Sting Rays:
LATIN NAME:
•   Potamotrygon sp.
•   See photos below for specific species breakdowns

pH:
•   6.7

WATER TEMP:
•   76-80 deg. F.

AVG. MAX. SIZE:
•   24-72 inches (varies by species, see below).

BREEDING:
•   Egg-layers

FEEDING:
•   Mainly Live Fish, Clams and Mussels.
•   May be trained to take frozen or dead fish, but this is not easy to do.

NOTE:
•   Make sure you have a large tank, 100 gallons is bare MINIMUM, a 150 gallon or larger is preferred.

LIGHTING:
•   More nocturnal species, prefers dusk and dawn ( best feeding times ), subdued lighting.

TEMPERAMENT:
•   Passive species with larger top swimming tank mates such as Gars and Arowanas. Cichlids, Loaches, Eels and other aggressive, nosy fishes are to be avoided. Rays can be extremely aggressive with smaller fish unless you do not mind them being eaten as dinner.

COMMENTS:
•   Unusual and spectacular species to keep, just be careful because you may buy them very small, they do grow and grow and grow! They are also very deceiving, These guys can eat small and medium size fish in a hurry!

•   These guys are definitely NOT for the beginner!

•   Tank set ups are critical when keeping Rays, never use a UGF for filtration, or rocks/gravel as substrate. Either a bare bottom, or a layer of sand should be kept as the substrate Freshwater Rays need frequent water changes of at least 20% every 7 days to keep the tank fresh enough to keep the rays happy.

•   NOTE: Rays are intolerable of salt, do NOT add salt to a rays tank.


<-- Tea Cup Stingray  
•   Potamotrygon laticeps
Size : Just as under 3 feet as an adult.

Care : It's one of the least sensitive of all the rays which makes it one of the more suitable Rays for beginners.
It's the most commonly found Ray in Pet Stores today and is quite hardy compared to most other rays.
<-- Orange Spotted Stingray
•   Potamotrygon Motoro
Size : Just as under 2 feet as an adult.

Care : It's one of the less sensitive rays that's suitable for beginners. It's commonly imported and is quite hardy compared to other rays.
<-- Polka dot Stingray
•   Potamotrygon leopoldi
Size : Over 2 feet as an adult.

Care : Another tough ray that's suitable for beginners. Needs large tank, 150+ gallons a a minimum.
<-- Tiger Stingray
•   Potamotrygon Sp.
Size : Over 3 feet as an adult.

Care : This ray needs a long and deep tank and will grow to a very large size. A 200 gallon tank  is even too small for this species, Very pricey but not difficult to keep.
<-- Hystrix Ray
•   Potamotrygon Hystrix
Size : Little over a foot at adulthood.

Care : The most sensitive and one of the smallest sized rays. Coloration similar to sand. Not recommended for beginning Ray keepers.

<-- Jaguar Ray
•   Potamotrygon otorongo
Size : Well over 2 1/2 feet as an adult.

Care : One of more striking rays with beautiful spots. It's quite rare and difficult to obtain.

Selecting your Rays -

A healthy ray will swim about quite actively. More importantly it will feed happily. Before you purchase the ray, ask for the ray to be fed in the shop and observe the specimen. A healthy and active ray will definitely do better in a new environment
Sting Rays are aptly named! Watch out for these spines, use very heavy rubber gloves and avoid this area of your Ray when handling.


A simple prick of one of these spines can cause you hours of serious discomfort.

I Would like to thank Mr. Miura's Japanese Freshwater Stingray site for the kind use of their photographs for this page.

For more information on how to keep and maintain Freshwater Rays please visit Mr. Miura's Japanese Freshwater Stingray site as it is an premier Sting Ray care  site.