My uncle sells these Atlantic Stingrays at his pet shop and I wanted to get one to put into my pond. I've heard that they produce a lot of waste if kept in freshwater for life. My pond is about 1200 gallons with a RTC, 2 ID sharks, and a pacu. There's a bunch of guppies in there too. So how would I care for this fish?
Freshwater Atlantic Stingray
- Thread starter Asianleful
- Start date
They produce allot more ammonia in fresh water than a freshwater ray regardless of age due to the fact that they are a salt water ray. In a salt water system they won't produce as much waste, its just something they do in freshwater. As I understand it you do eventually have to transition them to a salt water system as they get older. It sounds like you have a big enough pond for it, what do you use for filtration and is this an indoor pond?
BTW, i hope your not attached the guppies, with rays they tend to slowly disappear.
BTW, i hope your not attached the guppies, with rays they tend to slowly disappear.
I'm not really attached to the guppies, after one of the males bred with this drab colored female the whole entire gene pool of the guppies in my pond have been lacking in color. The filtration is a 100 gallon skippy filter filled with pot scrubbies, filter pads, and some straws. How long do you think the ray would last in freshwater?
Sounds to me like your pond and filter would be up to dealing with the waste from one of the atlantic rays just fine. I don't know how long one would last in fresh water, I am sure someone who has more experience with the species will chime in soon.
The biggest problem is with it being in freshwater, it will prduce alot of ammonia to combat not being in saltwater.
With your pond and filter, you will help lower the ammonia but I would be really careful, test water alot and prepare to do large amounts of water changes.
Even if the ammonia amount is low, it still will affect the ray over time.
there was a posting on MKF about a guy having a Atlantic ray in a 100 gallon tank and it started to curl no long after he got it. I dont remember much about posting, and I know you have way more water and filtration than he did.. i would just still keep on eye out..
I would if it was me, just get a fully freshwater ray or rays...
but bing in Florida, you may have to work on that a bit, get permits..
With your pond and filter, you will help lower the ammonia but I would be really careful, test water alot and prepare to do large amounts of water changes.
Even if the ammonia amount is low, it still will affect the ray over time.
there was a posting on MKF about a guy having a Atlantic ray in a 100 gallon tank and it started to curl no long after he got it. I dont remember much about posting, and I know you have way more water and filtration than he did.. i would just still keep on eye out..
I would if it was me, just get a fully freshwater ray or rays...
but bing in Florida, you may have to work on that a bit, get permits..
That's the main problem I'm going to have with the ray. And those other fully freshwater rays are going to be impossible to get for private purposes, you have to be a public aquarium and even then the permits are hard to get.
If I were you i wouldn't buy one just drive out of state and pick up a full freshwater ray somewhere its not worth it in the long run to purchase a ray have it get almost full grown then have to set up a saltwater tank just for that ray. Believe me Ive already made that mistake when I was in Florida this summer I bought one for my freshwater tank down there and a day or two after the ray is in the tank my fish started dying because of the amount of ammonia the ray was producing killed my fire eel and cichlid so I brought the ray back to the lfs I got it from and that's that.
Is it really worth it to bring an illegal animal into a state, and then talk about it on an open forum, where you will most likely get caught, have to pay a fine, and possibly serve jail time?
If you had more filtration on your pond, it might work... but it still won't work for life.
And yes, bringing in an illegal FW ray won't get you anywhere. There are plenty of 'officials' who are members here. They've already read this.
And yes, bringing in an illegal FW ray won't get you anywhere. There are plenty of 'officials' who are members here. They've already read this.
If I'm correct, about 3 of the mods are legal officials.
Oh, and try researching on other full FW Rays that aren't Potamotrygon. If they're legal, there may be a chance, assuming the pet trade situations for the other genuses of FW Rays improves.
Oh, and try researching on other full FW Rays that aren't Potamotrygon. If they're legal, there may be a chance, assuming the pet trade situations for the other genuses of FW Rays improves.