fresh water sting rays

[newkid]

whats the big deal bout letting texas receive string rays ? i think thats some BS i personally would love to own one or two of them

[Phonetic Diabetic]

Fa sho

[biggin]

When they hit 24" around people do not want to give them the tanks they need and if they were to let them loose they could survive in our waterways.

Nothing like swimming in a lake and stepping on one....

[newkid]

i think we have far greater thing in our waters to worry about than a sting ray

[flamenco-t]

Only less than 5% of fish keepers can house them properly.

I am glad they're illegal in most states. The states where they're legal, I have seen a motoro stuck in a 75-125 gallon tank.

Make it expensive, make it illegal, therefore we can eliminate idiots in keeping them. If you have the money to bring them in, you'd have the proper captivity housing. Any aquarium is too small for any fish, but we can make it as close to their natural habitat as much as we can.

stan

[newkid]

thats also tru but not all sting rays grow to the size were they become a threat to us or the wildlife that surrounds us ither

[biggin]

Personally, I have less issue with the fish that get WAY too big for the average aquarist to not be legal.

Now if we can just ban the Red Tail Cats and Pacus....

Actually I would rather see price floors(IE Regulation, licenses or something) on the fish. Say $400 for a Pacu....

[flamenco-t]

All potamotrygon species will outgrow standard shelf tanks...even retic or humerosa. retic isn't even potamotrygon species.

Trust me....10" disk diameters is bigger than 10" long fish, we're not even talking about the tails. Some species actually have tails that is as long as the diameter of the disk. Stingray tail is bony...it's part of their body. I am actually kinda glad most ppl can't keep them.


stan

[biggin]

You know a freshwater stingray that stays around 8" because that is where most people max out on fish tanks.....

They may start out cute little guys but then they hit 18-24" and people start to panic....

thats also tru but not all sting rays grow to the size were they become a threat to us or the wildlife that surrounds us ither

[flamenco-t]

Personally, I have less issue with the fish that get WAY too big for the average aquarist to not be legal.

Now if we can just ban the Red Tail Cats and Pacus....

Actually I would rather see price floors(IE Regulation, licenses or something) on the fish. Say $400 for a Pacu....

I agree...we'll have less problem if RTC or Pacu are priced like tigrinus.

[ElijahTurtle]

It's not a matter of what we worry about IN our waterways, it's a matter of worrying about what native species that are IN our waterways that are negatively impacted because someone wanted to have something he wasn't prepared to keep. I think they are pretty sweet, but it's a good law for and for good reason.
And we don't need anyone to throw out the excuse that they would be prepared to keep it. I'm sure plenty of former pacu owners that dumped their overgrown pets into local lakes felt the same way when their fish was a measly 3" long bundle of joy when they got it at the store.

[newkid]

my mistake i thought there was a species of rays that stayed small

[flamenco-t]

my mistake i thought there was a species of rays that stayed small

Nope, not one of them. 12" retic doesn;t seem that big, but as I stated, 12" disk is much more than a 12" long fish.

stan

[bra8ndy8]

I just wish stores that sold RTC, Oscars and Pacu's had to be sent to course to INFORM customers!

[pam916]

I don't understand why retailers sell pacus when they know they are going to outgrow any tank that a hobbyist can provide for them. Where else are they going to go except in local waterways if the hobbyist isn't willing to kill their pet?

[masroberts9]

common plecos...similar deal. 24" on those guys. It still doesnt compare to the sting rays and pacus. when i got my first common the store let me know that it would get to 24", when i almost backed out of it they decided to tell me that they would buy it back once it got bigger and give me more for it. but i havent found that to be the case. no store has been willing to take mine (not that im trying to sell them).... much less pay for them.

[texascutie84]

Hey now not all us us with pacus are irresponsible and throw them in the local lake.

[biggin]

Didn't say all but the number who are not far out weigh those who are.

Not sure I want to blame the LFS, it is perfectly legal to sell them and they are there to make money.
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[greeneyed]

...even Wally World sells Pacus....

[flamenco-t]

LFS's job is to make money, it's not their job to educate public.

If they educate the mass public and being selective as to who buy what fish,. they'd go bankcrupt in 30-60 days.

[EVoL]

I don't feel that its a LFS problem either. People should know about fish before they buy them but most don't.

There aren't many people at LFS that I ask for info. usually when they ask if I they can help me I just tell them "I doubt it". I know its horrible but it is the truth.

[xtc]

I'll play devils advocate on this- since we/I just complained about DNA bringing in multiple, multiple Fahaka's.

They essentially said they're easy to keep fish by the quantity they brought in, the cost and the fact that the sales staff didn't know squat about the fish.

So- I'd have a problem with you guys current thinking.

[Carg]

I realize this is an older thread, but I figured I'd add my two cents about sting rays. In Utah there is now a rather active group of sting ray keepers and breeders. Utah department of fish and wildlife lists Dasyatidae
family of sting ray as restricted, but does not restrict Potamotrygonidae.

We contacted the Utah department of fish and wildlife and conferenced in some stingray suppliers and received verbal confirmation that the restriction/law did not apply to those in the Potamotrygonidae family (lucky for those fish keepers living in Utah the law makers weren't too detailed in their research and just restricted the less desireable family of ray).

As I understand it Texas only restricts the potamotrygonidae family, right?
"
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/wild/species/exotic/
Freshwater Stingrays, Family Potamotrygonidae All species "

But they do not restrict Dasyatidae (or several other families of stingray)

http://www.fishbase.org/ComNames/CommonNameSearchList.php

Plesiotrgyon Iwamae is part of the Dasyatis family known more commonly as whip-tail rays. I'm not certain but believe a large part of this family is marine but ventures into fresh/brackish water often.


Here are a few links to the Utah group of ray keepers
http://www.captiveaquatics.net/forums/showthread.php?t=1975

As noted in some other threads here, housing rays is a large and costly process. Dedication to the fish and availibility of cash are two very important aspects for anyone wanting to keep rays to understand.

There are few folks out there with adequately sized tanks, but there are some. Here's a link to the same Utah based group showing that where there is a will there is a way (so long as the government does not get in that way). These two learned to build their own tanks to house their rays better (rather then 210 gal or other standard rectagular tanks or ponds they just built their own).

http://www.captiveaquatics.net/forums/showthread.php?t=2208

If I had stayed in Utah my friends there were pulling me towards the dark/stingray side of fish keeping despite the expense in housing and feeding etc, but I have no desire to keep whiptailed rays. And I have no desire to keep a fish that may eventually result in the Texas Parks and Wildlife officers paying me a visit so the 'better' freshwater rays ( Family Potamotrygonidae ) are out.

[bra8ndy8]

WOW great Post......WTG for sharing a new light on things!

[Carg]

WOW great Post......WTG for sharing a new light on things!
Are you teasing the new guy?

Or are you serious? Cause I'm good both ways:D (and it took me 2-3 minutes to figure out WTG means Way to Go).

I have a habit of adding my two-cents even if it's not wanted:beatdeadhorse:,
so if this part of the stingray discussion was already good and covered, I apologize for posting such a long thread.

[alta678]

so if this part of the stingray discussion was already good and covered, I apologize for posting such a long thread.


Nope! You did good! Nice info!

[bra8ndy8]

No I was being serious.......and that usually doesn't happen! hehe

Yes....WTG means Way to go! Good job figuring that one all on your lonesome! hehehe

[Trallen44]

No I was being serious.......and that usually doesn't happen! hehe

x2!!! :exactly:

[IC Casey]

common plecos...similar deal. 24" on those guys. It still doesnt compare to the sting rays and pacus. when i got my first common the store let me know that it would get to 24", when i almost backed out of it they decided to tell me that they would buy it back once it got bigger and give me more for it. but i havent found that to be the case. no store has been willing to take mine (not that im trying to sell them).... much less pay for them.

I think the common pleco is one of the worst because it is so... well.... common.