3 happy stingrays

[elvis]

Hello everyone, my 2 motoro stingrays, 1 hystrix stingray, and myself are new members here. As of now they live in a 38 gallon tank, its an odd size being 36"L, 12"W, 20"D. All my rays eat like pigs, are very active, and appear very happy. The motoro rays are both about 5" across the disk and the hystrix is 3". I know they need more room now even though they appear happy. They could get as big as 2 feet across so I need to step up big. I've even considered a baby pool. The problem I have right now is this. I'm running 3 filters on this tank now. A whisper 4 and 2 whisper 2 filters. They keep the tank very clean and give plenty of surface agitation, BUT everyday when I wake up and when I get home from work the impellers have stopped because they are clogged with grains of marine sand. I've tried using filter material and sponges on the intake to catch the sand but this slows the waterflow to a trickle. I'm going to get a real big tank when I can afford it so I need a real big filter as well. I want to get the filter first and start using it now. What is good for a 100 to 150 gallon freshwater tank, that wont clog with sand when these guys stir it up as stingrays love to do? I've got alot more questions where this came from but I'll get to them later If all you out there can help me. yet very

 

[Sumpin'fishy]

I know that you love your fish, but before you make any plans about getting filters and other items for a setup large enough for these fish, I'd really suggest looking at your REALISTIC needs for these fish! The BARE MINIMUM you will need is a 2 foot deep tank, which really only come (in standard sized tanks) in a 180 gallon tank and upwards!

If you truely want to keep these fish as pets, do them and yourself a favor by either being able to afford a huge setup, or getting them traded in for fish you can reasonably deal with! I'm being fairly conservative by saying that you will need at least $2000 dollars to even start with a system that will let these fish move around without being propped up against the glass all the time! I love large fish, too, but you have got to look at them being taken care of in appropriate ways!

If you truely want to stick with rays, then I think AkidoGuy has a tank with one or more, and it's quite large. He'd be a good guy to start asking questions to.

 

[scott]

There was a member here with a great ray tank. I can't remember his name but he had a site with descriptions and blueprints of his filtration system. Try searching the forums for the key word rays.

 

[elvis]

Thanks sumpinfishy I know I need alot more room and I'm working on that problem. How can I contact this guy you speak of? Does he come on here? Will he read this? And yes I do love my rays. They are the coolest fish I've had in the twelve years I've been doing this. And I take good care of them and want the best enviornment possible for them. All the sites I found on the web (and there is'nt that many) have said that a huge tank is in order for these guys. Who offers good prices? These tanks cost alot of money so I dont want to go to a 100 then a 200 then a 300. I need to make a big jump, without getting ripped off. Trust me they are okay right now, but not for long.

 

[scott]

There is a search key on the forum, type in the keyword and it will look up all of the threads with that keyword.

Here is the link.http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=9367&highlight=sting+ray

Look in to used tanks. There should be a good supply in DC. I recently got a 150 completely set up from stand to lights to filtration etc. for about 750 dollars. I think you will be looking for a bigger tank though. Maybe contact the Baltimore aquarium? They might have some holding tanks or something they would sell used? Just a thought. HTH

 

[Sumpin'fishy]

To contact AkidoGuy directly do a search on this forum for his name, then when you find a post for him, do a private message to him. Ask him if he does, indeed, have rays in one of his larger tanks, just to make sure I remembered correctly.

For a larger tank, I would personally build one myself from plywood and glass, that way you can make it what ever sizes you want. I would probably go with 8 foot by either 2 1/2 or 3 feet deep. They can look good if you have any kind of wood working skills or are mechanically inclined/good with your hands. I will be doing this probably in my future for some larger tanks I'd like to make! There are plans all over the internet for different designs. There are also discussions and probably links on this site. Do a search for plywood tanks/wood tanks/DIY tanks, etc.

 

[yashinfan]

If you go to Home Depot or whatever it is where you live- they have pond liners for outdoors but you could just fill it with water and keep it indoors. They have 180 gallon pond liners for about 100$ canadian. They are not that deep... maybe a foot and a half? I don't know what stingrays need but a plastic pool/pond is a lot cheaper than a glass tank ANY day of the week! Good lucK!

 

[elvis]

Thanks scott that link was great but as about as confusing as whats going on inside my computer. I will need to study this link because that guy has a beautiful setup and definately knows what he is doing. I've been all over the web looking at filter setups and had no idea they could be so complex. My rays have been fine as pups in this tank with only whisper power filters. I knew I would need a big tank but did'nt realize filtration would be so complicated. They really are fairly clean fish and I have never had a problem in the year that I have had them now. What do you think of the fluval filters? This is what they run on the larger fresh and saltwater tanks at my local fish store where I get supplies. I think its a fluval 304 or 404. Someone help I'm new at this big fancy filter game!

 

[blitzen25bm]

fluvals are ok never had one though so I am not going to say anything about them but everyone who had an ehiem would never go back to anything else but they are also expensive. You might also want to look into wet/drys their intakes are at the top so sand might not go in as much and if it did it probably wouldnt be too bad because the pumps should be fine. I just got a new setup a few months ago too a 180 acrylic, stand and canopy and a huge wetdry it was the amiracle the ones good enough for 300 gallons and 2 huge pumps. spent about 2000 for everything, could have had it cheaper and built my own stand and filter and stuff but i wanted everything now. if i were you i would just do something like this http://www.aquariacentral.com/diy/pond1.shtml
filtration would also be easy because you can build yourself some sort of skippy pond filter you could probably get a 500 gallons+ pond for the same price as a new 125 setup. -john

 

[scott]

I use fluvals on all of my large tanks and they work great. I even dropped one once when I was cleaning it and the handle/clamp broke. I duck taped the filter back together and it still runs fine, been about seven or eight months now. You can use a prefilter on the intake if you have a problem with sand getting in to it.