Ray Keeping

[SalmonAfrica]

Hey all

After doing some reading up, I've decided I'd really like to try my hand at keeping a species of ray.

However, in my country freshwater stingrays are illegal, so my only option is to keep marine species. As far as I know, only the Blue Spotted Stingray, Taeniura lymma, comes to the stores around here.

From what I've read and heard from the guys who could supply me with this species, apparently they don't do well in captivity. From what I understand, they can be quite diffucult to get to feed and are prone to 'spontaenious' death.

I don't know whether the difficulty in keeping them comes from incorrect handling or from general ignorance, or if they are genuinely difficult species to keep. I've kept many different kinds of freshwater fish before, but as far as marines go I've only successfully kept 3 different species of moray alive. Although I've heard that they're among the hardiest of marine fish, they were quite difficult to get to feed at first, much like stingrays perhaps?

I'd just like to get an opinion with some experience behind it - is it worthwhile attempting to keep one of these guys? If not, should I try to find another species, or instead try to gain more experience with other marine species first?

Cheers
SA

 

[Deano1956]

You are correct about the Blue Spotted being hard to keep generally but some do it with success. One guy on here keeps them, and alot of the failures to keep them is because of catching and handleing them as you stated, but they can be adjusted to aquarium living. There is the other Blue Spotted ray which the name has sliped my mind that are more hardy but I dont know if you can get them in you're neck of the country. Is there no rays that are native off the coast where you are from?

 

[SalmonAfrica]

You are correct about the Blue Spotted being hard to keep generally but some do it with success. One guy on here keeps them, and alot of the failures to keep them is because of catching and handleing them as you stated, but they can be adjusted to aquarium living. There is the other Blue Spotted ray which the name has sliped my mind that are more hardy but I dont know if you can get them in you're neck of the country. Is there no rays that are native off the coast where you are from?

Thanks for the reply.

Yeah there is the other species of 'blue spotted ray' but they're apparently somewhat rare in the trade. Whenever I see the stocklists it never says what exact species of ray they're bringing in, rather just a 'bluespotted stingray'.

There are many species off of our coast, and a lot of them don't live in vey deep water either, which can make them fairly easy to collect.
However, of the species that are in the area, only Dasyatis pastinaca is a ray of suitable size, staying under 3 feet disc width, which is ideal for aquarium keeping I suppose. Even at that, I don't know how common they are, and I'm guessing it'll be quite hard to get info on how to keep them alive in captivity.

Maybe it'd be a better idea to try out keeping smaller, bottom-dweeling shark species?

 

[Deano1956]

Under 3' disc width is pretty big in my book! lol. Dasyatis kuhlii or Diamond Blue Spot is the other one and i think its more hardy in captivity

 

[SalmonAfrica]

Under 3' disc width is pretty big in my book! lol. Dasyatis kuhlii or Diamond Blue Spot is the other one and i think its more hardy in captivity

Haha, 3' is big, yes, but that's nothing on the rays that get 5' and upwards around here.

I'll do some more research - if rays aren't a good idea I'll see if I can get my hands on a small shark.