Is my tank stingray-compatible?

[EmrePekdeniz]

Hello everyone,

I'm Emre. I would like to have your opinion regarding whether I can have a young freshwater stingray (P. motoro, 17-18 cm diameter) in my paludarium setting. I have a triangular tank.

This is the full album:
http://s1139.photobucket.com/albums/n548/Pekdeniz/

The side walls are 115 cm each, the hypothenuse is 140 cm, the front glass is 120 cm, and the height is 75 cm. The full tank capacity is 500 liters, but I fill up to no more than 350 liters. I have carnivorous plants on the floating island so I cannot remove it, but I can remove anything else. I have a young, ~20 cm silver arowana which I intend to keep for a few years, and a ~10 cm ghost knife fish. I have an albino pleco which I'll remove from the tank if I decide to get the stingray. I have a brand new Eheim 2228 external filter which can cycle 1050 liters per hour. I do approx. 30% water changes each week. I have duckweed and clams to help dealing with nitrate levels. I'll also introduce some ramshorn snails to eat the bits and scraps.

The stingray that I'm planning to buy is in a nearby city, seems to be a healthy specimen, accepts live and non-live food, and has been alive for six months after being imported. So I know that it's not a newly imported, weak specimen. It's been growing up in a tank smaller than mine. So the question is, should I buy this P. motoro? I cannot upgrade my system for a long time to come, but I can sell the fish if it outgrows the tank.

 

[JohnG]

With some modifications I think it would be fine. First thing I notice is the unprotected heater in the back of the tank, rays can get stuck on that and burn themselves. I would recommend one of the shielded heaters, they come with a plastic shield around them that keeps fish from burning themselves on the hot elements. I use True Temp Titanium 1000W in all my tanks. You could also use an inline heater. Secondly the stuff at the bottom, cant really tell from the pictures but you would need to make sure none of it has sharp edges that the ray can scratch itself on.

The tank itself is plenty big for a motoro pup, even a mature motoro will be happy in a tank that size. The pleco you could try with him, just be ready to pull him out fast. I have had some plecos get along with rays, some attack them, and others try to eat the slime coat. They are just something you have to watch. Snails I think can eat slimecoat to, but I could be wrong on that one. Clams I have no experience with so I can say. The arrowanna and ghost knife will be fine with the motoro, I keep both with some of mine.

The sand at the bottom you will need to make sure isnt going to damage the rays underside, what kinda sand is that?

You might need to increase your water changes as the ray gets bigger. Other than those possible issues I think your tank will be just fine.

 

[gazelle]

really stunning looking tank imo
didn't really post earlier since I was too lazy to change the cm to inches and calculate tank dimmensions that made sense to me haha
post updates if you do get it!

 

[PeteLockwood]

Mature Motoro in a tank that's half of a 3.75 x 3.75 foot tank? Isn't that something like 7 square feet total of floor space (only a bit more than a US 75 gallon tank)? With 90 US gallons of water? This image from the album gives a better view:

I can't agree. A triangular tank like that has some very short sides, a ray of any reasonable size will be confined to the middle area where there's more front-to-back space.

The ray could be kept alive (with a lot more water changes most likely) but I'd think most ray keepers would be sad to see a Motoro in a tank that small.

 

[bcfd144]

I think you will be fine only for a short time but only for a very very short time. I think the tank might be to small for a ray, but a pup could work for a short time. If you decided to do this, Id pull the placo though. No since taking the chance. Might if you are able to, fill the tank to at least 3/4 full. that way the Motoro has lots of wall space to swim up. That would be up to you though. It would give it more swim space since your tank is small. Id also maybe pull the snales. But again, like JohnG said, not sure if they will eat the slime coat on the ray or not. Might do some research on that part. And again, make sure your heater is protected. Could even take a piece of pvc pipe, drill alot of holes in it and slip it over your heater.
If you are not going to be able to get a bigger tank at least 6 months after getting it though, Id say no. Your tank would work for a pup, but not a gorwing ray. Not enough floor space for it to move around. Rays love space..
Rt now your tank is half full, so the ray cant use all the space you have. then the floor space is small due to its a corner tank.
Only a pup would be happy. Not a grown ray though

 

[EmrePekdeniz]

Hi everyone,

Thanks for the replies. The sand is black quartz sand, the type used for planted tanks. I was originally going to get a lot of aquatic plants for my paludarium type setting, but then I changed my mind. (Surface plants like frogbits and duckweed I feel will be enough.) It doesn't look or feel rough like crushed coral. I will buy a Tronic heater guard if I decide to go with this, so I've thought about it as well. The tank is currently 2/3 full, with approx. 330 liters. As far as I know, stingrays eat snails and ramshorns are pretty small, so I don't think they would cause any injury. (I need an algae cleaner when I remove the pleco.)

I'd definitely like to keep the stingray for as long as possible, but I cannot upgrade my tank anytime soon. I might sell the specimen once it outgrows the tank, but I guess that would be hard once I get accustomed to the fish. =(

 

[bcfd144]

How big is the one you are looking at. You said it was what.. % months old. How big around is it?

 

[EmrePekdeniz]

How big is the one you are looking at. You said it was what.. % months old. How big around is it?

17-18 cm in diameter. I don't know how old it is, but I know that currently it's in a 100 cm x 50 cm tank, which is smaller than mine. The seller told me that he has been keeping the stingray for six months, and that the fish has grown 2-3 centimetres (an inch) during that time. He feeds the fish once in two days.

Which brings me to my next question: how fast does P. motoro grow? If the fish grows two inches every year, that would give me a lot of time to think beforehand. Six months wouldn't be worth it, though. I cannot get a larger tank that soon. I could upgrade my tank (or at least find a buyer with a larger tank) in two years, but six months is too short. (Also, being cynical for a moment, the fish may not live that long. I have heard that some people lose their stingrays despite their best attempts.)

 

[PeteLockwood]

how fast does P. motoro grow?

I've had my Motoro just over a year. The largest was about 5" when I got her and she's now 11.5" so that's 6.5 inches in 13 months.

The seller isn't feeding that ray as much as most people would, by far - mine eat twice a day and 'beg' for food between those feeding times.

 

[bcfd144]

the reason I would think his has not grown that much during the time he has had it is that he only feeds it every other day. Thats not enough In my opinion. I like most feed mine twice a day. Once a day is fine, but I feel twice a day is better. As far as how fast they grow, I also think it not only depends on the amount of food fed to them daily, but the size of tank they have to move in. the more they move and swim, the stronger they are and more mass they put on them. Rays need a good fat base built up in them as well. And feding one every other day will not build up that fat base. They need food. and a good amount of it daily. you can skip a day here and there if need be, but better to feed daily, twice a day for good health in my opinion. Ive had mine anywere from a year to a year and a half, and they have grown anywere from 5 inches in that time to 8 inches.. Just depends on the ray as well. But I would say, 4 inches in a year sounds to me about a good base to count on how much they will grow with good feedings.