Hi everyone , first post here so be gentle please , i'm thinking of setting up my very first ray only tank , could any one give me some guidence on where to buy rays in the U K , all my local dealers in London won't stock them because they say they are too difficult to keep !! . Secondly what type of equipment you run like filtration ,is it all external power filters or sumps ! I've seen some very impressive set ups on this site especially from the USA does anyone in the UK have tanks as large as these guys truly amazing stuff . Steve
Stingray keeping in the UK
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Just spend as much as you can on all your gear, go the whole nine yards on the filters (sump and externals) and get as bigger tank as possible. As for the rays you may have to drive further afield to get good ones. Try maidenhead in st albens its not overly far from you (i pressume) and had the best ray selection ive seen in a single shop.
Don't be put off by online dealers; some provide extremely good service and great prices as well as being able to provide a wider range of fish.
www.trimar.co.uk does have them every so often but you could always call them to order but alternatively www.tropical-imports.co.uk is your best bet as Dan specialises in oddballs such as rays however, he hasn't been replying to my emails lately.
I'm presuming you have a large tank to accommodate these fish? A Fluval FX5 will be able to cope with a large aquarium very comfortably.
www.trimar.co.uk does have them every so often but you could always call them to order but alternatively www.tropical-imports.co.uk is your best bet as Dan specialises in oddballs such as rays however, he hasn't been replying to my emails lately.
I'm presuming you have a large tank to accommodate these fish? A Fluval FX5 will be able to cope with a large aquarium very comfortably.
seel1990;3886242; said:check on ebay i saw a seller selling a few different rays like motoro's and teacups. also check discountfish.co.uk they have hystrix and motoro's..but remember sum of these are venomous
ALL OF THEM ARE VENOMOUS
you can try Wholesale tropical in Bethnal Green (East London), they have rays from time to time at reasonable price.
or if you are after something nicer you can always go to St albans' maidenhead like Angus said. but do expect to pay alot more.
thanks for the replies , do you favour canister filters over sumps ?, is it possible to keep more than 2 rays in a 6ft tank ? , also what promblems can i expect to run into keeping rays , i've read the stickys on this forum but would like to hear from keepers who have experienced problems first hand (if indeed you have ) and how they were over come .
Cheaper rays such as what are often sold as "tea cups" (retics, laticeps) and motoro's will outgrow any 6x2x2 setup dispite what some people will tell you. Big external filters are fine, thats what I use. Eheim better than fluval in my opinion. Look at a 2080 or the bigger 2260 at the very minimum, I run both on my 6 foot setup.
Regards to where to buy them, make sure you have setup sorted first and filter matured (cycled). Rays really arent hard if you have basic knowledge of fish keeping. Discus and marines are much harder.
Stay away from St Albums Maidenhead, their rays are very poor health as they barely feed them. Complained to them few weeks ago but they didnt even care. Heard they recently lost whole system of fish anyway inc their breeding leo's and all other rays. Hillingdon Maidenhead would be good bet and more local to you, the manager Luke in user on here and knows his stuff.
Hope this helps but please do more research on web before buying any ray.
Regards to where to buy them, make sure you have setup sorted first and filter matured (cycled). Rays really arent hard if you have basic knowledge of fish keeping. Discus and marines are much harder.
Stay away from St Albums Maidenhead, their rays are very poor health as they barely feed them. Complained to them few weeks ago but they didnt even care. Heard they recently lost whole system of fish anyway inc their breeding leo's and all other rays. Hillingdon Maidenhead would be good bet and more local to you, the manager Luke in user on here and knows his stuff.
Hope this helps but please do more research on web before buying any ray.
do you use R O water for water changes ? is your water hard or soft ? i've been slighty put off buy horror stories of newly purchased rays just not eating and wasting away, do any of you live feed or have you managed to convert to pellet food ,
I live in south downs and probably have the hardest water in UK abd I use straight tap water. New rays not eating can be a problem but usually fine if water quality is good, infact most rays eat within hours of being in new tank. Rectics are probably the worst for not eating.
Never had to feed live food, frozen all the way
Never had to feed live food, frozen all the way
what type of rays do you keep Jake , and is it a ray only tank , you have already dispelled a few worries i've had about keeping rays , i've had reef systems running for years now but had always considered rays to be too delicate ,so thanks for the advise Steve