My new pup, 1st time owner

2songbirds

Gambusia
MFK Member
Jan 31, 2009
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101.JPGIntroducing Shange, a female motoro pup I found from a local private breeder amazingly enough on Craigslist, but he's also on Aquabid (exoticfishpgh)!! I walked into my LFS after going out for my birthday, they had a pair and took all my willpower to walk out of the store...plus the price of them helped me walk away!!! Anyways, I will definitely be doing business with Nate (exoticfishpgh) again as he was resourceful and very considerate, making sure she was going to a "good home" as I call it, and very very reasonable prices.

098.JPGAs I'm a first time ray keeper, I would gladly accept any tips...also any questions to help these tips along...I tried doing my homework/research as this really wasn't a spontaneous buy. I really wanted a pair years ago, hubby said no after me begging and begging him. He wouldn't give in. He was afraid that at the time 1) our achara would get hurt as the cat was much smaller back then and the pair of rays were bigger than the cat 2) me getting hurt taking care of the tank 3) too much money being spent on a "dead" fish if it died (too quickly) ....keep in mind, I've broken HIM into the hobby, he just kinda goes with it...he more or less has one fish out of 6 tanks, and that's only cuz I special ordered it for him, knowing he always wanted one-the dang beast of cats, a rtc...

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Now, I know how big they get, the motoro's are bigger, females will get bigger than males I believe. They are hardier, less sensitive to water conditions, but still sensitive. I am forced to do regular water changes with this tank.

I have 1 tablespoon salt/5 gallons water in her tank. Is that good? Too much or too little?

I use NO heaters in my tanks. Too many bad experiences with heaters boiling my fish by going haywire. Temp in her tank is 75*, room temp.

Her tank is 75g, as a grow out...48 x 18 x 18/20 whichever it is high...

3 hoplo catfish as tankmates, mainly to keep the tank clean, algae control, etc.

She eats twice a day: early morning and later afternoon- frozen bloodworms and frozen shrimp, cut up. Sucha piggie too.

Sand is about 4" deep on open side of tank, less so on the side with a big fake tree stump for her to go under.

Filtration is one FX5. Tank is not filled all the way, about 2 inches below black trim with the one outlet nozzle faced upward as much as it will go to agitate water surface. I'm not happy about the filtration as I love MEGA filtration...What else would you recommend? I have overhead pumps from UV lights, I didn't hook her's up yet (UV light). Those pumps don't do much as they need to run slower to zap the water (have them on the 2 bigger tanks). I would love to hook up another FX5 to this tank, but that's another $300...

What else can I do for the ray? I didn't test the water. I have a good kit, it tests ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, ph all ranges, and an oxygen test. I just don't do them. When I set up her tank, as she wasn't compatible in the 125g, we had to hurry up and set up the 75g out of storage, we got an unused FX5 out of storage too...swapped FX5's from the 125g...so Shange's tank is using the FX5 from the 125g with the established bacteria load, filled the tank half way from the water from the 125g and the 265g, then rest of it with regular water. Doing small water changes every other day to help the tank cycle for next 2 weeks as I'm preparing for either a bacteria bloom or a crash...please, comments and questions/criticisms. And, yes, I know she gets big, and she will be moved accordingly grow out to grow out tank as we also have up and running a 125 and 265g and are building an indoor pond/tank, another thread for that one!!! And, my 9 year old daughter named the stingray Shange after a book she read in school as she really wanted a ray too as my kids LOVE the exhibit at the zoo...

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yargnits

Piranha
MFK Member
Mar 19, 2011
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Leeds, UK.
it sounds like the ray has gone to a nice home and you already know what your doing :)

if you have problems with heaters you could try getting a smaller heater that wouldnt be able to over heat the water even if it stayed on all the time but i think i would have the temperature a little higher myself but im not sure its essential as long as she is eating fine.

dont put the ray with the rtc unless there is no way it could be folded up and swallowed !

the substrate could be a little deep ? the deep substrate could house anaerobic bacteria and the ray would be exposed to this when digging in for food etc.
the only other thing i would mention is that as the ray grows it will be able to move tank ornaments around. someone i knew had a big hard ornament in the tank and came home to a wet floor and a lot of dead fish.

sounds like you have done your research and are aware of the weekly water changes so im sure shes going to do well.

good luck and welcome to the club :D
 

2songbirds

Gambusia
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Jan 31, 2009
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about the depth of the sand-it's deeper than what I'd like. In my 125g, I keep that one no more than 2 inches. But, I thought I read somewhere that rays like to have deeper sand, around 4" to bury themselves into. I told hubby I didn't like it cuz of the possibilities of anaerobic bacteria pockets forming in the sand, but I've noticed she's always digging it up and fluffing it up, so to speak. It's only deeper on one end. All I have to do is spread it out more, easy fix.

As for the rtc, NO!!! That is a beast meant to be by himself in the long run!! At least if he gets a foot bigger than the achara, but I believe they're mates and hoping they'll breed once we get them in the bigger pond. The ray wasn't compatible with the achara x tsn in the 125g, thus the ray is all by herself, and quite happy.

Once the bigger cats get moved out of the 265g, this tank will be for the stingray, and maybe get her a mate...but it's only 2 feet wide. That's another issue I'll deal with in a couple years. The pond we're building will have dividers in it, like separate tanks but it's all one-no more talking about that cuz I'm not spoiling the fun!! Plus, we're still getting the materials...blueprints are drawn up, figuring filtration (my department)...

What about the salt? I didn't see anything on the stickies or online in general...I can't drive (seizure) so I can't just go out and buy a book on rays right now :-(
 

KNH

Redtail Catfish
MFK Member
Jun 12, 2005
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Perhaps remove some of the decor as the ray will grow fast and will need the floor space. Good luck with the new ray.
 

yargnits

Piranha
MFK Member
Mar 19, 2011
925
100
76
Leeds, UK.
you can get books delivered if you really want them.

re the salt the majority of people i know and have read about dont use any salt unless possibly treating for something.

tbh i read all i could in books ( which wasnt much ) but they werent very helpful other than to say that rays are sensitive and are carnivors. im sure the newer books are much better though.

im sure you will be fine good luck and welcome to ray keeping :)
 

2songbirds

Gambusia
MFK Member
Jan 31, 2009
473
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ok, good..regarding the salt. Everytime I go to any LFS and tell them for the past 15 years that I do NOT use salt, they seriously scorn me. I just started using salt in the bigger tanks in the past month. Actually, the 265g has just seen salt with me for the 1st time, as has the cats for the first time...the 125g tank, which we got brand new 10 years ago just recently had salt put into it, dissolved first of course, last week which means the fish there haven't had any salt since fish store days, and they aren't new by any means. I thought it was a necessity...and wanted to do everything possible for the ray...

So, the ray really doesn't need the salt?? Can I safely with water changes over time take out the salt as I did with the other fish?

I know how to do salt dips as a medication treatment, I'm that "old school"...and I've done them, with covering the tanks to keep the lights out too. I don't use medicine (other than doing bigger water changes) in my tanks, actually have UV lights for them installed but not plugged in, only used when need be (algae bloom, bacteria bloom, parasites, etc).

Now, I did read somewhere that salt helps keep the nitrites at bay if they're a problem. I did test the water tonight. Nitrites in this tank are zero. Nitrates are a different issue...I've been doing 20 percent water changes as I said in an earlier post to help with the cycling. I tested the 125g and the 265g as well. All 3 tanks read at a higher nitrate level so I'm not doing good water changes, which I admit I suck at with the 2 bigger tanks, but promise to keep up with the ray's tank as she's more sensitive. Very high level, like blood red level, and yes, I"m admitting this....All the filters are cleaned too this month. Ammonia and nitrite are good so they've cycled through that. But, does salt help the nitrites???
 

2songbirds

Gambusia
MFK Member
Jan 31, 2009
473
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Perhaps remove some of the decor as the ray will grow fast and will need the floor space. Good luck with the new ray.
I put in the plants as a filler as it was so empty and the big fake tree stump for a cave for her as I read that they like stuff like "that" to hide in. I know she needs room to swim, thus the one side is open, and deeper with sand and she openly swims too mid level which is really cool...that's also the same side for outlet of the filter. I plan on adjusting the tank though as she grows, not sure how, but it's hers as she grows...until she gets moved to the next tank, then the next one, etc...
 

2songbirds

Gambusia
MFK Member
Jan 31, 2009
473
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