Ray articles

[scott s]

A few years back, I read aquarium fish magazines fairly regular. (Does that make me a fish nerd)? Anyway, I think I came across 1 short article on fw rays. Has anyone here ever tried to get ray profiles and care into one of these magazines?
The reason I didn't get into rays sooner, was because of lack of knowledge. LFS really had no idea, most aquarists I knew had no idea, and most people I spoke with basically said fw rays were so sensitive they would never try em.
I've had many fw fish and usually got tired of them and traded em back in to the LFS for something differant (yea, yea, flame here). Rays are very different. I think if more people had accurate info. Ray keeping would increase.
There is enough information and experianced keepers here you could almost make a magazine dedicated to rays or...monster fish anyway.
Any thoughts?

 

[PeteLockwood]

I've read a few articles in fish mags in the past. I always came away thinking they'd missed 90% of the info and I was pretty much convinced that the 'articles' were really just low quality filler between the adverts.

I think to keep rays you need to be pretty dedicated to the hobby already and in this century that probably also means you're online and you'll be exposed to rays that way, somewhere where you can search all day and all night, ask questions and get answers in hours.

I can imagine the kinda article you'd get in the mags that are out there today:

"Freshwater rays are from Brazil, they need excellent water conditions, pH around 6, temperature 82f and a large tank around 180 gallons. They eat worms and small fish and can be coaxed into eating prepared foods. Now back to the adverts."

Articles like that would probably just result in more dead rays IMO. There just isn't the space in the average mag to go into any decent depth.


Just my opinion. I'm a grouchy bugger for the most part.

 

[scott s]

I agree with you Pete. Just sad there isn't more info. and exposure to one of the most beautiful and interesting freshwater fish in the hobby. As far as surfing the net goes, there are a few good sites...this site probably most information of all. I just think if more exposure from people who know what their doin was out there, the hobby would grow. True I would hate for that exposure to cause LFS around the country to bring in rays by the truck load only to have 98% of em die because they sold them to inexperianced keepers with a 55g.
For the most part, aquarium keeping 101 just isn't out there. Heck, I have known people who thought a water change ment draining the tank, bleaching the rocks, and using glass cleaner on the inside of the tank. Even asked a friend at the LFS why they didn't do basic fish keeping seminars. That person told me he had mentioned it several times, but management wasn't interested. Guess you make more money when people replace dead fish.