28 replies to this topic

[Holmzy]

Hey all been keeping tropical a for a while now and tank crazy just can't stop so with my American 6x2x2 my African 6x2x2 and planted tank 3x2x2 I now wanted to try marine.
If you didn't guess it I like to go big so I got a 6x2x2.5 been running for about a month now I used to have a swimming pool set up for about 2 months but pulled it down now . I put couple of pictures what it used to look like.

Just couple of fish in there bs looking at getting some clowns in next week or so the girlfriend keeps nagging for them haha.

Blue spot stingray
Harlequin tusk fish
Unicorn tang
Dwarf lion fish
Blue tang
Zebra eel never see him thou hides a lot.
Foxface rabbit fish
Butterfly
Star fish
Sea urchins and turbo snails.

Coral only couple lost my 2 brain corals
But got green ele
Hammer coral
And green plate coral.

filtration with 3000 lh skimmer
White and blue lights

Hopping to stock the reef with heaps of corals.
Any ways any advise you guys have will be awesome as you all helped me with my tropical
Thanks to everyone
The swimming pool mr ray ray was released back to the wild as I reduced him from some one that took him out the ocean

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[Stuey]

That tank is way to small for that poor stingray let alone with all that rock in there 

[Holmzy]

He has a lot of room on the right side swims in front of the rock without even touching it and has a lot of room behind the rock too he like to swim in

[Stuey]

A lot of room?    A blue spotted ray needs a 1200litre tank minimum. Preferably one with a nice big footprint too. Did you do much research on them before you purchased the little guy? As advised they need huge tanks , great water quality and can be fussy eaters.

 

No offense but you claim you came here for guidance but you've already set the tank up and thrown a ray in there that isn't suitable for the set up.....

 

The addition of clownfish would be risky to say the least. 

 

I'd say your first priority would be finding the cash to buy that ray the home it deserves. I hope for your sake your pockets are very deep!

Edited by Stuey, 02 October 2013 - 05:00 PM.

[Holmzy]

If you look the ray was in my swimming pool at first for reason out of my control I had to quickly shut it down so yes I had him a while and far from fussy eater, eats a balanced diet I feed him. And from my hand too

If you asked the question am I upgrading first instead of just jumping in there yes I will be upgrading when I move. And money no issue.

I like advise and always going to listen but when I'm being accused of treating them wrong I did the best I could for a short term fix. He is only a baby and I know will out grow the tank he will Be in a bigger tank soon.

[Peckoltia]

Hi Holmzy

 

Thanks for sharing your pics. Blue spotted rays are great animals, as are rays in general. I kept a blue spot ray many years ago, great animals with amazing colour. I did find mine to be a pain to eat initially, but a bit of trickery on my behalf fixed that.

 

I agree with what Stuey has said to an extent, but the way he has come across is all wrong, and not very helpful.

 

You obviously know that the ray is going to need a bigger tank in the future, that is a given. For me the glaring problems with your set up is the abundance of rock work. In a tank that size, I would have the tank completely devoid of rock work. The floor space for swimming is simply not sufficient for an animal that needs space and does a lot of foraging. Lots of rock work like you have not only takes away swimming space, it also provides a hazard with falling rocks and sharp edges (unlikely, but possible).

 

The next thing you should address is the heater. It doesn't look like it has a cover on it? Most ray keepers will keep aquarium heaters in their sumps, or if a sump isn't available use a heater guard. You can even make one for yourself with some pvc and a drill. Some heaters even come with inbuilt protective covers. Rays are notorious for burning themselves on exposed heating elements.

 

If it were me, I'd significantly decrease the amount of rock work to maximise swimming space on the floor of your tank and to decrease the risk of injury. This may even have a secondary benefit of increasing the volume of water in your system, and keeping it more 'stable' or at least take longer for pollutants to build up. I'd also cover that heater up ASAP, you only need to see one picture of a heater burned ray to have nightmares! I think if you do these two things, you will give yourself some extra time in your set up and make life much easier for yourself.

 

Anyway mate, happy fish keeping.

 

Best of luck, Rays are great animals!

 

Alex

[Holmzy]

Peckolita great advise the heater is now tucked on the down flow as the tankd is sumped from the bottom, reson so many rocks are in there as I wanted to keep alive from when I shut the pool down and will look into a way of removing rock still keep bit of reef and freeing up the ray a bit more. I love the little guy and as many said very hard to get them to feed which is why I love the guy more as he is a fatty feeding haha.

I'm in process off building and won't be too long to completed I'm then going to look at getting custom tank from aqotic built and taken straight to new house which we'll have plenty of room for the ray.

[sandgroper]

Here is how you can free up the bottom and still keep a lot of the rock work. Get yourself some milk crates, cut out all the guts on all sides but not the top, leaving the main frame. Put your rock work on the top and around the main frame to hide the milk crate, this will allow the ray to swim under the entire structure and it will improve water circulation around the rock structure reducing dead spots. Good luck and i love the ray.cheers Steve

[Holmzy]

That is the best advise man such a good idea and while the ray in the tank he has even more room thanks for that will be getting straight onto that. I'll post progress as I go. Any more ideas ie placement of corals what's good and bad.

[MrLeifBeaver]

A++ to Sandgroper and Peckoltia for their excellent suggestions. I love critiques like this, build some one up and give great suggestions.

[aussiemcgee]

I agree that the tank is on the small side to keep a ray, but my main concern is how quickly this is all happened... Zero to full stock in 1 month! it is a pretty heavy stocked aquarium for one so freshly wet. Have you done any tests yet to see how things are cycling/ maturing? I expect they would be all reading quite high, particularly if the live rock is new; and if the live rock is already cured from another system it may be chokas full of phosphates...

 

The other concern is the variety of fish in there, many of which are very aggressive and territorial such as the tangs and lion. Marine tanks are dynamic and exiting but I suggest you slow up a bit, your pockets may be deep but it is never a good feeling to see such nice fish go belly up.

 

I wish you all the best with it, but it seems like you've gone in a bit too full on at this stage. There is a saying that gets repeated regularly on the MASA website to everyone seeking advice; 'Nothing good ever happens fast in marine tanks'

(you should check it out; masa.asn.au)

 

 HTH

[Holmzy]

Everything that's in the tank come from my pool rock,fish corals water I just transfed all to a tank as I need to shut it down I been keeping my eye on levels and all testing fine having no trouble at all. All fish are fine too not having any trouble with aggression

I have learnt that with marine it slow in adding hensh why I've not added just yet and I the waiting zone
Thanks for the concern

[malawiman85]

Marine can be set up fast without problems as long as you have a ton of quality live rock, good circulation etc. as Holmzy does. Its not ideal but its no big deal as long as you remain cautious.
Man i love that pool... That could keep me amused for a very long time.
Im starting to miss keeping marines... I want to do a big pred display next.

[Holmzy]

We'll I had the pool up and running for year missing it actually but had to close it down. Loving marine life too and I'm being careful every step. Not sure if I set it back up down the track or sell it yet haha. I big predict display sounds awesome can't wait to see when you do decide

[malawiman85]

Hows the tank going Holmsy?
I have launched operation: hoodwink.
This is where i convince my wife something not to extreme is a good idea (like a small marine setup in my lounge room) then slowly change the scope of the project once "we" have committed too much time and effort to not follow it through.
I have started planning my predator tank, though at the moment poor wifey thinks im just considering a few common 'ol ocellaris for the kids.

[Holmzy]

Haha I like it man hope the plan goes to plan if not your got plan b sorted
So what's your first preditor opps I mean ocellaris you going to buy haha

I did try the milk creat idea but the ray was not liking the idea and nor was I really didn't look right so sadly I'm thinking of sellin him as I think my house is going to tank longer to build than expected. Apart from that really well I'm just letting it settle for few months before starting to add anything else

[malawiman85]

Probably a good option ditching the ray under the circumstances.
I want the usual suspects to start with: volatins lionfish, snowflake or similar eel, triggers, maybe a blue spot ray and a port jackson if i can find one (and a tank to suit... ill come up with some crazy idea). Ive been thinking about converting my walk in wardrobe into a big arse marine aquarium. I "jokingly" mentioned it to the mrs the other day... she didnt say anything, didnt have to, ive seen that look before, she wanted to punch me in the face.

[Holmzy]

Haha you can't take her shoe wardrobe away I actually know that look think all women teach each other it. Shane your not setting it up already you could have brought my ray I really don't want to sell him as took me lot of teaching to feed him but I'm doing what's best

[malawiman85]

I wish i could take it off your hands. Maybe a pool is the way to go temporarily.
Might need to clean out the garage.

Edited by malawiman85, 29 October 2013 - 05:14 PM.

[Holmzy]

I have one I could sell if you thinking of going that way you will love it. maybe show he mrs cute pictures haha or do it and lock the garage she will never know