Blue Spotted Stingray

**mrcoba92** · 09-28-2012, 1:31 AM

I have found some very interesting information about the blue spotter stingray/ribbontail (Taeniura Lymma)

Well, I thought to myself in February of 2011 and decided I wanted one of these rays. So first I did a ton of research, then in July, I went out the the best LFS in the area, and special ordered one of these rays, he was 8" from his head to the end of his tail, at that size, he was going to be kept in a 75 gallon tank, by himself, with open sand, and one small rock in the corner. I had a 220 gallon being planned at the time but that never ended up happening, so I went ahead as planned. (this is where it starts to get interesting) During acclimation, I would check on him every 30 minutes, I found that there is a point where acclimation can take too long. There wouldn't be enough water coming in at once to keep the temperature stable, I have found that 3-4 hours worked best. Anyway, after about a month of keeping him, he was really starting to get active, he would start to beg for food, and start to swim up to your hand even if you had no food in it. He also started to eat more. I have found that mollusks and silversides where the best combination of foods for this ray. Also at about 6 months in, he started to swim around allot more and he had started eating allot more too. Nothing really changed after that, then about 4 nights ago, he died. He had scratched himself the rock in the tank and his skin must have gotten infected. At this point he was getting pretty big, and was just about ready to move to a friend with a 350 gallon tank. I think he would have lived a lot longer too, but he did not. The point of this is, that these rays can by the common hobbyist, but it takes allot of work an money. Water changes must be weakly to keep the water the best it can be. And don't use the tap water either, use water bought from a store. Anyway, I am trying again with another ray, and I hope it goes better than the last one.

**montyblue** · 09-28-2012, 7:18 AM

Interesting. Such a beautiful ray, and yet I've heard few being kept with any luck! Were there any pics posted from the keeper?

**DIDYSIS** · 09-28-2012, 7:48 AM

Sounds so similar to our freshwater rays. Lots of work and money. :rolleyes:

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**montyblue** · 09-28-2012, 7:51 AM

LOL!

**MonsterMinis** · 09-28-2012, 11:13 AM

My husband wants one of these... our lfs has a beautiful one doing well in a large pond. standard sw care doesnt apply to these guys.. reguardless imo one of the most attractive rays. for such a small fish they need a big tank.

**mrcoba92** · 09-28-2012, 5:21 PM

Yep, they do take allot of extra care. And as for pictures, I don't have very manny. The camera I have make everything in the tank look blue -__- so unfortunately, no I don't have any pictures. But do have two of my new ray.