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Question about freshwater stingrays 11/6/08
Hi I am new to this site and I had a question. I have two freshwater stingray
and a Arowana in a 75 gallon grow out tank with a hydro filter and two penguin
bio-wheel 350s. I have had one ray for 4 months the other for 2 1/2 months and
the Arowana for about a month. I have noticed odd behavior by the rays they
are breathing faster than usual, just sitting upright on the side of the tank
and trying to jump out of the tank and they
have never acted like this before. The one ray will eat blackworms and
chopped night crawlers and the other will only eat blackworms. I have
tested the water a bunch on time the ammonia is 0 the nitrates and
nitrites are 0 and the ph is 6.5. I do 50 % water changes every 2 weeks.
I was just wonder what might cause this weird behavior and the rapid
breathing. Thank you in advance. Amber
<Hello Amber. Your tank is too small and too poorly filtered for Stingrays,
and what you're seeing are general signs of stress. These are indications
that it's time to move them to their next aquarium. Even if the only fish
you had was an Arowana, the tank would be too small and inadequately
filtered. Depending on the Stingray species you have, you'll need at tank
at least 90 cm wide from front to back and 200 cm in length from left to
right. (The width of the tank should be at least 1.5 times the maximum
width of the "disc" of the Stingray species in question; since the common
species are 60 cm in disc size, 90 cm is a good baseline width.) Depth
isn't critical. Filtration needs to be a serious external canister filter.
Hang-on-the-back filters have little value in serious freshwater
fishkeeping; they're really only suited to small community tank species.
You need something with lots of space for biological media, and offering
water turnover 8-10 times the volume of the tank in turnover per hour. So
if you use a 200 gallon tank, the minimum for a Stingray, your filter (or
more likely, pair or trio of canister filters) will need to be rated at
1200 to 2000 gallons per hour. There's no getting around this fact:
Stingray aquaria are insanely expensive to set up. People who try to
economize end up with dead Stingrays. Many books on the topic now
available; I'd heartily encourage you track down one or two of these at
your local library or bookstore. Cheers, Neale.>
Stingray Beh., FW 6/3/08
Hello,
I have a question in regard to Stingrays. After reading all I can find and
prepping, planning the system, I have finally purchased a stingray (believe it
to be Potamotrygon orbignyi). After QT, of course, I added the ray to my main
display. (Cycled of course) It has been eating and swimming quite well. My
question is this: I have a bubble wand along the back (about 1 foot wide, used
to oxygenate the water because of the higher temps) and the ray spends
considerable time there (probably about 1/5 of the overall time or less),
'hanging out.' At times it looks like he's swimming and 'resting' in the
bubbles, almost suspended. I don't think this is anything to be concerned with,
<Agreed>
and the ray acts completely normal otherwise. Am I wrong here? Should I be
concerned about this?
<Mmm, no>
My test results have been zero for Nitrites and Nitrates, I keep the temp at 83
with less than 1 watt per gallon lighting, and I change an insane amount of
water (my girlfriend says so at least.. I change about 50% or so a week.)
<Good>
Also, I feed a combination of bloodworms, krill, plankton (all frozen of course)
and every few days I feed the ray a ghost shrimp (I keep them in a 10 gallon and
'gut load 'em' with Microcrabs with Cyclop-eeze).
<Good technique>
Is this a sufficient amount of variation in diet?
<Yes... I'd add garden/earth worms as well>
I'll keep reading, of course.
Thanks Again for the help!!
Eric
<This fish, Potamotrygonids period, seem to enjoy bubbles, water movement... No
worries. Bob Fenner>
(FW) Stingray lethargic/not
swimming properly 11/5/07
I awoke this morning to my stingray in what appeared to be a death curl,
turned out he was just resting his fins on the glass and a rock. but I
changed 30% of the water as per my usual Sunday regimen,
<We share this task, timing in common>
but he is extremely lethargic and seems to be dormant after attempting to swim a
short distance. He hasn't come up on the side of the glass as he
sometimes used to. He seems to be swimming as though he's about to die, like a
regular fish with a gas bladder problem would be swimming on its
side or upside down on the bottom of the tank. I know he isn't eating as much as
he should, he's been extremely thin, but I attempt to feed him
at least 3 times a day. The only thing he seems to readily accept is frozen
bloodworms. I've been trying live earthworms (both cooked/chopped
and live whole/chopped), frozen brine shrimp, fresh cooked chopped mussels,
krill, but can't seem to get any acceptance. I suspect the
malady aforementioned is directly related to his feeding habits, but what can I
do, or is it already too late?
<This is a freshwater... Potamotrygonid... I fully suspect goiter... an iodine
deficiency here, perhaps other nutritional avitaminoses... Please put the term
"ray, goiter, iodine" in the search tool here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/WWMAdminSubWebIndex/question_page.htm
and read the cached views. Bob Fenner>
Thank you,
Josh
Another stingray question, beh., no useful info. 6/4/07
Hello again
<Howdy>
You helped me the other day in confirming that my little stingray is a girl.
<Ah yes>
I am hoping I can ask you another question. It is so hard to find someone
who knows what they are talking about when it comes to the little beauties.
<More commonly kept nowadays... but...>
Anyways, the little girl was really shy at first, but she has been eating
well so far. Over the last few days she has been doing loop-di-loops in her
aquarium, wanting me to rub her tummy when she is upside down. This morning
she was acting funny, with decreased appetite and it looked like her
breathing was a little labored. She is holding the tip of her disc, the
"nose" up in the water, higher than usual. It almost looks like she hit
something and is sore, but do you have any experience with this?
<Yes... can be a bad sign... Indicative of something amiss with the system,
water quality, metal-poisoning... the presence of infectious, parasitic
disease...>
She is still eating, but not quite as much as before. She is moving around,
but more slowly and along the bottom.
Thank you
Stefanie
<... Please read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwstingrays.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>
Freshwater Stingray
Hello,
<Howdy>
I have two freshwater stingrays (not exactly sure what kind), male and
female. My male is continuingly swimming in circles and has not eaten
in two days. Is this normal or should I be concerned?
<Not atypical for these fishes to go on periodic hunger strikes... if it
doesn't eat for more than a week I'd be concerned, try other foods, soaking them
in an appetite stimulant solution. But the swimming in circles is not a good
sign. How long have you had these fishes, and how are they housed? Bob
Fenner>
Roy D. Gray
Re: Freshwater Stingray
Unfortunately the male stingray died 1/16/04. The female stingray I
have had about three months, and the male about 2 months. The female
seems fine and very active. Roy
<Sorry to hear of the loss... these fishes are almost all wild-caught (some
public aquariums have had live births that get distributed)... and sometimes die
of apparently "anomalous" causes. Have you seen the article and FAQs
on the family posted here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwstingrays.htm
Bob Fenner>
Freshwater Stingray pc. on WWM, ref.s
I recently went to your website, Freshwater Stingrays:
Family Potamotrygonidae. I was reading the section
labeled Selection>>Coloration. Under this section,
you indicated that Potamotrygonids are aquatic
chameleons. I am currently do a research project on
stingray color variation/polychromatism. Would you
know where I could find primary or secondary
literature that would support the claim you made.
<Mmm, the piece was penned several years back... the input may be somewhere in
the pet-fish literature listed, or just a first person observation on my part>
I am
particularly interested in knowing whether stingray
coloration changes based upon river color, genetics,
or physiological effects. I have attempted to search
the internet and several educational journals on this
topic. However, none have offered me the information
that I need. Please contact me when you can.
-Edna Bonhomme
<... If this is an "in depth" search, I encourage you to seek out the posted
bibliography along with a current computer search of the group, key terms above.
Bob Fenner>
Freshwater stingray
I have a freshwater stingray for 2 months she is eating great.
I just saw her swimming upside down and doing weird things . Her breathing is a
little rapid what is wrong with her, I like her and don't want anything to
be wrong.
>> Check your ammonia and nitrite levels. Sometimes rays can swim in strange
ways in the current of the filter. Is she doing this all the time? Is she still
eating? Thanks, Oliver
Freshwater Stingray
She died 8 minutes later. She was eating great. Everyday about 1-2 dozen
grass shrimp. She was about 5-6 inches round. I really enjoyed her and want
to get another, but I want to know why or what happened so this doesn't happen
again. I got her from the local pet shop. She was just gray with the yellow
spotted tail. I researched everything and thought I set up good. she would
only eat the shrimp, I tried worms, krill, she killed two molly's i had in the
tank with her 3 day's before she died (didn't eat them though) Any
suggestions, or places to get another one when I am ready (different Kinds of
stingrays) . Also, any information to help in the future. Thank You
Joy (I live in Florida, I don't know if that has anything to do with it)
>>Dear Joy, rays are sometimes a bit sensitive, if the fish was eating well at
your place for a while it seems you were doing things right. A ray would not
kill fish without eating them, so something in your tank was wrong enough to
kill your mollies as well. Maybe they died of ammonia or nitrite poisoning.
Feeding shrimp can foul the water quickly. On another note, now that you mention
you are in Florida: All freshwater stingrays are prohibited in your state and as
far as I know can not be sold in Florida or kept by Florida residents. You may
want to research this with your local USFW department. Good Luck, Oliver
Freshwater stingray growth rate - 03/11/2006
Hello I have one question. Can I keep a freshwater stingray in a 55 gallon tank
until I have the room and the money for a bigger tank. Thank you
>> That depends on the species. Make sure to understand that all but one or two
species of freshwater rays get over 3 feet in diameter, and are less than ideal
aquarium fish. To keep a small ray in your tank until it grows is possible, but
I would not recommend it. Good Luck, Oliver
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