Rays for aro tankmate?

meiling

Fire Eel
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Nov 7, 2005
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I'm still trying for tankmates for my silver aro, but he keeps eating fish he isn't theoretically supposed to eat. (Then he glares at me cause he's lonely. ) I'm considering a Ray. So, a question to those of you that have rays: What is their temperment towards human counterparts in captivity? My only experience with rays was being aggressively attacked and bitten by a large wild one swimming in Tahiti. I'm a good swimmer but he had a hold on me and was so strong in the water that I came up for air when we came to the surface, but I realized it wasn't letting go, so my feet hit a sandbar and I ripped my hand out of his mouth and it was hard to do. It was a bloody mess or drowning. I just have some scars but that was better than Disney's Tower of Terror! I believe he thought I was food. But I don't know this species well enough to understand them.
 

xrtg

Feeder Fish
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Jun 7, 2005
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should not be a problem I see many of our keepers over here keep rays with their aros. of course you'll need to excercise caution when handling them. just make sure your ray is reasonably larger or about the same size as your aro....else your aro is going to bully it. :)
 

KJP

Candiru
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Mar 7, 2006
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They are a great match normally. Silvers don't normally show any aggression toward rays. I hope though you have a very large tank to keep them both. Rays also need at least weekly large water changes. And if you are not used to keeping rays you really need to read the section on this site about rays. Plus Dr. Ross has a couple of books you should read...Good Luck!
 

Honda12

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A ray or rays should be fine with your aro. I have a silver aro that I am growing up right now in order to go in with my rays. Rays aren't that agressive to people like what happened to you, I just think that, that was a one time thing. My rays are like dogs, the beg for food and are really people friendly. They always come and greet me when I come to the tank, and I can hand feed them and everything. I think it would be a good match if you have a big enough tank.

Just be for warned that rays are like potato chips, you can't stop with just one. They also can rack up a pretty big food bill.
 

cichlid savage

Feeder Fish
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Apr 25, 2006
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Fromw what I have seen (in others tanks) Rays and aros are good together they occupy different levels of the water column so there shouldnt be much competition for space and they look good in the tanks together. Give it a shot!
 

Honda12

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I think most get along, but I wouldn't trust a jardini at all.
 

meiling

Fire Eel
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Well, I was more worried about me than my aro, he's a silver. I might just try it....Do Rays tolerate high ph???The water Parameters are all perfect cept for high ph and really hard water.
 

undey

Feeder Fish
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May 16, 2006
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I have a humerosa (about 8 inches across right now) and a 8.5 inch Silver Aro together. So far neither of them has eaten any of my other fish, but it sounds like your Aro has a different temperment.

From my perspective... If I didn't know any better, I'd almost believe that my Aro doesn't even know that my Ray is there. From time to Tim the Ray leaves the bottom of the tank and swims near the surface, just kind of hovering there. The Aro just kind of stares at him when he's doing that.

Other than that... they leave each other alone.

As I said, your Aro is more agressive than mine so, who knows. I'd say that for 90% of the people out there who do it, they do it with no problem. I even have smaller fish who should have been eaten a long time ago. But... just as most people don't kill other people for no apparent reason... a small percentage do. Your Aro may be in the "unique" category and be a mean bugger to anything that comes into it's territory. Maybe not. There's only one way to find out!

I'd like to know how it goes if you decide to give it a go.

If you like, check out my yourtube video, it shows my Aro and a little of my Ray... Good Luck.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnAJOZyqawg#GU5U2spHI_4

Check it out!
 
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