I am an experienced keeper and breeder of aquarium fish and cichlids such as oscars and jack dempsys etc... however I have been away from the hobby for about 10 years. my plan is to setup a 75 gallon tank which i just purchased and in the future will setup a 180 gallon tank. I now have a fascination with rays however i fear that my 75 gallon tank will not be large enough for 1 let alone two rays, i am assuming the 180 gallon will be better suited for that. can anyone give me advice on what kind of ray will be able to be kept in a 75 gallon? can i get baby motoros and put in there or is there a ray that doesnt get that big that will be more suitable for a smaller tank? also if anyone can let me know of any additional or special challenges with rays that would be helpful. Seems the motoros are hardy but grow rather large and quickly, I would like maybe to get a pair, maybe put one in the 75 g and the other in the 180 but im thinking that wont be possible. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance
newbie with rays
- Thread starter funlvr1965
- Start date
I myself am a stingray newbie,lol! I've only been keeping my columbian flower stingrays for a month and half. I have them in a 120g and that isn't enough. I'm going to be setting up a indoor pond.
That 75 is to small, maybe a single pup would be fine for a few months but that's it. Obviously, the 180 is better but rays will eventually out grow that also. It's all about length and width with rays not height. A tank should be no less than 24" wide for a full grown adult. That's why when I get my pond up and running I won't have to worry about width.
I think retics and orb's stingrays stay small and maybe hystrix's? Not completely sure.
That 75 is to small, maybe a single pup would be fine for a few months but that's it. Obviously, the 180 is better but rays will eventually out grow that also. It's all about length and width with rays not height. A tank should be no less than 24" wide for a full grown adult. That's why when I get my pond up and running I won't have to worry about width.
I think retics and orb's stingrays stay small and maybe hystrix's? Not completely sure.
Thanks for the tip, I did think that the 75 gallon would be good for a baby motoro only for a few months. Someone somewhat local has a male and female pup for sale and I would really like to take the two if possible but a 180gallon will be the largest tank i will get and that wont be for a few months yet. I guess any suggestions on smaller rays that will do well in at least a 75 gallon would be great, they sure look neat.
No ray is really suitable for a 75 gallon tank for more than 3-6 months max. If you plan on housing a ray in a 180 gallon for life lean towards hystrix or retics because motoros will outgrow a 24" wide tank within 2 years.
To give you an idea I bought a 4 inch motoro pup last june and he had grown too large for his 150 gallon home before march. I have been scrambling to set up and cycle my new 36" wide tank because I thought I would get more time.
They are amazing animals if you can invest the time, space, and money. But if you can't they are the most heartbreaking fish to lose. Do your research and do whats right for the ray you are keeping and you won't regret it.
You have made a great start asking here there are a ton of people on here who have helped me along greatly
To give you an idea I bought a 4 inch motoro pup last june and he had grown too large for his 150 gallon home before march. I have been scrambling to set up and cycle my new 36" wide tank because I thought I would get more time.
They are amazing animals if you can invest the time, space, and money. But if you can't they are the most heartbreaking fish to lose. Do your research and do whats right for the ray you are keeping and you won't regret it.
You have made a great start asking here there are a ton of people on here who have helped me along greatly
As said before, the 75 gallon is to small. If you are wanting to get a pair, you will need a much larger tank.
Now as for what size tank you will need. Its not the gallons that make up the rt tank. With rays, In my opinion, its how wide the tank is, not how many gallons (but volume is important to so a short tank wont work).
If you plan on getting Motoro rays, a 36 wide tank is a must. You can get away with a 30" wide tank for awhile, but in time, a 36" wide or wider tank would be better. Its also important to make sure you set up a filtering system that is able to handle the Bio load of rays. Most people get rays and also want to add a few swimming fish in the tank. So what ever filtration you use, (sump, canister filters, etc) you would need in my opinion to over filter your tank. I myself run 3 times needed for the size tank I have set up and do regular water changes to also help. It will prolong the life of your rays and your other fish.
So, no, a 75 gallon is not big enough. And the 180 may work for a short time, but how wide the tank is is more important in my opinion than how many gallons it is.
Hope that helps...
Now as for what size tank you will need. Its not the gallons that make up the rt tank. With rays, In my opinion, its how wide the tank is, not how many gallons (but volume is important to so a short tank wont work).
If you plan on getting Motoro rays, a 36 wide tank is a must. You can get away with a 30" wide tank for awhile, but in time, a 36" wide or wider tank would be better. Its also important to make sure you set up a filtering system that is able to handle the Bio load of rays. Most people get rays and also want to add a few swimming fish in the tank. So what ever filtration you use, (sump, canister filters, etc) you would need in my opinion to over filter your tank. I myself run 3 times needed for the size tank I have set up and do regular water changes to also help. It will prolong the life of your rays and your other fish.
So, no, a 75 gallon is not big enough. And the 180 may work for a short time, but how wide the tank is is more important in my opinion than how many gallons it is.
Hope that helps...
Bigger footprints are better for sure. Water volume is very important imo. Helps dilute nitrates and other undesirables in a closed system. I own 3 laticeps which could be called retics. They outgrew my 180 when they became as long as my tank is wide. What is a better option for the rays is a stock tank. Great footprint
Like everybody said... no ray can go in a 75. The smallest freshwater ray out there is a retic but most store says teacup which gets really annoying. A retic however needs atleast a 120 tank. LEAST. You can however house any little ray in the 75 for quite a time. Maybe like a year i am guessing. Most likely wrong but ya.
i housed two retics in a 90gal while i built my 300 gal tank. they didn't even last a year in it, and i pushed it hard, while finishing up the tank, and then after a minor leak which i had to drain said tank and put them back into the 90gal for another 2 weeks. wouldn't recommend going past 6 months even with retics.