Sting Ray

I have always loved these and I am just wondering if anyone out there knows a little about them, ie how hardy they are, what is a good price, aggression, etc. I have asked around but when it is someone trying to sell one they might be a little biased.

There are plenty of rays that can be kept in the home aquarium.

Please check out Scott Michaels book "Sharks and Rays".  You should be able to find some small easier to keep rays.

There are a handful of rays that stay under 2 feet in the aquarium (that cannot be said for sharks).  Urolophus halleri is a good choice IMO.  It is very is to feed, is fairly hardy, and usually only gets about 12-15 inches in the aquarium.  A 90-150 gallon would be big enough to keep this relatively small ray if you kept an open sandy bottom.  Obviously the bigger the tank the better.

I don't know the size of Geo's system.  Therefore I cannot recommend a ray for his size of aquarium, but this is why I recommended HE read the book by Scott Michaels.

Just my $.02

Carl,

You are right the way he has his 125 gallon aquarium setup NOW will not work for a ray setup.  Is this his only tank?  Does he plan on buying a new tank?

His question was not "Can I put a ray in my current system".

His question was "I have always loved these and I am just wondering if anyone out there knows a little about them, ie how hardy they are, what is a good price, aggression, etc. I have asked around but when it is someone trying to sell one they might be a little biased."

For all I know he is planning on building a 400 gallon aquarium just to keep rays.  It seemed to me that he was doing his research before buying a ray.  This is why I recommend he read Scott's book.  After he knows what types of rays are out there he can decided if his aquarium is big enough, if he should upgraded, or not keep rays altogether.

But without a doubt I stick to my original statement:

"There are plenty of rays that can be kept in the home aquarium.

Please check out Scott Michaels book "Sharks and Rays".  You should be able to find some small easier to keep rays."

Edited by Jake Pehrson

 Sandy!!!

Jake, noted and agreed. as long as the hobbiest is willing to undo practically everything that he has spent his time and money establishing and devote a practically wide-open tank to sustain this creature, they can be successful. I am not disagreeing that it can be done. Based on the possible lack of experience of many hobbiests regarding the living requirements of some creatures, they may be best left to more advanced hobbiests. IMO only.

I didnt mean to start an argument!!   I curently have a 125 with some live rock. I was curious if there were any rays that would stay small enough to be okay. There is currently a small one at Incredible Pets and that is why I asked. I would of course redo alot of the tank to make open spaces before I got one. Not knowing alot about them,  I didnt know if they were better off left to tanks bigger than mine. There are a lot at pet stores in their show tanks and I didnt know how much space they needed.

Although my user name (need to change it) doesnt really reflect it -He is a She!!       Thank you for all the advice!

Not any fish.  Not yet at least.  Someday we will have big enough tanks, but until then Great Whites are still not possible.  Not a single one has survived in captivity.  A few other fish are still not "keepable".  I have a personal mission to be the first person to keep a certain wrasse.  I don't want to say which one yet, but I'm working on it.

Adam

Geofish, How are your three tanks doing

I have to admit that this morning when I first saw this thread, I thought, " ", then as I read it through, I was to see that you are doing your homework.

How is your husband taking all this improvement in your aquarium keeping abilities. He probably has his own hobbies.