before i buy a ray...

[Doradid]

After trying very hard, i just cannot quit the hobby. I sold every fish i own but could not talk myself into selling my niger(13") and irwini(6") cats. So i have a 120 2x2x4 sitting with 2 fish. I've decided i want another aro and maybe some small rays until we move and get a bigger tank. I was looking into motoro and retics. Just wanted to make sure my tank was suitable first.

the tank is again, 2x2x4, i have black sand 2" deep with golfball sized black riverstones scattered throughout the tank. (about 20 or so). There are 2 small pieces of driftwood and 3 plastic plants. 2 marineland stealth heaters =400w, 2 marineland biowheel 350filters and a cascade 1200 canister filter 315gph. filtration =1015gph. temp at 78*, pH at 7.0, nitrates nearly indetectable. (memphis water comes straight from the ground and i do weekly waterchanges)

Also, which sp matures faster, i'd like to attempt breeding one day but cannot afford mature rays.

 

[Just Toby]

You would not keep the Ray in a 120 for very long, they need more space than that.

Depends on what Ray you get but a motoro pup would last a year in there.

 

[FishDog]

Retics are hard to keep or should say acclimate. Go with marble motoros if you can afford. They tend to stay smaller than regular motoros. They do not seem to breed as easily as regular motoros though. Your nitrates are fine now but adding a ray will make them go up and you will need to increase your water changes to probably every 3 days until the rays starts to get bigger.

 

[Just Toby]

Retics are hard to keep or should say acclimate. Go with marble motoros if you can afford. They tend to stay smaller than regular motoros. They do not seem to breed as easily as regular motoros though. Your nitrates are fine now but adding a ray will make them go up and you will need to increase your water changes to probably every 3 days until the rays starts to get bigger.

Totally agree on the nitrates, these things produce it by the bucket load.

 

[Doradid]

Retics are hard to keep or should say acclimate. Go with marble motoros if you can afford. They tend to stay smaller than regular motoros. They do not seem to breed as easily as regular motoros though. Your nitrates are fine now but adding a ray will make them go up and you will need to increase your water changes to probably every 3 days until the rays starts to get bigger.

...until it gets bigger? meaning increase WCs?

 

[Just Toby]

Yes, on that size of tank you will need to be changing water all the time when it gets bigger.

 

[hereticlosmorte]

first things first.

rays are very curious. they have been known to chew and try out things in their tanks. they have been known to chew foam, softer guards and whatnot. those plastic plants don't seem entirely safe from their mouths, and them from it.

if the rocks are small enough for a ray to move/toss, they will. you can end up with nice gashes/scratches or even stars/breaks in your tank.

you will need heater guards.

Is the driftwood sharp? it looks like it's pointed. naturally, i'm sure there's all kind of crap in the rivers, but you want your aquarium as safe as possible for your fish.

motoros are larger than retics considerably, but either way you would have to upgrade your tank to accommodate them as they grow.

i'm currently doing water changes every 3 or so days. they require a LOT of filtration, their bioload is massive. they are not even a yr old yet, still growing.