big rays

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scott s

scott s

Redtail Catfish
MFK Member
Sep 11, 2010
2,781
677
150
Indiana
I realize female motoros can grow to 30"+.
Those of you with 20"+ female motoros I have a couple questions. Did you buy your females as wild caught adults ( 18"+ ) or are they captive born? If captive born, at what age did your female reach the 20" mark ( 25", 30" )?
I have read for years that captive born fish do not get as large as their wild counterparts. I realize that water quality, food intake, genetic make up and tank size factor in, just curious if these 30" monsters were wild caught as adults or if most captive born rays will reach these impressive sizes.
I suppose that these results would go for Leos and henlei's also.
Thanks alot.
 
My big girl was imported at 6-8 inches I believe......

5-6 years later she's about 20" across. She is a Marble though..... Seems high quality Marbles grow MUCH slower then average Marbles or normal Motoros.
 
My wild caught Motoro female was like 6-inches when I got her in Feb 2008. I just gave her away at 26-27 inch diameter (and heavy) a month ago......she was 20-inches in around a year......I think she was a genetic monster, as she grew that big in a 240 gallon (6' x 30"wide) with several cichlids and a smaller male hystrix.....I miss her, but she is now in a great home at H2O Custom Aquatics.....She will be in a huge pond, something almost none of us could give our rays.....
 
The false theory that fish grow smaller in captivity derives from the time before routine water changes became a norm in aquarium maintenance (perform a search on methamoglobin and methamoglobinemia in aquaria). Maintaining proper water parameters (and providing a varied diet) will yield fish that will grow (at least) as large as their wild counterparts.
 
I got a female I believe was captive born about 3 months ago at around 6 inches. She's grown about 2 inches across in about 3 months. I feed once to twice a day and give a large variety of food. My male is smaller and not growing as fast which is normal as males do not get as big and are less aggressive eaters.
 
rup_pilot;4768407; said:
I got a female I believe was captive born about 3 months ago at around 6 inches. She's grown about 2 inches across in about 3 months. I feed once to twice a day and give a large variety of food. My male is smaller and not growing as fast which is normal as males do not get as big and are less aggressive eaters.
Click to expand...
My male is a pig and will eat to its has a potbelly and very aggressive when food is around
 
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