Please help question with stingray

[E.intheC]

I'm going to definitely agree with the above.

Here are some good starting points for research. You will need to be 100% confident on all these before you put a stingray in your tank.

How will you cycle your water?

Do you know what they eat?

What are their main sources of
infection? (How best to treat?)

What is the nitrogen cycle?

What type of substrate is best and why?

Where will your heater go?

That size tank really isn't great for stingrays. They don't need height. They need depth (front to back) and length.

Stingrays are one of the hardest live animals to keep and therefore require lots of research and knowledge.

Good luck

 

[tosiek]

wow... just wow. This thread is an Insta-Classic! I want whatever Inneed is smoking because when i first read the first two posts i also thought this thread was a joke.

Inneed, you gotto slow down. First off, its not an easy hobby, and your once in a lifetime purchase will be swimming wrong side up in your tank if you don't know what your doing, very very quickly while you look at the big hole in your pocket where your money used to be. And that can happen even with experienced hobbyists.

But more important than that is that its a living animal and should be treated as such. Its not some material thing you buy that requires nothing more than maybe new batteries to work and thrive, that you can put in a box once your tired of it. If you don't care for that fact alone to set things up the right way, not rushing, for the animal then IMO you shouldn't be keeping one. When your read enough to take care of it properly, and get ready to keep something that needs your care and attention every day then make another post and people will help out.

 

[Awibrandy]

 

[rookie07]

I would bet my left foot this guy/girl is either joking, or buys the ray, and kills it(by accident) along with many other animals b/c he/she couldnt wait long enough.

FYI. The word is "What" not "wat"

 

[INNEED]

ROOKIE JUMP OFF DUMB ASS WAT IS SHORT FOR WHAT I ASKED FOR ADVICE NOT criticism......

 

[jhale]

ok ok ya guys win i will wait about 6 months do some more reseach about them and then get one damn this hobby suckksss lol not really but it has its sucky ways ill be seting up my 150 gallon on friday letin it run for a while i was also told to buy a seahourse if he makes it and does not die the stingray will be fine is that true also wat brand is a good brand for skimmers

wow, tell that person they need to do some research as well :iamwithst

the hobby would suck more for you if you bought the ray this weekend and found it dead on Monday

it's been said patience is the biggest factor in having success in the reef/fish hobby

 

[Master Shake]

ok first you are looking at this the wrong way saying this and this hobby sucks. you are clearly talking to the wrong group of people. It would suck more if you bought it then it died. First off i dont believe anyone addressed this: do you intend on puting anything else in the tank with it? if so, what? Some may argue but i would put live aragonite sand with the ray because it is fairly smooth, live(to help cycle better), and helps calcium(mostly for corals). There is a difference between cycling and establishing a tank. Cycleing is just the time period of getting the tank fit for living organisms to be put in it. Establishing it is the period after that to get the tank to be able to hold its full capacity and not have many problems. I would at least(key words at least) give it 6 months(1-2 years recomended for establishing). Like said before the rays are very sensative compared to most aquarium livestock and require almost perfect water quality with mineral suplements and a goooooood skimmer(asm skimmer recomended). You are going to need live rock and are not going to be able to fit it all in just the sump. Next, this was only mentioned once but the only 2 rays available for sale are highly poisonous when stung. This is not a noob fish and honestly i think a 150 is too small for this fish no matter how small you get it.

 

[INNEED]

ok thanx it was just sarcasm when i said the hbby suck i have a 38 gal right now and i luv it...... ill just set up my 150 gal buy the skimmer live rock live sand some live bactiria and let it run for about 6 months get some cheap fish some dwafs and let them hang out there to the stingray comes in i will also do sum more research on the rays but they are like 1 of the best fishes ava... i luv them and wouldnt want for one to die cuz i rushed into one i spoke to my local petshop and he told me to give the tank about 6 months he recomemded me some solutions and product to get the water and establish the tank a lil faster then it soppose to

 

[jaa1456]

I think you should take all the advice given on here. With one other addition, try your luck at keeping fish first and getting to learn your tank better. As in how and when are you gonna do water changes. Are you truly interested and do you have the desire to keep up with the tank after a few months or even a year passes by. The cost to maintain the tank as well as the proper food for the stingray. Also I'm not 100% correct on this but isn't that the footprint of a 125gallon and not a 150?

 

[INNEED]

wat u talkin about footprint explain???????????

 

[INNEED]

nah its a 150 gal

 

[INNEED]

I always told ppl The only stupid question is the one not asked that comes up to bite you in the asscheek at a later time!

 

[Master Shake]

the blueprint for a 150 long is verry close to a 125, just a little taller and wider. as stated above water changes need to be done, with a ray at least every 2 weeks with rodi water, even in the 38. and you said you would get some cheap fish, to start the tank. cycle it with live rock and that aragonite sand i was talking about and get some decent nice fish like a school of green chromis, a angel, one tang, and some others. damsels, groupers, triggers, and other agressive fish not recomended. why spend $$$$ on a tank and put cheap fish with a sting ray. and like I said before VERRY POISONOUS be careful

 

[rookie07]

I would not add any chemicals to the tank to "speed up" the cycle....let the tank cycle itself, and mature itself...it will still be many, many months before the tank is ready with/without any solutions/products, so you might as well wait.

he recomemded me some solutions and product to get the water and establish the tank a lil faster then it soppose to

P.S. I am expecting an apology from you for yelling at me and insulting me.

 

[INNEED]

no thats just to run my tank cycle i will take them out and give them away after the 6 month on my cycle

 

[Timbo]

Dude, if you have only been in the hobby for two weeks you have a lot to learn. Your tank will be cycled and ready for a sting ray long before you will be. Sorry just my 2 cents!!!

 

[rookie07]

I would also keep a close eye on your small tank, as a cycle/spike may be coming, even though it has not happened yet.

 

[INNEED]

k my bad

 

[18oreefer]

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-list...&s=books&qid=1265067158&sr=1-1&condition=used A very good place to start. Read it cover to cover then start up your 150. There are a ton of good books out there. Once you have water in the tank start reading this one http://www.amazon.com/dp/1883693128/?tag=reefs04-20 Once you are at this point you will be doing a lot better than your current situation, and you will have a completely different view on this hobby. If ya stick it out threw 2 text books.

 

[James]

Inneed, you are doing the right thing by waiting. There is an adage in this hobby that nothing good comes fast; it's true (same thing others said about patience). Read some books, hang out here and on other forums, read more than you write for now and you will be ok. I am sure you are tempted to find someone to tell you what you want to hear (often the LFS guy) and just go for it but you will just be killing animals and emptying your wallet. In my opinion, one of the most fun parts of the hobby is the things you learn while you set-up a new system. Setting up and executing a well-thought out plan/system is a lot of fun (why else would people get excited over pictures of plumbing). I would also suggest looking through some of the ongoing tank threads and seeing the pace that successful reefers go at. Good luck,

James