Stingray beginner needs help - Reticulated

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Whynot91

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Nov 29, 2009
122
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Toronto
So i bought a stingray and i loved the way it moves around and buries itself in the sand so i went and got 2 more. They are all reticulated (teacup) stringray. The one i got first is about 4.5 inches and 2 i got after are about 6 inches in diamater.

They seem to be ok but then i dont know anything about stingrays. My only concern right now is their feeding. I dont know what they are eating or even if they are eating. A lot of food i throw in there lands on the ground. This is what i'm feeding my other fish right now. Do they eat any of this?

1. Arowana sticks
2. cut up shrimp
3. cut up squid
4. cut up carrots
5. omega1 mix
6. super worms

Its a 180 gallon and these are the tank mates.

1. green arrowana
2. jardini arowana
3. 2 bichirs
4. peacock bass
5. 2 hi fin sharks
6. datnoid
7. pleco

Also, if anyone has recommendation as to what i can feed them considering thier age size. I know they love ghost shrimp but thats not going to fit in my budget.

Are stingray's mostly nocturnal?
 
Seperate your rays...with a stocklist like that they will never get to the food...Everything you just named are also things they usually dont take right off the bat. Especially if you got retics, assuming you got them from BA, they probably wont eat anything but ghost shrimp and cut up worms right now...
 
I actually did get them from BA. They were feeding them ghost shrimp. As far the worms someone told me to use bait worms not superworms?

do you think if i keep the feeding the way it is they will die? or do u think they will adapt to the food like other fish do?
 
Whynot91;4380498; said:
I actually did get them from BA. They were feeding them ghost shrimp. As far the worms someone told me to use bait worms not superworms?

do you think if i keep the feeding the way it is they will die? or do u think they will adapt to the food like other fish do?
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You need to grab some bait worms and ghost shrimp. Like I said, seperate your rays from all other fish or they will never even have a chance at food. If you dont, like you said, they will die. If you had done some research, you would've known that retics are the least likely to accept new foods, especially right after import. You might be able to get them eating some of the foods listed later on after they have been well fed for a couple months off worms and ghost shrimp, but i gaurantee you, you have no chance of them eating what you're trying to feed them right now.
 
Gshock is right on the money.

Ghost shrimp provide little nutrients unless they are gut loaded first. Gut load them with pellets, worms, algae wafers or anything else the shrimp will eat.

Add blackworms to their diet. Chopped earthworms (or whole red wigglers if your rays can handle them) are a great source of nutrients but right now you want to make sure they are eating steadily and putting on weight. Get your rays plumped up with the blackworms and then wean them on to other foods.
 
Here are the approx size of the fish i have in the tank. Right now i'm running 2 FX5's but i have extra spare which i dont mind running if i need to.

peacock bass - 4"
2 hi fin sharks - 2.5"
datnoid - 2"
pleco - 5.5"
green arrowana - 7"
jardini arowana - 5.5"
2 bichirs - 5"

@oto: are black/earth worms same as super worms?
 
Well, first off you have a very large bioload in that tank, rays produce a massive amount of waste and adding 3 of them may have started a mini-cycle in your tank. I would test your water right now and post back with the results ASAP. Also, get that extra FX5 you said you had running right now.

I see a few problems in your stock list also as far as food competition goes and just some of those fish aren't good for rays in general. The pleco needs to go because they are known to suck on a ray's slime coat. Jardini arowanas as well as bichirs have been known to pick at ray's eyes/tail.

It looks like a few other members have already helped you out with the feeding issue. Black worms are not the same as superworms.
 
Forget blackworms, they're impossible to find in toronto as I've been trying to find them for the past like 10 or so years. Earthworms are the worms that come out during rainy days, the ones you find in your backyard, and the ones that are sold in bait and tackle shops. You really need to seperate your ray lol...A stocklist like that with a new ray is just practically asking for a dead ray...
 
Gshock;4381664; said:
Forget blackworms, they're impossible to find in toronto as I've been trying to find them for the past like 10 or so years. Earthworms are the worms that come out during rainy days, the ones you find in your backyard, and the ones that are sold in bait and tackle shops. You really need to seperate your ray lol...A stocklist like that with a new ray is just practically asking for a dead ray...
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If you are still looking for blackworms, contact blkworm@aol.com
Their worms are always cold, clean and lively. I believe they still give a discount to MFK members (you just have to ask for it).

Also, if you are keeping smaller rays, you can keep your own compost bin (18 gallon rubbermaid) and breed your own red wigglers in a controlled environment. In only 3 months they triple in population.
 
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