Motoro Sting Ray Help Please******

[rrxx11rrxx11]

hi,
i have currently got 3 mature tanks with a varity of tropical fish incuding 2 puffers on there own.
i have looked into getting two stingrays! i have done a lot of reserch on the net and this site which has been very helpfull.
looking about there is a wide choose of opinon's to follow.
i have opened this topic to narrow my path of opinions to follow.
iam very aware that these are not easy to keep and need a large tank(i have) but as a keen person with time and effort and having owned tanks for a few years now i feel the time is right.
i have a few question's.

temp? 24 to 27?

food? cut up mussles,blood worm,pellets?

sand bottom with no features or a few?maybe small stones with soft edge?

how do you tell male or female?

how bad can the sting be?

can you feed from your hand.

please add any comment's you can about stingray's all the info will be a great help.
thankyou.

 

[CFC]

Sexing stingrays is fairly simple, males have modified ventral fins which form claspers that look like rolled up pancakes, it can be difficult to see on very small immature males but should be quite visible on specimens over 6 months old.

The sting "can" be fatal, but in most cases it is just extremely painful and requires a course of antibiotics after some medical attention to remove any parts of the stinger left in the wound, in short just dont get stung!

Feeding by hand is possible with some training (for the fish) but i dont personally recommend it, making dangerous fish over familiar with your hands just makes any in tank maintenance more difficult.

Temperature, yes that is the accepted range and once acclimatised properly rays will hungrily devour any meaty morsels you offer them, some even eat pellets.

If you are keeping two its best to keep 2 females together, a sexually mature male can overly harass a single female so if mixed sex groups are kept 2 or more females to 1 male ratios are better.

Small specimens appreciate a little decore in the tank which they can easily move about over to explore and dig under, large adults prefer a completely bare tank with just a sand substrate.

 

[helterskelter]

I've never keped them but like your self it's on my wish list when i have th space

temp sounds fine, decor is fine (as little as possible), good meaty fish and shell fish are best.

Sexing, male have two tubical extending from eith side of the base of the tail, this is their sexual organ.

Hand feeding is very possible and seen many time done.

If are stung place under very hot water anf goto hospital ASAP with the deatails of the fish.


I belive this above to be true but I'm sure as ever some who's keped them will correct something.

Helter

 

[T1KARMANN]

to tell the truth they are not that hard to take care of if when you buy them make sure they are feeding and your filteration is over kill

the other key is water changes do loads of them and more as the rays grow start of doing 25% water changes per week then do 2 x 25% water changes per week when the rays hit 10inch disk

a UV is also a very good bit of kit to own

i keep my temp around the 84f mark as i find it makes the rays more active

the main ? you hear from any new ray keeper is "i cant get my new ray feeding, help"

in the rays you want from a shop that knows what they are doing then get them to show you the rays are feeding if the ray doesnt feed then walk away on look somewere else dont listern to the they have already been fed today crap shops tell you a happy health ray will never turn food away

if the ray is feeding leave a deposit tell the shop not to feed them and pick them up the next day as rays dont travel great

rays that are not feeding should only be purchased buy people who know what they are doing with rays

 

[rrxx11rrxx11]

thanks very much for your help,
you comments have been very helpfull.

 

[rrxx11rrxx11]

hi,
just like to add 1 small question if i may....
would running a temp of 84f be a little to warm for other fish in the same tank as a ray?
thanks for your hlp

any more tip's of anyone would be great.
cheers

 

[T1KARMANN]

hi,
just like to add 1 small question if i may....
would running a temp of 84f be a little to warm for other fish in the same tank as a ray?
thanks for your hlp

any more tip's of anyone would be great.
cheers

i run my tank at 84f all the time and at 88f in the summer when i have trouble keeping it cool just make sure the tank is well airated

 

[rrxx11rrxx11]

hi,
well i have just picked my two motoro ray's
i have a stable temp of 82 and aim to raise very slightly as you have said.
i have a fine sand bottom which has been down for about two months.
one of the rays is up and down and around the tank playing with the sand all the time.(great to watch)
the other one has buried him self with just his eyes popping out the sand.
i have no decoration,just sand bottom,id like somthing in the tank but i m just waiting to find somthing right.
i have a few top dwelling fish in there that the rays dont seem to mind..
what fish is it ok to put in with ray's.
im wondering why one is very active and the other isnt,but hey, they just been moved from fish shop to my tank!! . so may be upsettled.

thanks for yor help.
i will keep you updated.

 

[cane76]

congratulations on the new rays
did you get two females?how big are the rays?get some pics posted so we can see
dont worry my little male motoro buried himself for weeks when i first got him they just need to settle in.
what size tank are they in?and what are the top dwellers you allready have?
sorry for all the questions but its hard to suggest tank mates without knowing these things

 

[rrxx11rrxx11]

hi,
im realy happy with them.
BOTH are now swimming about!
the tanks is 240 litres.
fish in tank with rays are couple of true rummynose tetra
5 neon tetra (may take out as they are showing slight intrest in the rays) and 4 mollys which stay fairly near the top all the time.

im new to the site and have never posted pics before so not sure on how to do it.also havent taken any yet!.


cheers

 

[cane76]

im assuming they are in a grow out tank?

 

[rrxx11rrxx11]

yes, or course
when they reach around a year old they will be moved to a LARGER tank
cheers

the rays are about 8 cm

 

[cane76]

sorry had to ask are they feeding yet?

 

[rrxx11rrxx11]

lol
i havent tried yet.
ive just brought froozen bloodworm,small live shrimp,and some mussles which i will cut up.
not sure what to try first .
what do you think of the neon's starting to get close (2inch's away) to the rays.
male female i cant tell!!!!!

 

[cane76]

i cant see the neons causing any problems.
im not sure you will be able to sex them at that size 8cm is so small.males might have 2 little dangly bits under the base of the tail.
what were they feeding on at the lfs?im guessing bloodworms and maybe shrimp is all they will eat