South American style stingray aquarium…..tank mates?

[14crazychris]

Hi everyone,

Just after some expert help and someone to help settle my mind lol. I’m thinking of creating a South American themed aquarium which I’ve always wanted. below Is what I would like to do. Tank size hasn’t been determined yet although it will definitely be three feet wide, but I want to decide on stocking plans first.

1x black diamond stingray
3x peacock bass (smaller species) OR an Asian arowana (won’t be in keeping with the theme)
various rarer fancy plecos like chubby pleco L056, scarlet pleco L025, gold nugget L 081 and probably a few more
XL drift wood
large Amazon swords
fine sand and round river stones
catappa leaves and alder cones to create some tannins and natural effect


Now here’s where the problem lies. Am I going to end up in a mess by combining the plecos and rays? Could the peacock bass or arowana potentially eat them? Is this minimalist aquascape just going to get destroyed? Should I just scrap the idea and do ray/Asian arowana bare tank. Any advice would be greatly appreciate or even someone to tell me it’s never going to work. I tried to research a lot about the plecos and rays but couldn’t find anything apart from people talking about commons and bristlenose but I’d like to build a small collection or nicer fancy species.

thank you!
chris

 

[Magnabond]

Hi everyone,

Just after some expert help and someone to help settle my mind lol. I’m thinking of creating a South American themed aquarium which I’ve always wanted. below Is what I would like to do. Tank size hasn’t been determined yet although it will definitely be three feet wide, but I want to decide on stocking plans first.

1x black diamond stingray
3x peacock bass (smaller species) OR an Asian arowana (won’t be in keeping with the theme)
various rarer fancy plecos like chubby pleco L056, scarlet pleco L025, gold nugget L 081 and probably a few more
XL drift wood
large Amazon swords
fine sand and round river stones
catappa leaves and alder cones to create some tannins and natural effect


Now here’s where the problem lies. Am I going to end up in a mess by combining the plecos and rays? Could the peacock bass or arowana potentially eat them? Is this minimalist aquascape just going to get destroyed? Should I just scrap the idea and do ray/Asian arowana bare tank. Any advice would be greatly appreciate or even someone to tell me it’s never going to work. I tried to research a lot about the plecos and rays but couldn’t find anything apart from people talking about commons and bristlenose but I’d like to build a small collection or nicer fancy species.

thank you!
chris

Great idea setting up a South American tank with Rays. My daughter wanted a ray and Dad delivered.

#1 Rule - GET THE BIGGEST TANK YOU CAN AND DO YOUR RESEARCH.

I am by no means an expert in the area of rays but have done a lot of research since having one. Rays need room to grow, especially Black Diamonds (which are beautiful). My daughter wanted a ray and I wanted an arowana tank, so I did some research and determined that the rays and arowana need a minimum of 24 inches of depth in the tank. I bought a 230 and I am very happy I did. It also came with 3 huge oscars, a huge Jack Dempsey and 2 huge common plecos. You mentioned the tank being 3 feet wide, it should be at least 6 ft wide, 2 feet deep, 2 feet tall. This is because the BDs when fully grown, can get up to 24 inches in diameter (I've seen them in a local high end store and they are amazing and huge). I wanted to purchase one but felt that, since I was new to rays, I would start out with a motoro, and of course, arowanas.

Rays produce a large bio load and need room to grow, hence the need for a large tank. Arowana will not bother the ray because the ray is on the bottom and aros are hunting for food up top.

In the beginning, I was upset because I caught the plecos tasting the ray. The ray will move out of the way and then chase the pleco. Absolutely not a problem. The plecos, being omnivores, will also eat the left overs from the ray, whom is a very picky eater who would eat pellets then stopped and eventually I discovered silver sides and he loved them (smelts from the grocery store are the same thing at a fraction of the price). I tell you this because you will hear a lot of people buying rays and they won't eat, causing panic to the owner.

Asian arowana in the US are illegal. The ones that are advertised are fake. It's like wanting a unicorn but getting a pony with a horn glued to it. Spend the money on a platinum one. It look awesome when fully grown. Mine eat pellets, tilapia and shrimp. I feed them by hand and still have all my fingers, they are about 14 inches long now.

Building a tank is personal, like buying a car. Go with what you want but be realistic. Rays dig up sand to hunt for food, your plants may not like it unless in a pot. I have plastic plants and the oscars move them constantly so I siliconed them to rocks. Oscars still have moved them and have broken pieces off of them. Sand is fine as long as it is smooth and won't be abrasive to the rays delicate skin. I have blue sand because that is what my wife wanted. Little price to pay in the negotiation since I get the fish tank I wanted with the fish I always wanted.

If you go to a high quality store, the owner will give you good advice on what fish will live with what.

Keep in mind, like kids, they may fight but no one really gets hurt in my tank. Aros keep to themselves but steal food from others when they can. Oscars rule the tank, especially when they are trying to breed.

Three most important things with rays and any expensive fish. Filtration, Filtration, Filtration. Can't have enough but when you don't have enough, things get bad.

If you want a beautiful South American tank with great Aquascaping, build a Discus tank. I am in the process of building a 125 acrylic planted Discus tank, upgrading it from a 40, and it will be breathtaking. You can then add your leaves for the tannins or buy liquid amazon. I use it upon a recommendation and it works well. Don't but small Discus hoping they will grow, rarely works.

Research and enjoy the hobby, don't be a slave to it.

 

[Caveden]

Great idea setting up a South American tank with Rays. My daughter wanted a ray and Dad delivered.

#1 Rule - GET THE BIGGEST TANK YOU CAN AND DO YOUR RESEARCH.

I am by no means an expert in the area of rays but have done a lot of research since having one. Rays need room to grow, especially Black Diamonds (which are beautiful). My daughter wanted a ray and I wanted an arowana tank, so I did some research and determined that the rays and arowana need a minimum of 24 inches of depth in the tank. I bought a 230 and I am very happy I did. It also came with 3 huge oscars, a huge Jack Dempsey and 2 huge common plecos. You mentioned the tank being 3 feet wide, it should be at least 6 ft wide, 2 feet deep, 2 feet tall. This is because the BDs when fully grown, can get up to 24 inches in diameter (I've seen them in a local high end store and they are amazing and huge). I wanted to purchase one but felt that, since I was new to rays, I would start out with a motoro, and of course, arowanas.

Rays produce a large bio load and need room to grow, hence the need for a large tank. Arowana will not bother the ray because the ray is on the bottom and aros are hunting for food up top.

In the beginning, I was upset because I caught the plecos tasting the ray. The ray will move out of the way and then chase the pleco. Absolutely not a problem. The plecos, being omnivores, will also eat the left overs from the ray, whom is a very picky eater who would eat pellets then stopped and eventually I discovered silver sides and he loved them (smelts from the grocery store are the same thing at a fraction of the price). I tell you this because you will hear a lot of people buying rays and they won't eat, causing panic to the owner.

Asian arowana in the US are illegal. The ones that are advertised are fake. It's like wanting a unicorn but getting a pony with a horn glued to it. Spend the money on a platinum one. It look awesome when fully grown. Mine eat pellets, tilapia and shrimp. I feed them by hand and still have all my fingers, they are about 14 inches long now.

Building a tank is personal, like buying a car. Go with what you want but be realistic. Rays dig up sand to hunt for food, your plants may not like it unless in a pot. I have plastic plants and the oscars move them constantly so I siliconed them to rocks. Oscars still have moved them and have broken pieces off of them. Sand is fine as long as it is smooth and won't be abrasive to the rays delicate skin. I have blue sand because that is what my wife wanted. Little price to pay in the negotiation since I get the fish tank I wanted with the fish I always wanted.

If you go to a high quality store, the owner will give you good advice on what fish will live with what.

Keep in mind, like kids, they may fight but no one really gets hurt in my tank. Aros keep to themselves but steal food from others when they can. Oscars rule the tank, especially when they are trying to breed.

Three most important things with rays and any expensive fish. Filtration, Filtration, Filtration. Can't have enough but when you don't have enough, things get bad.

If you want a beautiful South American tank with great Aquascaping, build a Discus tank. I am in the process of building a 125 acrylic planted Discus tank, upgrading it from a 40, and it will be breathtaking. You can then add your leaves for the tannins or buy liquid amazon. I use it upon a recommendation and it works well. Don't but small Discus hoping they will grow, rarely works.

Research and enjoy the hobby, don't be a slave to it.
View attachment 1473625

i think OP means the tank is 3 feet deep, wide being deep.


asian arowanas/ peacock bass with rays are great, no issue there. the issue comes with plecos sucking in the ray's slimecoat, wouldnt mix the two together.

 

[14crazychris]

Great idea setting up a South American tank with Rays. My daughter wanted a ray and Dad delivered.

#1 Rule - GET THE BIGGEST TANK YOU CAN AND DO YOUR RESEARCH.

I am by no means an expert in the area of rays but have done a lot of research since having one. Rays need room to grow, especially Black Diamonds (which are beautiful). My daughter wanted a ray and I wanted an arowana tank, so I did some research and determined that the rays and arowana need a minimum of 24 inches of depth in the tank. I bought a 230 and I am very happy I did. It also came with 3 huge oscars, a huge Jack Dempsey and 2 huge common plecos. You mentioned the tank being 3 feet wide, it should be at least 6 ft wide, 2 feet deep, 2 feet tall. This is because the BDs when fully grown, can get up to 24 inches in diameter (I've seen them in a local high end store and they are amazing and huge). I wanted to purchase one but felt that, since I was new to rays, I would start out with a motoro, and of course, arowanas.

Rays produce a large bio load and need room to grow, hence the need for a large tank. Arowana will not bother the ray because the ray is on the bottom and aros are hunting for food up top.

In the beginning, I was upset because I caught the plecos tasting the ray. The ray will move out of the way and then chase the pleco. Absolutely not a problem. The plecos, being omnivores, will also eat the left overs from the ray, whom is a very picky eater who would eat pellets then stopped and eventually I discovered silver sides and he loved them (smelts from the grocery store are the same thing at a fraction of the price). I tell you this because you will hear a lot of people buying rays and they won't eat, causing panic to the owner.

Asian arowana in the US are illegal. The ones that are advertised are fake. It's like wanting a unicorn but getting a pony with a horn glued to it. Spend the money on a platinum one. It look awesome when fully grown. Mine eat pellets, tilapia and shrimp. I feed them by hand and still have all my fingers, they are about 14 inches long now.

Building a tank is personal, like buying a car. Go with what you want but be realistic. Rays dig up sand to hunt for food, your plants may not like it unless in a pot. I have plastic plants and the oscars move them constantly so I siliconed them to rocks. Oscars still have moved them and have broken pieces off of them. Sand is fine as long as it is smooth and won't be abrasive to the rays delicate skin. I have blue sand because that is what my wife wanted. Little price to pay in the negotiation since I get the fish tank I wanted with the fish I always wanted.

If you go to a high quality store, the owner will give you good advice on what fish will live with what.

Keep in mind, like kids, they may fight but no one really gets hurt in my tank. Aros keep to themselves but steal food from others when they can. Oscars rule the tank, especially when they are trying to breed.

Three most important things with rays and any expensive fish. Filtration, Filtration, Filtration. Can't have enough but when you don't have enough, things get bad.

If you want a beautiful South American tank with great Aquascaping, build a Discus tank. I am in the process of building a 125 acrylic planted Discus tank, upgrading it from a 40, and it will be breathtaking. You can then add your leaves for the tannins or buy liquid amazon. I use it upon a recommendation and it works well. Don't but small Discus hoping they will grow, rarely works.

Research and enjoy the hobby, don't be a slave to it.
View attachment 1473625

Thanks for the advice, appreciate you taking the time to write that. Just really want to know if anyones added fancy plecos with a Ray and Asian rowana etc or if it's a no go.

Thanks ?

 

[14crazychris]

i think OP means the tank is 3 feet deep, wide being deep.


asian arowanas/ peacock bass with rays are great, no issue there. the issue comes with plecos sucking in the ray's slimecoat, wouldnt mix the two together.

Yes I mean 3ft front to back not length haha. Yeah that's the issues I was worried about, I know quite a lot of the fancy plecos can be omnivorous too so was worried that would be the case. The other option is to just go bare tank and have a single Ray, arowana and datnoid I guess

Thanks

 

[Caveden]

What’s the length of the tank?

 

[14crazychris]

What’s the length of the tank?

Havnt decided yet still in the planning stages, just been to my local aquatic shops which houses 2 large Asian arows and they have some common plecos in with theirs but no fancy ones. Their tank where heavily aquascaped but no rays in them. I'm thinking with a single large drift wood pieces/few plants and river stones the plecos will keep to themself's but at night they may venture out and injure the Ray or the Ray may try to eat them and that could be fatal.....

 

[xenacanth9]

Needs to be VERY big.

Steer clear of plecos.

Another kind of cool idea is to fill the tank with medium-large American cichlids and clouded archers as tankmates. Just nothing small enough to be eaten.

 

[Caveden]

At least 7 x 3 imo cause of black diamond rays

 

[14crazychris]

Needs to be VERY big.

Steer clear of plecos.

Another kind of cool idea is to fill the tank with medium-large American cichlids and clouded archers as tankmates. Just nothing small enough to be eaten.

Yeah I think in just trying to overcomplicated it with the plecos and hardscape. Maybe I'll just stick to ray, arow and datnoid. I'll look into the cichlids archer fish could be cool though!