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I have a spare 90 gallon tank sitting around and I'm looking into possibly getting freshwater rays. My question is what types if any can I keep in a 90? I would like to keep 3 rays. The types that I have been interested in are the Black Devils, Motoros and the Hystrix. Also, what makes good tank mates? I have heard that Arowanas make great tank mates but my tank is too small for an Aro so what are some good fish to inhabit the upper region of the tank? I know that these aren't beginner fish and that's what intrigues me about them. I've kept fish since I was 5 years old and currently maintain several tanks including reef tanks.
The 90 in which I want to place them in is a tank that I previously housed my Dovii in and now he has outgrown and moved to the 150. It is filtered by an Emperor 280 and an Eheim Pro 2. Thanks for any help!
Oh, does anyone know of any place online that I can purchase rays other than aquabid?

You could do a hystix in a 90g maybe, but there not the best begginer stingray. A motaro is the best begginer stingray but they need a lot larger tank.

What are the dimensions of said tank?

I believe that the 90 is 4ft long X 2ft wide and 30inches high. I realize that it probably isn't the IDEAL tank for rays but is there any species that I could keep at least 2 rays in? I've wanted to keep rays for a VERY long time and never had a vacant tank of any size.

I agree. If you plan on keeping multiples of ANY potamy, then P. reticulata is your man; err, fish. As stated, the motoro, which comprises the second "size group" is an entire stinger's length too wide for your tank, though they are reputed as the hardiest of the rays.

noo rectics for a beginner. Histrix is much better for a first timer. They are also the smallest due to the fact that rectics have huge tails. Rectics, though the cheapest "teacup" stingray, are not good beginners.

And I would only have 1 ray with a school of silver dollars or congo tetras and call it a day.

I was always told that p. histrix was MUCH more difficult to condition after capture, and tend to ship the worst out of all the pomtamys. West African characins as tankmates are iffy; the teacups at Kings are fed silversides nearly twice that size. Tetras are substrate hoverers at night, a time during which stingrays tend to be most active. Discus would probably fare best, as they both have somewhat stringent water requirements.

Last edited by Cup_of_Lifenoodles at 25-Jul-2005 15:26

Your 90g size is a bit off. Those dimensions would give you 150gallons. A 90g(at least mine anyway) is 4ft x 18" wide x 24" tall. I'd love to keep rays and a store near me sells them but I think I'd do an indoor pond or hex tank for them. The ones at the store are kept in a 6' diameter hex tank 2' deep. At various times the tank also has young arrowana, ghost knife, 20" pleco, and occasional large cichlids. One of the rays will come up to the top and grab people's fingers to play with. Then he rolls over so you can rub him. If only I could convince Chris a pond would look nice in the middle of the living room.

Well, I'll admit that I am a bit confused on the rectic vs. histrix debate. I'm just saying what I heard.

But, what I do know, is that plecs, big chiclids and discus are very poor ray tankmates. Discus also hover over the substrate at night. They can't be eaten by rays, but rays have a habit of wrapping themselves around other fish. Also, as fish go, discus are wimps. So, a fun game of "hide the discus" can end up rather poorly. Plecs have a habit of sucking on the slime coat of rays, leaving huge "hickies" that wind up becoming infected and killing the ray. Finally, large chichlids, like oscars, are very curious, and will sometimes peck at a stingray's eye, causing problems.

The only reason that I suggested congo tetras is that they are very big, sometimes hitting about 6". For a small ray (1 foot), I wouldn't have any fish less than that.

And finally, in a 150 gallon you can have 2 rays as well as another big centerpiece fish (like an Asian or Australian aro, no SA) or a large school of silver dollars. Personally, I prefer the aro, but Asians are very expensive. However, you can sometimes rescue a mislabeled jardini from a store for about $30.

Good luck!

Uh, what? The man with the largest pearlie collection hailing from the Netherlands keeps his stock solely with discus. Discus and pterophyllum species are reccomended by many other breeders.

"The only reason that I suggested congo tetras is that they are very big, sometimes hitting about 6". For a small ray (1 foot), I wouldn't have any fish less than that. "

You better do some more reading up; having personally worked with congos for quite some time, I can tell you that no congo that I know of has ever reached remotely CLOSE to 6".

Last edited by Cup_of_Lifenoodles at 26-Jul-2005 22:36

Have you ever talked to "the man with the largest pearlie collection hailing from the Netherlands". I doubt it. During one of my discussions with me, he said this is only to be attempted by keepers with exceptionally huge tanks, 300 gallons +. This is the same man who is finishing a brand new 500 gallon for the said rays and discus.

If that's not enough to convince you, take a look at Aquatic Predators, a site specializing in rays. I made a post there on this topic a while back and the concensus was no.

You better do some more reading up; having personally worked with congos for quite some time, I can tell you that no congo that I know of has ever reached remotely CLOSE to 6".

On this one, I will give it to you. I was a bit off .

"Have you ever talked to "the man with the largest pearlie collection hailing from the Netherlands". I doubt it. During one of my discussions with me, he said this is only to be attempted by keepers with exceptionally huge tanks, 300 gallons +.

Ah, so you've met him? Perhaps then, you'll supply me with an e mail and name by which I can contact him?


"If that's not enough to convince you, take a look at Aquatic Predators, a site specializing in rays. I made a post there on this topic a while back and the concensus was no."

I can only speak from personal experience, but at least three separate discus breeders, all more or less reputable (Doctors M. Lim, P. Wong, and one of my father's associates whom runs a rather large discus ring in Taiwan and supplies to many specialist stores in Taipei; the details of the latter are sketchy, so I can't be too sure, but the first pair are quite well known here in SoCal--Mike Lim moved to Seattle about a year ago) keep their fish in with rays. This is not mentioning that I myself have hands on experience with several rays, two of which were medium sized motoros in a 90 gallon (give me a break, it's a LFS) discus tank at the place in which I last worked. There are *currently* setups in both Kings and Aquatic Warehouse which house rays and discus in comfortable harmony. I have also worked (I do find it strange how I've had this much experience with rays, as, last I checked, they were illegal to handle in CA, but I'm not sure) privately for years with discus; they handle themselves better in the company of mildly active fish better than people expect. I am not sure as to whether you've kept either genus, or for that matter, worked with them (I certainly have never personally kept a stingray, but have looked after a few), but I assure you that I have never heard of a discus-stingray issue IME. Perhaps the two DON'T get along, but to the extenet and sources (btw, there are quite a few suggestions as stingrays for discus companions on the web), I have to assume otherwise.





Last edited by Cup_of_Lifenoodles at 29-Jul-2005 07:52

You have good points and I have good points. However, as far as I am concerned, this debate is pointless. It really doesn't pertain to the question at hand and no amount of flaunting sources and connections will change either of our minds.

Let's just say that there are three main species you can have 2 of. These are histrix, recitulata, and scobina. For the rest, I'd suggest getting more opinions and doing some research, because a general fish community like this isn't the best for such exotics. I really suggest posting on Aquatic predators, or Aquatic terrors, as both of these sites specialize on the fish in question. (I'm not advertizing either of these sites, or putting down Fish Profiles, it's just that this site is better with general questions that predators).

The point was that discus are good pogamy tankmates. I was under the impression that the bulk of the topic was directed towards ray. If I am to (then again, having not recieved any e mail address from you, it is to be understood that you have enver really spoken to said expert before?) display what is in my opinion the correct information, what better way than to flaunt sources--keep in mind, you did it yourself. Btw, I have browsed much of AP myself, and many of their members have the same two genus mix in their tanks. The only warnings they give are for young discus and larger rays, as discus, being cichlids, are also bottom sleepers.





Last edited by Cup_of_Lifenoodles at 01-Aug-2005 10:14