Tea Cup Rays

[tdins_2]

just curious about them any infos good, experiences to, tank size food etc.

 

[fishing4exotics]

Teacup ray (Potamotrygon reticulatus) grow to be about 12" plus another 8" for the tail. P. retuculatus need a 2 foot wide tank when it is full grown. They are the smallest of the Potamotrygon family of rays. They are also one of the hardier rays to keep, IMO. In the wild their diet consists of worms, crusoceans, and small fish. In the aquarium you can feed them worms and train them to eat frozen market shrimp and small pieces of smelt. All stingrays are livebearers. The males have 2 claspers, 1 on each side of their tail. The females don't. That is the way I sex stingrays.

Freshwater stingrays are one of my favorite types of fish. I have kept several species. The teacup ray is a good ray to start with

 

[tdins_2]

i figured they were the best rays for me cause of there size, and i can get them easily.
how would one live with a clown knife. and are they easy to care for

 

[fishing4exotics]

I'm affraid your clown knife can become too aggressive for your ray. If your ray was one of the larger species of Potamotrygon the combination might work.

 

[CFC]

There is no such thing as a tea cup stingray, this is just a generic term used by wholesalers and fish stores to describe very small unidentified rays which usually turn out to be reticulatus, hysterix or laticeps. Females of all these species can grow as large as 18 inches across the disc though males are smaller.
It is highly unadvisable for anyone to buy a tea cup ray as their first ray (or ever to be honest), these small rays are highly sensative to changes and can be difficult to feed, with all rays water quality is of the upmost importance but tea cups are especially sensative, if you are keen on rays and have a suitable sized tank then one of the larger and hardier species such as P.motoro or P.leopoldi with a disc of at least 6 inches across and already feeding well would suit you better.

 

[fishing4exotics]

Other Potamotrygon like P. hysterix can be mislabled as a teacup ray. But I don't think the other species of rays will sell for the same price as Potamotrygon reticulatus or a hysterix. We are talking $40 and under. Any other ray, even a Motoro pup will not be that cheap. At $40 and under I believe the TRUE Teacup ray (Potamotrygon reticulatus) is one of the better rays to start with. A P. leopoldi will set you back about $300 for a pup (6") and I wouldn't buy a leo less than 9". Leos, Motoros, and any of the larger species are sensative as pups. The Teacup ray (Potamotrygon reticulatus) is full grown at 12" and a 4" is like a leo at 9". Leos can grow to over 2 feet in diameter.

I have kept several species of freshwater rays in the past. Considering the low initial inverstment, the size, the smaller tank they need, and how hardy Teacup ray (Potamotrygon reticulatus) are I believe them to be one of the better rays to start with.

 

[andywg]

There is no TRUE teacup ray. It is a name used to label unknown rays for shops that are selling rays that are too young and are too lazy to find out which species it is.

 

[fishing4exotics]

I just did a search on "teacup stingray" and on the 1st page there was a list of sites describing ONLY the Teacup ray (Potamotrygon reticulatus). If teacup rays don't exist then why do so many stingray sites say it is Potamotrygon reticulatus? Teacup rays might be mislabled but that does not mean they don't exist. I see them mislabeling Zebra plecos, does it mean that there is no true Zebra pleco (L46)? Yes there is a true Zebra pleco.

 

[CFC]

It is well accepted ammoungst stingray keepers world wide that tea cup is just a generic name for any ray under 5 inches, it is just co incidence that they usually turn out to be reticulatus though i have seen both laticeps and hysterix being sold under the tea cup moniker.

Here is another thread from a site with many experienced stingray keepers discussing tea cup rays http/forums.waterwolves.com/index.php?showtopic=96534

 

[fishing4exotics]

The ray that is pictured in the thread is a Teacup ray (Potamotrygon reticulatus). I am a forum specialist on WaterWolves. The freshwater stingray experts on that site did not comment about there not being a teacup ray in existance in that thread. The 2 freshwater stingray specialist Flyingsaucer owner and Venom Stinger both stated the ray pictured in the thread is a reticulated ray. Flying saucer, "Yes they are P. Reticulatus
A 75 gallon would be fine as a grow out tank for one of them". and Venom Stinger, "you can keep a Retic in a 75 for years...but i would get atleast a 180 for it in its adult life."

 

[CFC]

Well there is certainly no point arguing about whether tea cup rays officially exist or not, as long as the correct scientific name is applied then the proper sizes and care information can be found. In England the name teacup ray is commonly given to any small ray that is not immiedietly identifiable (usually in shops of lesser repute and with rays so small they shouldnt be for sale yet) though things may be different on the American side of the pond.


There was also this quote

Depending upon the species purchased (teacup is a generic name for anything under 5") you will need to upgrade to at least a 180. A 300+ may be in order. Growth rate will depend on the species.

 

[fishing4exotics]

Common names do confuse the species of fish. Wholesalers and the retailers do label fish as they please. There is no definate right or wrong to the confusion.

 

[Paul_MTS]

From first hand experience I wouldn't of chosen a retic as my first ray as it was a pain to get enough food down them. The only fed on bloodworm at first, then froozen river shrimp and krill aswell, but never moved onto the bigger meatier foods that other rays so readily accpet like lance fish, mussels, cockles and prawns. So huge blocks of the smaller foods had to be fed to get there weight up, to do this safely in a smaller tank it would of played havoc with the water chemistry, this is in a 210g.

P. Scobina is the smallest ray, growing to 12".