So it looks like after a long wait for the Stingrays; The
Stingrays are coming to the shop and should be available on Thursday 12-19. The
vast majority of rays are not finicky eaters, and once you get them eating, be
prepared for their voracious appetites and fun personalities!
Housing for
Rays:
Freshwater stingrays are inherently messy fish, so the
bigger the aquarium is, the better. These fish require good water quality, and
a larger tank with less drastic fluctuations in water chemistry and/or temperature
over any given time. A larger canister
filter is preferred over any internal filter as your ray may break it. They are
not overly picky about pH as long as it is not extreme and a good temperature
for rays is between 80-84f. Many keepers of rays recommend tanks at least in
the 100-200 gallon range. However, the most important consideration in
selecting your aquarium is horizontal surface area, as rays spend most of their
time on the bottom actively searching for food. Decorations and plants can be
summed up this way; Keep it minimal. Sand is preferred over gravel as rays like
to bury themselves in the sand and wait for a tasty worm. Do not use decorations with sharp edges-- you
don't want your ray's disc to get cut or scraped. The more unobstructed swimming
room is provided, the better.
The
best foods:
live chopped up night crawlers
uncooked shrimp (with or without
shells)
Small live crayfish
raw fish, including smelt, silversides,
and pollock .
Some aquarists stuff the food with
vitamin-fortified pellets for added nutritive value, or inject feeder goldfish
with vitamins and let the rays hunt them down. However, the nutritive value of
goldfish is questionable (they are quite high in fat), and they often carry
parasites such as anchorworm that can make your rays very sick, so I recommend
you not use them at all.(For any fish as a food item) Some can be trained to the Repashy Meat Lovers
gel foods as well.
Worms are a very good choice for
newly-acquired rays. They are nearly all digestible protein, and the ray will
probably end up metabolizing or storing around 80% of the total calories.
Chopped nightcrawlers are the best way to beef up and energize a skinny and
inactive ray. If you're feeding smaller rays or trying to get a new specimen to
eat, live blackworms are probably your best bet.
These fish will literally eat until
they can no longer move, so no matter how hungry they seem, don't give into
their begging. Three or four nightcrawlers per day should serve as a good
starting point for determining the appropriate ration for your fish-- feed more
or less as you feel is needed. When your fish are done feeding, always remember
to remove uneaten food from the aquarium to avoid fouling the water. Live
blackworms (a.k.a. "baby food") are the best way to feed young rays.
They can be expensive and expire rather quickly if not kept adequately
refrigerated and washed daily.
Species:
We are getting; Potamotrygon reticulata (Günther, 1880)
Common name: Reticulated,Teacup or long-tail stingray
Range: Surinaum
Adult size: 30cm (12”)
P. reticulata can be distinguished from other
freshwater stingray species based on its unusually long, pointed tail, flatter
body shape, and smaller eyes. Their color pattern usually consists of numerous
small, indistinct, light-colored blotches on a darker base color. As their name
suggests, they are one of the smallest species of freshwater stingray, rarely
if ever exceeding a disc diameter of 12 inches. Most of the small freshwater
stingrays sold under the name "teacup stingray" belong to this
species, although P. histrix and P. orbignyi are occasionally
given this distinction as well.
We are also getting; Potamotrygon motoro (Müller
& Henle, 1841)
Common name: Motoro stingray
Range: Rio Paraná (mid and lower), Rio Uruguay (mid), Rio
de la Plata, Rio Cuiabá, Rio Guaporé, Rio Negro, Rio Branco, Rio Araguaia, Rio
Tocantins, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Paraguay
Adult size: 50 cm (16”)
There are at least two different Rays being sold as P.
motoro, I have seen them advertised as Blue ring and yellow ring motoros. The
Common P. motoro is a hardy ray although more expensive.
These fish will be available to buy and live black worms
will be available as well to feed your Rays.
If you have questions, please feel free to ask us, we are
happy to help you with all of your aquarium needs and questions.
