared. Oh, and make sure it's a 60 gal long not high. They need a lot of bottom swimming space on sand or mud. Good luck
greatfullreefer
Active Member
The oval-shaped body of the blue spot stingray can be up to 3 feet (90 cm) in diameter. This ray is mainly a yellowish-olive color with bright blue spots all over the top. The brightly-colored blue polka dot skin is warning coloration. Warning coloration alerts other animals that it is poisonous or venomous.
This ray also has countershading, meaning its dorsal or back side is dark and the ventral or belly side is light. When viewed from below, the white belly blends in with the sunny waters above. When viewed from above the dark, splotchy back blends in with the dark ocean floor below.
The tail has stripes of the same color blue as the body and is almost twice the length. It has a large tail barb and an additional medium-sized barb.
Vivid yellow eyes are located high on the head toward the front of the body. The position of the eyes allows the blue spot stingray to see almost behind it. A large spiracle or hole in the head that helps the stingray breathe is located just behind each eye. The gills and mouth are found on the underside of the body.
Habitat
Blue spot stingrays live alone or in small groups on the sandy and rocky bottoms of coral reefs to depths of 65 feet (20 m). They are usually found on the deeper reef areas but move up to shallower reef flats and lagoons at high tide. As the tide drops, blue spot stingrays hide in reef caves, under tabletop corals and overhangs. Unlike most stingrays, blue spots rarely bury themselves in the sand.
Range
These stingrays live in the warm waters of the Pacific Ocean and the Red Sea.
Diet
As the tide rises, groups of blue spot stingrays swarm to shallow, sandy reef flats. There they feed on worms, shrimp, crabs, mollusks and small fish. After they eat, they settle under the sand to rest in coral caves or on the reef bottom. These rays most often eat during the day, but sometimes eat at night.
This ray overpowers its prey, pinning it to the bottom with those huge wing-like fins. The blue spot stingray doesn't really have teeth—instead, the mouth is outfitted with food-crushing plates. Located on the bottom of the body, the mouth of the blue spot stingray is perfect for scooping up animals hiding in the sand.
Reproduction
Blue spot stingrays are ovoviviparous. This means they give birth to live pups or baby rays after the young develop inside egg cases inside the uterus. Egg cases are thin, leathery cases that protect each developing pup. Each developing egg is enclosed within an individual egg case. A developing pup feeds off its egg's yolk. The pups remain inside the egg cases until fully developed and then hatch out while still inside the mother's uterus. Soon after, the mother gives birth to the pups.
Blue spot stingrays have up to seven pups per litter. When the pups are born, they look like miniature versions of the adults.
Threats and Management
The blue spot stingray is classified as stable, although it faces many population threats and is close to being qualified as vulnerable.
These stingrays are hunted throughout their range by near shore fishers. These near shore habitats like coral reefs are also being destroyed by people due to poisoning by farming aids like pesticides and fertilizers and by cyanide, used to capture reef animals for the pet trade.
Because this fish is very unique, it is frequently collected for the pet trade. But these rays don't make good pets. Blue spot stingrays get so big, they outgrow most home aquariums.
Reefs are being destroyed throughout the western Pacific. Blue spot stingrays rely on coral reefs to live. As the health of coral reefs decline, the amount of these stingrays decline.
This ray also has countershading, meaning its dorsal or back side is dark and the ventral or belly side is light. When viewed from below, the white belly blends in with the sunny waters above. When viewed from above the dark, splotchy back blends in with the dark ocean floor below.
The tail has stripes of the same color blue as the body and is almost twice the length. It has a large tail barb and an additional medium-sized barb.
Vivid yellow eyes are located high on the head toward the front of the body. The position of the eyes allows the blue spot stingray to see almost behind it. A large spiracle or hole in the head that helps the stingray breathe is located just behind each eye. The gills and mouth are found on the underside of the body.
Habitat
Blue spot stingrays live alone or in small groups on the sandy and rocky bottoms of coral reefs to depths of 65 feet (20 m). They are usually found on the deeper reef areas but move up to shallower reef flats and lagoons at high tide. As the tide drops, blue spot stingrays hide in reef caves, under tabletop corals and overhangs. Unlike most stingrays, blue spots rarely bury themselves in the sand.
Range
These stingrays live in the warm waters of the Pacific Ocean and the Red Sea.
Diet
As the tide rises, groups of blue spot stingrays swarm to shallow, sandy reef flats. There they feed on worms, shrimp, crabs, mollusks and small fish. After they eat, they settle under the sand to rest in coral caves or on the reef bottom. These rays most often eat during the day, but sometimes eat at night.
This ray overpowers its prey, pinning it to the bottom with those huge wing-like fins. The blue spot stingray doesn't really have teeth—instead, the mouth is outfitted with food-crushing plates. Located on the bottom of the body, the mouth of the blue spot stingray is perfect for scooping up animals hiding in the sand.
Reproduction
Blue spot stingrays are ovoviviparous. This means they give birth to live pups or baby rays after the young develop inside egg cases inside the uterus. Egg cases are thin, leathery cases that protect each developing pup. Each developing egg is enclosed within an individual egg case. A developing pup feeds off its egg's yolk. The pups remain inside the egg cases until fully developed and then hatch out while still inside the mother's uterus. Soon after, the mother gives birth to the pups.
Blue spot stingrays have up to seven pups per litter. When the pups are born, they look like miniature versions of the adults.
Threats and Management
The blue spot stingray is classified as stable, although it faces many population threats and is close to being qualified as vulnerable.
These stingrays are hunted throughout their range by near shore fishers. These near shore habitats like coral reefs are also being destroyed by people due to poisoning by farming aids like pesticides and fertilizers and by cyanide, used to capture reef animals for the pet trade.
Because this fish is very unique, it is frequently collected for the pet trade. But these rays don't make good pets. Blue spot stingrays get so big, they outgrow most home aquariums.
Reefs are being destroyed throughout the western Pacific. Blue spot stingrays rely on coral reefs to live. As the health of coral reefs decline, the amount of these stingrays decline.
lionfish28
Member
AWSOME info!
tony detroit
Active Member
Bluespotted Ribbontail Rays have a poor success rate in captivity. I am not sure if you are talking about the blue spot ray or the blue spot ribbontail ray, but the ribbontail is the one more commonly seen in stores, and will usually cease eating for no apparent reason.
Sea world has trouble keeping those rays. Don't buy one. Look into yellow or cali rays for captivity. Yellows are better for higher temp water. Rays DO grow fast. Mine is as big as a frisbee now, maybe just a tad smaller, and I've only had her a year and a half.
Sea world has trouble keeping those rays. Don't buy one. Look into yellow or cali rays for captivity. Yellows are better for higher temp water. Rays DO grow fast. Mine is as big as a frisbee now, maybe just a tad smaller, and I've only had her a year and a half.