Tiger Rays pros an cons

[DB junkie]

from what ive noticed most dont keep there rays long enough or alive long enough to get to these max sizes only the people with huge tanks and dedicated fully do

Agreed 100% Brent!

You want a Tigger you need to question your dedication.

Some of us are plenty dedicated to be up to the task, I know I would be. I'm sure Brent is, just look at his current stock. There's several here that would stop at absolutly nothing to insure thier animals are raised properly.

BUT I'd bet 70% get the rays and IF they don't kill them they suffer a rude awakening when they realize the amount of food needed to keep one GROWING. Then to the classifieds they go.

That's the problem with all rays. Hobbyists can't afford to feed them enough to grow them. Rather they pinch pennies to get MORE rays and just feed the fish enough to keep them alive. They slowly suffer over time and die a slow starving death.

Maybe the question that needs to be asked is this- How much food does the average adult Tigger/Flower eat per day. Maybe Amazongirl will chime in.

I bet the one pictured could prolly throw down 2-3lbs without breaking a sweat. Do the math.

For the record Flowers are much more common and in turn cheaper. This may play a part in Tigger vs Flower population by the keepers. You'll never see a Tigger cheaper then an equal sized Flower. Maybe location has a part in the price as well. Tiggers may come from tougher to access waters.

 

[keepinfish]

your joking right or dont you include the tail

i would expect flower rays to get close to the same size

Unless the guys arm is longer than a normal guy then..... no i am not.

Scale it and tell me what you think?? Remember what is closer to the camera will look bigger then what is in the back ground

My big Marbles are put near 3' with thier tails and the biggest might be 20" disk.

Given the tails on tiggers and flowers my vote is NO less then 6' wide as a minimum.

IF my Marbles break 2.5' disk I will upgrade them to something WIDER then 4'.

Although IF I owned a Flower or Tigger, I'm sure I'd be arguing the other way.... "They don't get big, 4' is plenty" Not only is 4' plenty for one, but it's probobly plenty for at least a trio. Just keep telling yourselves that and ignore the pics that have been posted and everything will be just fine. Ponds are cheap to build, and you can breed your own food so it won't cost much to feed them.



Famous quote comes to mind here. " I reject your reality and substitute it with my own".

my REGULAR motoro is 18"... maybe 19" and she is just about 28" long?

When i see a Flower in the 30" ++ size i will believe it
My flower is a male and from what i have seen growth rate is slower than a leo or a motoro. maybe he will start to grow faster, maybe he will grow forever. but 3" in a year seems slow for a ray that eats anything including pellets.... Which you got to remember not all rays are alike. Like us, some are tall some are short. Like saying the max size for us is 7'.

 

[DavidW]

So then if flower rays get this size also, why is there more people keeping flower rays than tigers. I thought it was a size thing. Plus is it safe to say a tiger probably would not get that big in captivity (standard home aquarium) Okay I want one again..

My biggest Tiger (female) was about 28" wide and 4.5 feet long but not as big as the one in the photo. I had 6 females and 3 males in a 1000 gallon pool, and they bred.
Tigers generally get bigger than Flowers ime

 

[skynoch]

For people who keep female henlie and think there tank is big enough then it would also be big enough for a male tiger. The added bonus is the male tiger will not cause as much waste as a female henlie.

 

[keepinfish]

from what ive noticed most dont keep there rays long enough or alive long enough to get to these max sizes only the people with huge tanks and dedicated fully do

that is true... Most people will either buy and sell, or never be as dedicated as others...

 

[keepinfish]

For people who keep female henlie and think there tank is big enough then it would also be big enough for a male tiger. The added bonus is the male tiger will not cause as much waste as a female henlie.

your big heneli was 36" or so..right? how long was she? wasnt she real old too?

 

[DB junkie]

Does a Tigger or Flower not have a significantly longer tail then a Motoro or Marble?

I've seen the ones with several bands on thier tails. The friggin tail looks longer then the disk. A simple search for vids on youtube shows this.

Just cause many that are imported have bobbed tails doesn't mean it's "normal". Thier tails require the tank to be wider. Period.

Hey Keepin- Just for the record IF you think I'm referring to you not being dedicated you're sadly mistaken. I know your dedication runs wayyy deep. No doubt. I was more referring to people that can justify these kind of rays with little to no ray experience.

 

[skynoch]

your big heneli was 36" or so..right? how long was she? wasnt she real old too?

No that was Rudy's Henlie that was about 32-33" across and was very old. I forget the exact age but was one of the oldest on the board. I'm not sure if he measured the actual length of her or not. I'll ask him when I talk to him next.

Does a Tigger or Flower not have a significantly longer tail then a Motoro or Marble?

I've seen the ones with several bands on thier tails. The friggin tail looks longer then the disk. A simple search for vids on youtube shows this.

Just cause many that are imported have bobbed tails doesn't mean it's "normal". Thier tails require the tank to be wider. Period.

Hey Keepin- Just for the record IF you think I'm referring to you not being dedicated you're sadly mistaken. I know your dedication runs wayyy deep. No doubt. I was more referring to people that can justify these kind of rays with little to no ray experience.

Yes they will have a longer tail but the tail is also way thinner and more flexible at the end. End to End and side to side a female hen will get bigger than a male tiger. The mass of the two will be very much different and the agility. The male tiger being alot thinner and way more agile.
Alot of people are discouraged from these great looking rays but a male is just as doable as most female rays of popular species. To me Castexi's are the ray that most people shouldn't keep unless they have the massive tanks or ponds. They grow big like flowers and tigers but quicker and way more massive. They are also more aggresive.