Ray in a 220 gallon tank?

[Fish Tank Travis]

Hello all,

I wanted to post a thread about if it's possible to keep any kind of small ray in a 220 gallon tank.

This won't be for quite a while, if it happens. I am in the process of setting up the tank now and the first residents will be two fire eels. I will be growing out and adding discus to the tank two at a time every so often.

So, with this setup, will it be possible to keep any type of small ray in this tank, without it being unhealthy, cramped or stunted?

Thank you all for your help.

 

[Dieselhybrid]

True hystrix or mini marble. What's the depth of the tank? ( front to back)

 

[Fish Tank Travis]

The tank is 72"L x 24"D x 30"H.

I have heard that the hystrix is usually the smallest ray species that is usually found in the trade but I have also heard conflicting information about it. Some say it can stay tiny and canbe kept in a 90 or 125 and others say that it shouldn't be kept in anything less than a 300.

 

[festaedan]

You could fit a male marble in there. My male marble has topped out at around 12-13" disc and 20" total length (dont know why his tail is so stubby) and hes already breeding so I dont think he'll get too much bigger. A male hystrix would work better but if your filtration is good, wither will work.

 

[Fish Tank Travis]

I will be running a 55 gallon sump with this tank. Do you think either of them will go well with my fire eels and some discus?

 

[festaedan]

I will be running a 55 gallon sump with this tank. Do you think either of them will go well with my fire eels and some discus?

You might lose a couple discus here and there but if you are worried about the ray being ok, he should be. Watch out for the discus coming down and picking at the ray. Any discus that does that must be removed. I have had a handfull of rays get seriously injured or killed because of it.

 

[Fish Tank Travis]

Would this just be until the ray is big enough to deter the discus from picking at him?

 

[millerkid519]

No not in my opinion. Discus are to curious and will continue to pick at the rays. It's all in the personality of the discus aswell.

 

[Woefulrelic]

I had an experience with juvenile severum picking at rays. I've had literally zero issues with adults. With severum at least it seems that they forage or attempt to forage everything when they are little.

 

[Fish Tank Travis]

Well, I am pretty set on the fire eel(s) (I have two right now that are about 4-6" long that will be the main residents, if they get along when they are older, if not then I will have to give one of them up and only keep one). After that I am pretty well set on discus to add some nice swimming color to the tank because I think they are the most colorful freshwater fish in the hobby.

This is all I have planned for the tank and the only other addition I was considering, later on, is a small species ray. If it won't work out then I will have to forego the ray with this tank. I want the ray to be safe and the discus and fire eels to be safe.