Flower rays, good suggestion?

[Phractocephalus Hemioliop]

My first flower died, when we asked the farm about it...turns out all their flower rays died too. The shopkeeper said that these rays r harder to keep, they r more sensitive. but my dad still won't give up on them, they're beautiful but still quite a lot of money! same goes for pearls, she said they r not as easy to keep. i currently hav a healthy motoro and black diamond.
we suspect one of them reasons our first pearl and flower died was because of their white rotting tails [which didn't look as a problem at first]

My question is...do u suggest us to buy a pearl and flower? r they really that hard to keep?

 

[keepinfish]

Newly acuired flower can be sensitive. After acclimation and after they get eating good, then they can be very hardy. Not sure on pearls. I would think they are hardy like mototos, but have never kept them.

What size tank are they going to be kept in?
What kind of filter setup are you running?

 

[RedTailKinG]

^^^^agreed but also its a hit or miss on a group that was imported I do believe that if they are collected and handled roughly they take on alot of stress with no time to relax between collecting and shipping and this takes a huge toll on them! But very ture once they get eating well and quaratined correctly they are pretty hardy

 

[tan]

With my rays, the pearl is more hardy than the flower. When I did too much or too little water change, the flower stops eating first, while the pearl still eating like normal. I don't know if that is the norm or not..

 

[ShadowStryder]

Agreed with both of the above, QT and getting them eating before adding to main system and other rays is very important.
But once eating and acclimated they are just as robust and aggressive eaters as other species.

 

[skynoch]

Depending on the size of your current rays, if they are alot bigger than your new imports adding them to your main tank even after qt may still result in death. Some rays are know to be nippy and I find my leos are 10x worse than any other ray I have.
You may have to wait till your new rays are around the same size before mixing them in with your existing rays

 

[keepinfish]

Depending on the size of your current rays, if they are alot bigger than your new imports adding them to your main tank even after qt may still result in death. Some rays are know to be nippy and I find my leos are 10x worse than any other ray I have.
You may have to wait till your new rays are around the same size before mixing them in with your existing rays

yes i agree, my leo is the most nippy of all my rays too.