Hi all, this is my first time posting on this forum and I have never owned a stingray and was thinking about getting one. I have been trying to research about different types of stingrays and I have gotten mixed info about a few of them. There are two lfs around me that have rays. One has Brazilian tea cup rays that are coming in next week and the other has what they listed as Florida rays. From what I have read the brazilian tea cup ray is most likely to be a Reticulated ray (correct me if I am wrong) and the Florida ray is a Freshwater Atlantic ray (it looks like one also). From what I have read they both stay relatively small, but I have read conflicting things on the FA ones. Some places say that they get 12-14" in diameter and others have said that they get up to 24". I have also read that they need a lot of filtration do to them still being equipped for saltwater. Also, for the tea cup rays if they are not Retics what could they possibly be? How be do Retics get? I have heard that the Motoro rays are the easiest to keep, how much more difficult are these two than them? I would get the Motoro but I see they get bigger. I have plenty of fish keeping experience, but like I said this will be my first ray experience. The tank I am starting with will be a 125 gallon grow out tank. My last question is that I have heard that since the Atlantic rays are still built for SW that it would be easier to keep them in SW as oppose to FW is that true? and if so can they be simply transferred to SW?
Brazilian Teacup Stingray? or Freshwater Atlantic/Florida Stingray
- Thread starter D Realist
- Start date
I have the exact same questions. My researching has led me to same inconclusive answers. I was looking at both of these types of rays. The gurus here will have us an answer!
So don't know much about Florida rays, tea cups can either be a retic, a histic, or another type that is eluding me ATM. They are more finicky but with good filtration and reg water changes. You can tell the difference in histic vs retic by their markings, retics have longer tails and a net like pattern on them while histics have blotchy coloration. Histics generally r smaller and hardier then retics and are commonly mistaken, or vise versa
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Stay clear of the Florida rays unless kept in salt, it is not right to keep them and they pass MASSIVE amount of urea in fresh so probably stresses fish and certainly stresses the water.
Teacup is simply "I don't know, it's a small ray" therefore could be anything but more often than not its a retic and many will have died for the one that lives in the lfs, many die abruptly after due to the stress of shipping and ammonia in holding boxes, they do make a good ray though and there are many successful keepers and some breeders on here.
My advice is buy a captive bred hystrix if you want small or anything else captive if you want bigger, they cost more but more likely to live and flourish.
Teacup is simply "I don't know, it's a small ray" therefore could be anything but more often than not its a retic and many will have died for the one that lives in the lfs, many die abruptly after due to the stress of shipping and ammonia in holding boxes, they do make a good ray though and there are many successful keepers and some breeders on here.
My advice is buy a captive bred hystrix if you want small or anything else captive if you want bigger, they cost more but more likely to live and flourish.
So what if I bought a Florida ray and kept it in SW? Would it be hardy? If it would be better for the ray how easy would it be to covert it back to SW from FW?
So, Keebs or Ironwood do either of you know how big exactly the Hystrix get? I thought I read somewhere that the Retics were the smallest.
Retics are small, but they are not the smallest. Since their tail length is so much longer compared to other rays, with respect to their disc size, they actually need a fairly large permanent housing situation. Scobina rays are the smallest, but prepare to dole out a hefty fee for one. I'm pretty sure due to shipping restrictions on their country of origin that they aren't readily available.
NOW if you DO want retics, which I wouldn't advise against, I would make sure you're getting them from a reputable dealer. I could go into countless stories about parasites and finicky eating habits, but they're as depressing for me to type as they would be for you to read. If you do get retics, get live blackworms!!!
NOW if you DO want retics, which I wouldn't advise against, I would make sure you're getting them from a reputable dealer. I could go into countless stories about parasites and finicky eating habits, but they're as depressing for me to type as they would be for you to read. If you do get retics, get live blackworms!!!