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does any on have experience with these rays?

were could i start looking to purchase this FW ray?

People don't normally called it a Black Devil... Most people just call it a Leopoldi. In fact, I don't think I've heard it called that before... As a ray, Leopoldis are some of the best choices as a firsty ray as they will eat voraciously and are said to be the hardiest. However, the one reason these fish are not normally bought as a first ray is PRICE. These fish will often cost over $200 or $300, making it out of the range for most people.

The best place to find any sort of ray is online. Depending on where you are, rays may also be illegal (namely California). www.rareafishinado.com and www.freshwaterstingray.com are both good sources for freshwater rays.

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The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian.

IIRC, they also get really big. Not that that helps much, as stingrays are 100% banned from import in my area, but just a sidenote.

the only info i could really find out is they are carnivores, need atleast 65usg, and to alone.

but i think he'll be worth every penny

Actually the best starter stingray is one of the few from the "Tea cup" variety. These guys stay under 10 inches and can be housed together easily. They are quite hardy, and have a much less requirement than the Leopoldi do.

All stingrays are carnivorous. All reaquire specific setups, sandy bottom, lots of sandy bottom, very few other decorations, and no sharp edged decorations. All require specific water conditions, such as low ph, and soft water, as well as very clean and high quallity. All can inflict painful "stings" or injuries. All can be hard to acclimate. All are a challenge for any aquariust, including the expert. They do not ship well, due to their size mostly, but other reasons as well. Many LFS have these regularlly on their order list of availability, but most don't order them because of the high loss ratio, as well as having a specifially set up tank for them. Talk to your LFS and see if they will order you any if you pre pay for them. Most will.

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There is always a bigger fish...

what is the best way to get a ray like this?(black devil or tea cup)

or should i call around to lfs too see if the will order if i pre pay?

I would check at some of your more exotic stores, as they may have some in stock. Several stores around me keep the tea cups on stock, and sometimes the more exotic ones.

IF not, then don't call, but visit the stores. As they are more likely to order you one prepayed if they are speaking to you one on one, and not just over the phone. And when you are there, ask for the owner or manager, don't talk to just one of the customer service people, but the main people who do the ordering. The customer survice persons usually do not know what is on any of the availability lists.

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There is always a bigger fish...

Actually the best starter stingray is one of the few from the "Tea cup" variety. These guys stay under 10 inches and can be housed together easily. They are quite hardy, and have a much less requirement than the Leopoldi do.

Reticulatas are merely the cheapest ray, making them a good beginner ray in that respect. However, Leopoldis are said by many to be the hardiest among the rays.

No ray should be kept in less than a 100 gallon tank.

If you don't see Reticulatas AKA Tea Cups where you live, you're likely not going to be able to get a Leopoldi at a reasonable price. You should probably check out online sellers of rays; there are a few good ones.

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The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian.

what ray sellers are the best online?

[link=http://www.freshwaterstingray.com]http://www.freshwaterstingray.com" style="COLOR: #40FFFF[/link]
[link=http://www.rareafishinado.com]http://www.rareafishinado.com" style="COLOR: #40FFFF[/link]

Both of these sellers specialize in rays/rare fish, and are great choices for rays. For a ray, you can't do much better than one from one of these guys.

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The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian.