PDA

View Full Version : Are there any rays that can be somewhat reefsafe?


chrisqueenz
02/21/2009, 08:22 AM
As the title states, just wondering if there are any rays that can be somewhat reefsafe. I dont really keep shrimp, which is what I heard is a concern.

DEXNC
02/21/2009, 09:23 AM
for rays you will need lots of soft sand space, lots of rock works common with most reef tank unless its a pretty large tank will only lead to the demise of the animal.

reefworm
02/21/2009, 10:04 AM
agreed, but I would say "pretty large = huge. IMO sharks and rays are best kept in large, public aquaria.

Dante_JoseCuerv
02/21/2009, 11:12 AM
Well there's the blue-spots that get about a foot long or so. There's one guy on here that has a cortez is a sparsely-decorated 300 and it seems to be very happy.

Although you'll need a decent sized-tank for any of these, as they like to swim around and will probably not last long if not provided with proper room.

mhltcob
02/21/2009, 11:31 AM
Rays need large expanses of open areas in order to thrive. They will likely get abrasions (leading to secondary infections) from the rockwork in a reef aquarium. In addition to shrimp, they could eat snails, crabs, and possibly small clams. As they swim and bury themselves in sand they will increase the turbidity of the tank. This could lead to lower light levels for the corals. It could also lead to slower growth by increasing the mucus production/loss necessary in order to rid the corals of the increased sediment. Some corals like Acropora sp. may not be able to tolerate it at all.

returnofsid
02/21/2009, 12:21 PM
Most rays would be totally reef safe. That isn't the issue. The issue is that they need huge amounts of open space. I wouldn't recommend one in anything smaller than an 800 gallon aquarium.

Dante_JoseCuerv
02/21/2009, 12:28 PM
returnofsid is correct, the biggest issue is just providing them with space. If you had a tank with something like a vlamingii tang then you'd already have a big enough tank to keep one, granted there wasn't a lot of rock and nonsense.

chrisqueenz
02/21/2009, 01:45 PM
Been debating some time and someone mentioned that a california ray would be a good choice due to their smaller size. I have a 265G with about 4 fish and very minimal rockwork that actually touches my sand.

chrisqueenz
02/21/2009, 07:56 PM
Been looking at a Cortez Ray or the California Ray, they range in size from 10-14inches.

Dante_JoseCuerv
02/21/2009, 08:24 PM
Those are probably your best bets. They're very cool fish and from what I've seen at zoos and at an LFS that's had a few they're very personable once they're comfortable in their tank.