new stringrays

[killergx001]

I'm a visual learner. So, I thought I'd post a picture that I took just a few minutes ago of our Retic, Thaddeus. He only eats black worms (and from time to time ghost shrimp). And his ass looks like that before eating, lol.

View attachment 301501

Listen to these guys. They've been doing this a long time. This is no joke, and you need to take this seriously:

GET THE PLECO OUT OF THERE.

Ditch the goldfish.
Be at your LFS' doorstep right when they open.
Grab black worms.
Feed him as much as he will eat in five minutes.
As soon as the food is gone, repeat.

Owning stingrays is a huge responsibility. Do your research (i.e. what they eat, their species, etc.) before buying your next stingray.

And around these parts, a pound of black worms runs you $20. I'm not sure about Chicago.

Oh, and what size tank are you working with there?

it in a 65 gallon tank right now but moving in to a 300gl soon lol

i know lots of people having luck with pleco in with rays... i say keep a eye on it.. there is no need to remove it yet if it is not harming the ray... also i would ditch that gravel...

what should i use?

 

[sodenoshirayuki]

I prefer barebottom since its alot less of a hassle to clean, but if you wana cover the bottom, use pool filter sand.

 

[abortedsoul]

If you are going to keep the pleco, please keep a close eye on it. When the LFS opens up, go get some black worms- that ray definitely looks very hungry, and it might have already been starved a bit in shipping. Not all LFS feed their rays or keep them in favorable conditions, but once you get it eating well it should improve.

Bare-bottom or a finer gravel substrate should do well. Some ray keepers swear by sand, and some say that filling the bottom of the tank with course sand can irritate their disc.

 

[ashleysomething]

Killer Man: There's a danger the pleco could suck the slime coat off of your ray and harass your ray. Ultimately, it is your call. I strongly recommend removing it because I know that's what Matt and I would do.

And I agree with Nic on the blue substrate. I was eying that, too. For such a small ray, it seems like the smaller gravels or bare bottoms seem to work best. Ours came very highly recommended. If you're interested, here's the link. Peace River (what Thaddeus is on) or the Torpedo Beach.

 

[killergx001]

Killer Man: There's a danger the pleco could suck the slime coat off of your ray and harass your ray. Ultimately, it is your call. I strongly recommend removing it because I know that's what Matt and I would do.

And I agree with Nic on the blue substrate. I was eying that, too. For such a small ray, it seems like the smaller gravels or bare bottoms seem to work best. Ours came very highly recommend. If you're interested, here's the link. Peace River (what Thaddeus is on) or the Torpedo Beach.

will the sand get suck into the filter? how do you clean the sand when it full of poop?lol

 

[Nic]

i would go barebottom... alot easier to maintain water params....and see if the rays are eating and how much they are...

 

[abortedsoul]

will the sand get suck into the filter? how do you clean the sand when it full of poop?lol

The gravel is usually too heavy to get sucked into a filter, and is easier to clean than sand. Yes, sand will get stuck in your filter- I was flushing my FX5 every few days and there was invariably sand in there, destroying the impeller.

With gravel, you just vacuum it with a siphon. With sand, you can do small circles an inch or two above the substrate, gently lifting out the detritus.

 

[abortedsoul]

i would go barebottom... alot easier to maintain water params....and see if the rays are eating and how much they are...

Having full or partial bare-bottom does definitely help with this. What filtration are you running? Gravel or sand can help with nitrification, but it depends on water flow and whether that little boost is even needed.

 

[killergx001]

Having full or partial bare-bottom does definitely help with this. What filtration are you running? Gravel or sand can help with nitrification, but it depends on water flow and whether that little boost is even needed.

am using the marineland 350

 

[sodenoshirayuki]

am using the marineland 350

The canister one or the HOB bio wheel one?