Water Movement for Stingrays

[House 64]

I've browsed the site but figured it bounce it off some of the more specialized guys who keep, grow out and breed stingrays. What velocity or amount of movement of water do you guys keep in your ray tanks and at which levels/stratosphere of the tank? How many gallons do you guys turn over per hour and the amount that is preferred by the rays.

 

[Just Toby]

I have not kept rays long but I have kept fish for over 30 years.

Whilst I do not think Rays need massive movement themselves you do need a good volume of flow to shift the large amounts of waste (big poos) off the bottom and in to the filters.

My turnover is now at around only 5 per hour but I do have directional eyeball returns to up the pressure which gives massive surface movement which is useful for the large oxygen requirements.

I also have a Koralia 4 which is used on a timer to break up the normal circulation patterns and blow waste off the bottom (1hour on and 2 off)

Add as much filtration as you can, I use a large 80 gal sum but back this up with a large eheim external for added mechanical and a backup for when I clean the sump. (The weir is not as good as the intake of the eheim IMO) I had the tank drilled for waste and return of the external too.

 

[ShadowStryder]

Turnover is appx 8 times an hour and counting the two Koralia 4s I have appx 5000gph worth
of water circulating around my tank with no ill effects on the rays. And I never see waste on the bottom.

 

[House 64]

Thanks fellas. I'll do a bit more homework on the various pump sizes and options. Need to decide on a type of bio for the new sump too.

 

[keepinfish]

I use pot scrubbers.

I turn over on my 210 about 14-16x per hour. I also have a power head that is doing like 700 gph. I am using a sump on this tank, that is full of pot scrubbers. < just added a drip on this tank doing 3gph

On my other tank it is a 250 and i am running 2 fx5's ( packed full of post scrubbers) and a power head rated at 300 gpm and one rated at 1200 gph. <-- this tank is on a drip that is doing 4gph.

I have my tanks heavily stocked with rays

 

[House 64]

I have my tanks heavily stocked with rays

How are your sumps? I'm considering doing a 125g. sump on my 270g. tank.

 

[vamptrev]

i would shoot for at least 10x turnover

i have my tanks at about 15x per hr

 

[cjfrontlovr]

wow..unreal..15x turnover..thats ALOT of water..i am a firm believer of slowing things down at least on your bio filter to give the bio time to do its job.mechanical, as fast as you want..my 1100g has 1 4500gph and 1 3600gph running the whole thing..anything faster would be ..my 2 cents..sean, you've seen my 1100..agree or disagree hope it helps!

 

[ShadowStryder]

wow..unreal..15x turnover..thats ALOT of water..i am a firm believer of slowing things down at least on your bio filter to give the bio time to do its job.mechanical, as fast as you want..my 1100g has 1 4500gph and 1 3600gph running the whole thing..anything faster would be ..my 2 cents. sean, you've seen my 1100..agree or disagree hope it helps!

I tend to lean your way CJ, I like to give time for the bio to work rather than having the water rush right over the media. But this is an old debate and every one has their own way of doing things, but I do like lots of water movement within my setup for O2. So find what works for you and go with it.

 

[cjfrontlovr]

I tend to lean your way CJ, I like to give time for the bio to work rather than having the water rush right over the media. But this is an old debate and every one has their own way of doing things, but I do like lots of water movement within my setup for O2. So find what works for you and go with it.

very good statement, "whatever works best for you and go for it".i've seen ways and all seem to work just fine.