A question about Rays that is burning a hole in my brain...

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malawidave

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Aug 1, 2011
166
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Florida
A question I'd love you ask all you guys and girls who keep rays... whats a generally good dimension of a ray tank... I don't think It'll ever happen, but IF I WERE to have a ray pond/tank... would it be better for it to be rounded or wide and long suffice... also... Depth...?????????????????????

I have no clue... I seen some and I thought It'd be really cool, to keep one, one day. And I'm not reffering to a Manta... Im not that crazy:ROFL:just one of the 10'' - 15'' varieties
 
I say about for a minimum tank size, for the smallest of commonly kept rays (yellow ray) would be a 4-6 foot long by 3-4 foot wide by 2 feet high. Height is an issue in my opinion as rays do lay thier belly on the glass sides frequently searching for food and also helps give more gallonage for the tank itself....bio load.

Im no expert..surprise no one chimed in yet...probably it's been asked and in a sticky I'll check

Rectangular Aquarium = Great For Rays
Round/Circular Aquarium = Best For Rays
 
Long and flat works well, as long as its not too shallow. They do like to come up and check out things on the side and swim in the middle of the water column as well.
 
what about temp. and salinity, I breifly saw something about fresh and brackish rays, are they interchangable? I live in florida between the coast and a large river, Ive caught sharks and rays fishing in the salty inlet, but would they survive say if they went into the brackish to fresh branches?
 
most of the ray exibits I have and infact all have been rounded of some sort, oval kidney shaped and round, after seeing my rays swim round I think my preferance would be a round set up, if I had lots of money and intended to stay in the hobby I would have a 12' round acrylic tank, but not going to happen since neither of the above is happening.:cry:
 
Deano1956 said:
most of the ray exibits I have and infact all have been rounded of some sort, oval kidney shaped and round, after seeing my rays swim round I think my preferance would be a round set up, if I had lots of money and intended to stay in the hobby I would have a 12' round acrylic tank, but not going to happen since neither of the above is happening.:cry:
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why not?... staying in... I understand the money part...
 
malawidave said:
what about temp. and salinity, I breifly saw something about fresh and brackish rays, are they interchangable? I live in florida between the coast and a large river, Ive caught sharks and rays fishing in the salty inlet, but would they survive say if they went into the brackish to fresh branches?
Click to expand...

You're pretty much stuck with strictly saltwater rays since you live in Florida since true freshwater rays are illegal to have there.

The "freshwater" and "brackish" rays that are often found for sale are usually just Atlantic stingrays. These rays can survive in freshwater or brackish conditions, but they do so by expelling a much larger amount of urea than they would in saltwater and require massive water volume and filtration in order to keep up with said urea. In the end, few people, if any, have managed to keep them alive in freshwater or brackish conditions for longer than a few weeks if they're lucky.
 
Salinity should be kept at: 1.020-1.025 best 1.023 IMO
Temp based on what ray/shark you want..common 76-79 degrees

If you can get your hands on the right tank/filteration you will be set to go for sharks and rays
 
Wiggles92 said:
You're pretty much stuck with strictly saltwater rays since you live in Florida since true freshwater rays are illegal to have there.

The "freshwater" and "brackish" rays that are often found for sale are usually just Atlantic stingrays. These rays can survive in freshwater or brackish conditions, but they do so by expelling a much larger amount of urea than they would in saltwater and require massive water volume and filtration in order to keep up with said urea. In the end, few people, if any, have managed to keep them alive in freshwater or brackish conditions for longer than a few weeks if they're lucky.
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oooooooooooooooooooooooh........... that answers that :D Salty it is then!

Salinity should be kept at: 1.020-1.025 best 1.023 IMO
Temp based on what ray/shark you want..common 76-79 degrees

If you can get your hands on the right tank/filteration you will be set to go for sharks and rays​
Click to expand...

The problem really isnt getting my hands on a tank... the problem I have is where to put it... I can build my own tank anyway I want it... but with a 125g, a soon to be 360g, and the reptile enclosure I'm going to have to buy a duplex, one house for me and the other for my animals :ROFL:
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malawidave said:
why not?... staying in... I understand the money part...
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my wife and I would like to get away alittle more often and getting someone to come over and feed the rays is bothersome to me and all our children have their own families now. In a couple of years Comonwealth Edison power company will be raising the rates by 40% out here because a whole bunch of do-gooders protested and got other people worked up about them being to close (coal plant) to too many people so they will have to shut the plants down causing prices to go up, so I think that will be more than I would want to pay for a hobby, so far I have only sold 3 of my Rays and dont want them going to just any place so still hanging on
 
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