Hardest sp. to keep and why

Damascus

Dovii
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Apr 19, 2020
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Looking for advice, stories and experience. I'm branching out my collection into species of potomotrygon that are not too common in the hobby, and may be harder to keep. Looking at trying my hand at some flower rays.

In your experience, what is the hardest specie to keep, and why?
 

Matteus

Potamotrygon
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Jan 6, 2018
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Canada eh
I don’t have personal experience with any hard sp so far. I have friends who have kept them before, and there is a speculation that tigers and flowers come from Northern parts which have much clearer and less contaminated waters. Which would explain why they are known as more sensitive.

I have not studied into this personally, and don’t know exactly where they come from, so I cannot be certain, but I do want to hear what others have to say in these regards.:popcorn:
 

stingrayguy

Dovii
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Wild flowers are very difficult to transition from wild to tank, I’ve failed with them many times. Between stress and how stubborn they can be eating prepared food has taken years off my life.

I was able to source captive breed flowers which I’m working with now, by far my favorite ray, tigers are a close second

3FEF628F-C5DA-4063-8007-1AD39A108DF5.jpeg
 

Damascus

Dovii
MFK Member
Apr 19, 2020
339
516
105
Wild flowers are very difficult to transition from wild to tank, I’ve failed with them many times. Between stress and how stubborn they can be eating prepared food has taken years off my life.

I was able to source captive breed flowers which I’m working with now, by far my favorite ray, tigers are a close second

View attachment 1478260
Prepared foods meaning frozen or pellets?

What have you been able to get wild ones eating?
 

xenacanth9

Redtail Catfish
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Apr 19, 2021
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Wild flowers are very difficult to transition from wild to tank, I’ve failed with them many times. Between stress and how stubborn they can be eating prepared food has taken years off my life.

I was able to source captive breed flowers which I’m working with now, by far my favorite ray, tigers are a close second

View attachment 1478260
Nice fish
 
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stingrayguy

Dovii
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Jul 20, 2005
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Prepared foods meaning frozen or pellets?

What have you been able to get wild ones eating?
Wilds… I was lucky to get them on live fish, I don’t think any of them survived more then 2-3 months
 
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DB junkie

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Some good reading here.... I believe the guy's name is Terry (Tank 125) - From what I remember he had some pretty good luck once he ditched the tap water....

I have trouble keeping ANY rays alive in tap water - would never even attempt a sensitive species.....

I'm willing to bet that IF a guy went at Flowers and only Flowers with a mindset to try to replicate the water they live in instead of just shoving whatever comes out of the tap into their tank - and was careful about tankmates I don't see why one couldn't have success with wild caught rays.

You have an entire country in the mindset they simply can't be raised, then across the pond they are captive breeding them..... Does this really make sense?
 

DB junkie

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I haven’t posted on here in many years but this thread caught my eye. Apart from my mini marbles I have these flowers in with the bds. They eat sturgeon pellets and massivior as well as fresh food.
Are they wild or captive bred?
 
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