Everyone would like to have a fish tank in their home or working place not only for beauty purposes but also to reduce their stress. Freshwater stingrays are as good as any pet fishes you may crave.
Most people living alone have fish tanks with different types of fish, and freshwater stingrays are proving an emerging favorite among fish lovers.
When considering the popular fish varieties, freshwater stingrays play a vital role in all places. You can find freshwater stingrays for sale currently online in different colors and sizes.
Freshwater Stingrays and their Relatives
Freshwater stingrays are also known as river stingrays which are Neotropical freshwater fishes coming from the Potamotrygonidae family. They are mostly found in the rivers of subtropical and tropical South America, Asia, and Africa.
This fish type, like most other freshwater fish, feeds on the different ranges of smaller animals and the female fishes give birth to live young ones.
There are probably more than thirty-five (35) species available in 5 genera. These stingrays are relatives of sawfish, sharks, guitarfish, and skates which have cartilaginous skeletons instead of true bones.
As their name implies, these stingrays have a poisonous barb which is the modified scale on their tails in order to use as a defensive mechanism while attacked by opponents.
Periodically, these barbs of freshwater stingrays will be shed and replaced by new ones. At the bottom of the sea, you can notice such discarded spines of the stingrays.
They also have Lorenzian Ampullae positioned on the head allowing them to locate electrical impulses in the water.
Freshwater stingrays are very intelligent and highly interactive with humans. If you give a hand feed, they can also be taught easily for the regular feeding process.
Generally, they require pristine water conditions, large fish tanks, and a particular diet plan. Thus, they could be the unique fish variety and become lovable pets of several people.
This is why today’s freshwater stingrays for sale increased more than the previous days.
Currently, there are several numbers of online shops and fish stores available to offer such rays for sale immediately when they were captured in the wild.
First of all, you have to find the best online shop where you can find the original aquarium rays for the fish tank in your home or office.
When it comes to the natural habitat of freshwater stingrays, most of their species are native to the specific river system and the majority of them come from the Amazon River.
They usually live in different habitats such as leisurely moving sandy end rivers but some of those species will also be seen in the flooded jungle areas when it is the rainy period.
Requirements for Freshwater Stingrays
Once you have decided to buy freshwater stingrays for your needs, first of all, you have to check out the local & state regulations. This is because it is an illegal process in many states and countries.
If your state or local government allows the legally buying of freshwater stingrays, you can look at the online shops and buy your own. The following are some of the important requirements for taking care of your stingrays.
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Housing requirements
If you want to set up the aquarium in your home or any other area for freshwater stingrays, it should be larger enough in space.
The height is not a big matter but the length should be at least 72 inches to 84 inches & the width/depth has to be 24 to 36 inches.
It is the minimum requirement of stingrays for long-term housing.
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Water requirements
Stingrays are truly sensitive to ammonia, nitrate, and nitrite so it is important to take much care in your water requirements for them. You have to often check out the nitrogen cycle of the water and try to maintain pristine water quality.
When there are complicated matters in the water, they will produce a higher amount of ammonia which will not be safe for stingrays.
At the same time, your water pH level should be between 6.8 and 7.6 alkalinity between 18 ppm to 70 ppm, and the temperature between 75 and 82 degrees Fahrenheit.
A professional would help you identify the suitable tank requirements for your pet freshwater stingrays.
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Behavior and compatibility
Freshwater stingrays spend most of their time only at the bottom of the water. Their gill inlets and eyes are placed on the top of their bodies that allow them to always remain hidden in the sand as they wait for the food to come along.
The rays have wonderful eyesight and leap out of the sand in order to trap victims with their bodies.
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Feeding requirements
Stingrays are actually carnivores so feeding them mostly on fish & crustaceans in the wild. They mostly love eating live black worms, raw shrimp, frozen bloodworms, white fish, and earthworms which are all the best choices to feed them.
Reference
CITES: Freshwater Stingrays (Potamotrygonidae): status, conservation and management challenges