Columbian Teacup Stingray

[oTo]

I would also like to add that you do not need to feed your stingray until it looks like it is ready to burst. "Big booties" should only be seen on pregnant females. Many rays kept in captivity are obese and perhaps this may be one of the reasons why many rays die without explanation. Your ray should not be bulging, rather plump with a nice thick tail. Grapedinox's new pup is a great example of what your ray should look like.

http://s131.photobucket.com/albums/...=view&current=underwaterpicturesofbaby009.jpg

 

[swervo513]

Thanks guys!... That is a pretty looking ray. Mine is a little skinnier but he is now eating and will get there. He loves the live black worms. ANd thank you for the link to the vender! You have all been very helpful..

Any Idea what might cause fin rot on these guys?

My ray had some white edges but seems a lot better since i did my last water change.

My temperature is a little low so I have been trying to get that up but my damn heaters are not working like they should. It is now at about 79.5 degrees.

 

[Gshock]

Unless you got all the time in the world, then feel free to feed them multiple times a day. KISS method will never fail you. You're making things way too complicated. About the disc rot, usually its becuase of crappy water. A couple good water changes and a bit of salt if its serious does the trick.

 

[Clearwater guy]

Huge meals are stressful to anything...Imagine eating thanksgiving dinner once a day...It overwhelms the body's ability to break down and use the energy efficiently. All animals and fish generally graze in the wild....small meals can be utilized by the body without going into fat storage/overload mode. You'll still feed the same amount per day, but divide it up into the # of feedings that fits your schedule.

Get used to water changes, and frequest water testing. Rays produce massive amounts of waste....more ammonia than most any fish of it's same weight. If you still have this Ray a year from now, it will be because you didn't take water quality for granted.

Mike

 

[swervo513]

I will try the aquarium salt out. I am also thinking about putting an extra power head at the bottom end of the tank for some extra flow. I'll try that as soon as i can buy a decent power head.

 

[oTo]

Gshock, I agree that keeping things as simple as possible is a very good approach to keeping rays in captivity. Clean water, good food and knowledge are key. On feeding, I must disagree. Feeding once in the morning, once in the early part of the evening and once before bed would be ideal. As I stated previously, rays have high metabolic rates. Keeping the feedings small and frequent would better replicate their feeding habits in the wild.

Any Idea what might cause fin rot on these guys?

My ray had some white edges but seems a lot better since i did my last water change.

Swervo, don't add the salt. Just keep the water clean and your ray will be fine. Here is a great read on freshwater stingray husbandry. There is a paragraph about the use of salt as well as temperature and many other useful tips and advice from someone with a great deal of experience. If you find the time, I highly recommend that you read it.

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=222954

 

[dragonfish18]

err, have you ever kept rays befrore? It's practically the other way around, they eat a ton and have huge stomachs...

i honestly haven't had much experiance with them in my personal aquarium but maintained them at my works display for months
i guess my boss fed it alot just never wanted to do WC
plz excuse my prior post

 

[soupa2]

you go to chinatown to buy bloodworms?? only one LFS in chinatown would carry Live BloodWorms.. i notice you;re in NYC that's all..why not try going to a bait and tackle store to buy NightCrawlers.. you can chop them up into small peices to feed your ray.. if you need to know where to buy Blood worms Pm's Me..good luck on your retic

 

[swervo513]

Thanks for the advice but I found a pet land with half decent live black worms. He is liking them but still seems inactive. I will keep you guys posted.

 

[OMGFISH]

try feeding him shrimp, prawns, worms, but stingray prefer worms the most as in bloodworms, blackworms, and sometimes live earthworms, and super worms.