Ray Acquisition Question

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khayman218

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Apr 17, 2007
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Chattanooga
My LFS can order "Freshwater stingrays 4-5 inches" for $120 each. The owner doesn't know the species and is in the process of trying to get the information from the distributor, but he said it's unlikely she will know.

In the past, when I have gotten rays from LFSes, they have been labeled as Teacup or something generic and have been Motoros (as best I could tell). So I figure these will either be Motoros or Reticulated Rays. I would really prefer to have Motoros, since I am most familiar with raising them; and because I have built a tank large enough to house them. But I would like to buy it from the LFS because I want to be able to see the animal in person before taking on the responsibility of owning it.

What is everyone's experience with having the LFS order something labeled as a "generic freshwater stingray"? Also, are Reticulated rays as enjoyable as Motoro rays?
 
i would not go for it. first, if its a teacup, the price is very high. second, they dont know what they are tealking about and thus provide less good quality. they probably dont even know where the rays come from.
go to somebody who knows what hes doing and breeds them. that way you will have good quality insurance.
 
StiffMeister;824556; said:
first, if its a teacup, the price is very high.
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Ah, so if it is called a "Teacup Ray" it is definitely a Reticulated Ray? Maybe, since the price is so high, they are actually Motoro Rays. If they come in soon, I will take pictures of them and post them here for opinions.
 
Teacup generally is either a retic or variant of. That price sounds like the price of a Motoro. The LFS around here has motoros available for about that price.

FWIW, if you get a Retic acclimated and eating dead food it's just as enjoyable as a motoro. (I have both and like them equally).
 
rallysman;824642; said:
FWIW, if you get a Retic acclimated and eating dead food it's just as enjoyable as a motoro. (I have both and like them equally).
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Is either one easier to breed? That has always been the most rewarding part of keeping fish for me. So I would like to try that with stingrays.
 
I have worked at a LFS for 4 years and every vendor we ordered from always knew at least a basic species. Teacups usually went for $50 and so did reticulated rays. I can't imagine them not knowing even what type it is. My only thought is that they are probably wild caught which isn't bad if the vendor knows what they are doing, but if they don’t even know what kind of ray it is the probably don’t. In the past if we ordered anything wild caught it usually wasn’t eating and died soon after. I think it is your best bet to look around a little more and try to find someone more experienced. I would say go for it if the price was really cheep but it's not. I got my Motoro from my LFS and he was only $100. Just my experience.:grinno:
 
JamieC77;825302; said:
I have worked at a LFS for 4 years and every vendor we ordered from always knew at least a basic species. Teacups usually went for $50 and so did reticulated rays. I can't imagine them not knowing even what type it is. My only thought is that they are probably wild caught which isn't bad if the vendor knows what they are doing, but if they don’t even know what kind of ray it is the probably don’t. In the past if we ordered anything wild caught it usually wasn’t eating and died soon after. I think it is your best bet to look around a little more and try to find someone more experienced. I would say go for it if the price was really cheep but it's not. I got my Motoro from my LFS and he was only $100. Just my experience.:grinno:
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He said they were "imported" which I took to mean wild-caught. I doubt his distributor is importing them from a captive breeder outside of the US. I will give him another call and see if he was able to get the species from the distributer (whom he said was in Ohio). If they are Motoros, I might still be interested.

What is the protocol if I tell him I want him to order some for me to buy? If the animals have ragged discs or won't eat, can I refuse to buy them? Legally, I am sure I have no obligation to buy them; however, I am curious if there is an unwritten rule in the business that, by asking to the LFS to order them for me, I have agreed to buy them if they are anything but completely dead on arrival. Is that the case?
 
if the shop made you buy rays that were not feeding had ragged disks or broken tails i wouldnt be using that shop in the 1st place

if you asked a pet shop to order you in a dog but they didnt even know what breed it was and when the dog arrived it only had 3 legs would you still take it same thing
 
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