| I have found from my own personal experience that my rays thrive in the following conditions:- Temperature - 78-80F Nitrite - 0 Nitrate - 5ppm (preferably lower) pH - 6.5-7.0 |
| Unfortunately most people starting out with stingrays, (including myself) usually end up losing their first ray and you can guarantee that 99% of the time it is due to the water quality in the tank. People should be aware of the work and the expense that needs to be put into keeping these fascinating creatures. Stingrays are very sensitive to changes in the water chemistry, therefore it is essential that your tank has a suitable filtration system to maintain good water quality. An average filter that would normally be efficient in a tropical aquarium will be inadequate for a stingray aquarium. Due to their size and the amount of food they consume, rays produce more waste than your average tropical fish. I use Eheim external filtration systems in my tanks and have been more than satisfied with their performance. |
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| If rays are subjected to elevated levels of ammonia or nitrate they soon become lethargic and stop feeding. A healthy ray will always be active and hungry, they spend the majority of their time scouring the bottom of the tank looking for food. If your stingray is spending a lot of the time hiding in the substrate and not feeding, then there's a good chance they are suffering from poor water quality. Therefore it is essential that you regulary check the water parameters by using a chemical test kit. |
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| I carry out a 60% water change every 4-7 days to ensure that I keep the Nitrate to acceptable levels. Be warned that this task must be carried out continuously throughout the lifespan of the ray and they can live for over 20 years. |
| I regulary use the following Aquarium Pharmaceutical products as I have found they are very safe and effective to use with stingrays (Stress Coat, Stress Zyme, Melafix). Certain products such as Ick treatments that contain copper & other medications that contain Malachite green may kill rays. Due to their sensitivity it is always wise to use only 50% of the recommended doseage when using any medication. |
| Rock salt can be used as a treatment. It is useful to use to control fungus infections and to de-stress rays that have been exposed to poor water conditions or shipping stress. The recommended doseage is 1 tablespoon per gallon. I've had success using salt to de-stress two of my rays when I first aquired them but I would not recommend prolonged exposure to it. Perhaps 1 week or so at the most. |
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