stingray & sand

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sunvalley aquarist

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Sep 18, 2009
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USA
Hello everyone,
I'm new to this forum. I joined because I've purchased a Teacup stingray and want to make sure that I provide the very best care that I can.
I have a couple of questions and would greatly appreciate any and all help.
"Rey" is currently in a 55 gal. and has been in the tank for a month as of today. She is eating black worms quite well. I 've been changing out approximately 10 gal. of water per week. I use R/O water for these changes. I will be setting up a 240 gal this week end, but it will most likely be four weeks before it is done cycling.
Now for my questions:
1)Rey has just now started to show the pink underside that I've read about. The tank she is in was Saltwater and has about an inch of what was live sand. What sand do you use?
2) I'm planning on plumbing my R/O unit into the 240 to make water changes easier. Someone told me that the exclusive use of R/O for aquarium freshwater can cause Ph spikes. Has anyone had this experience?
 
1) I'd change out the sand as soon as possible. Use any of the non buffering sands, Tahitian moon sand, 3M colored quartz, play sand, Estes sand. The once live sand is some variant of crushed coral and will leach calcium carbonate into the water creating hard alkaline water.

2) Yes it can and I had that happen. It's a pH crash not a spike, pH drops fast. RO water no mineral to balance out the organic acids produced by the bio filter and the fish. One way to counter this is to use any of the reconstitute products. Kent R/O right or Seachem Equilibrium would work, you can also add de-chlorinated tap water to balance the minerals.

How are you doing the water changes and how much water does the RO unit produce?
 
1. I would also recommend getting rid of the sand in the tank. Now. I've been using Estes Medium Broadcast. You can find it for about $24.00 for a 50 lb bag. Look at paint supply warehouses or wholesale paint supply stores.

2. Plumbing in an auto water change system is a good idea. I have one plumbed into my tank, but I just use tap water.
 
as said above. get rid of the sand asap.

try useing the RO unit without the ro bit onit if you want to hook it up to the tank.

replace the carbon block with a HMA cartrage. use the hma and a 5 micro prefilter. that will remove all the nastys from the water but wont go as far as RO.
 
Hello, WELCOME to MFK!!! Congrats on your new Ray!!
:iagree: Get rid of that type of sand ASAP. You could also try pool filter sand, my fish seem to love the stuff.
Bump up your WC's to at least 50% a week.
Try getting your ray to eat some more of a variety of foods. My Retic(teacup) loves her nightcrawlers but will also eat tilapia and shrimp.
Make sure you post some pics of your new 240.

Happy Ray keeping
 
Gshock;3540754; said:
wait, your "teacup" is in saltwater and its still alive? Any pics on your ray first of all?
Click to expand...

No, i think he meant that previously it was a saltwater tank, and they kept the substrate but converted it to freshwater.
 
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