rED O Posted April 13, 2009 Report Share Posted April 13, 2009 I am building a 425 gallon tank. 88''L x 41''W x 28'' H. I like my oscars and the plan was to put all 6 oscars with my silver arowana. I am planning on buying 2 motoro stingrays, 10'' male 8'' female. I am going to have dither fish for the oscars ( tinfoil barbs) to beat on. The tank has a nice footprint to it and I was wondering if I could make oscars and rays work. If I make hiding places for the rays, keep my water and sand very clean, feed them all good. Can they co-exist with oscars in that size of tank? I will do lots of gravel vacs to keep ray and oscar bio load down. all tips, advice welcome thanks Dustin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rudy Posted April 13, 2009 Report Share Posted April 13, 2009 Personally I have never had an oscar that will nip at other fish. I understand that there are a ton that do so however so that will be your first issue. The dithers won't help. Either a fish attacks rays, or doesnt. Many will leave bottom dwellers alone, while others won't. I had rays will peacock bass which I would say are very similar to Oscars. As far as being tank mates in that tank? I think you will be fine. The tank is going to be large enough. You would be better off to grow the oscars out with larger rays, but if that is not an option than just go for it and watch it closely. Your bigger problem will be bioload. I would put that tank on a serious drip system as weekly water changes wont cut it. Both species are highly aggressive messy eaters and so you are going to have to watch to make sure that your water parameters stay in check. The oscars will handle it, but the rays won't. Good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stratos Posted April 13, 2009 Report Share Posted April 13, 2009 I kept an adult breeding pair of oscars (tiger and blood red) with an 8" motoro and a P.niger catfish in a 135 gallon tank. When the oscars bred, they took over half the tank during the day. If I wanted the eggs to hatch I would remove them. If not, the motoro and niger catfish would eat them duing the night. I recall the oscars doing a bit of jawing or mouthing of the ray, but nothing serious. In the end it was my baby oscars, however, that killed my ray. I used to remove the adult oscars and catfish to another tank when I had to grow out my baby oscars. Then I would partition the 135, keeping the ray on one side and the baby oscars on the other. Unfortunately I lost the ray when several hundred 1 cm long baby oscars bypassed the partition, ganged up on the ray, and took turns to dive bomb it with little nips. Death curl quickly came and that was the end of the motoro. To this day the tank set up of oscars-ray-niger cat is one of my favourite. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Master of Puppets Posted April 13, 2009 Report Share Posted April 13, 2009 Dustin remember with rays you'll want to go with sand not gravel and make sure the heter is covered seeing rays burn very easy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rED O Posted April 13, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 13, 2009 thanks guys. I think I will never know until I try, right? If there is a problem, I will have t get rid of a few oscars Dustin remember with rays you'll want to go with sand not gravel and make sure the heter is covered seeing rays burn very easy. thanks. sand for sure. Just not sure what is the best type. And I think I am going to keep the heaters in the sump. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CORVETTE Posted April 13, 2009 Report Share Posted April 13, 2009 (edited) Sand is a matter of opinion i have kept rays in both and i preferred small round gravel. The Rays still blow into it and bury them selves in it it just doesn't get stuck in the filter as easily? Saving in shafts and impellers. The worst I've seen for ray tanks are rays with fine fine sand and it is stuck all over there bodies in there slime coat. Like i said to each there own. Edited April 13, 2009 by CORVETTE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rED O Posted April 13, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 13, 2009 Thanks. I think I am going to need a full time job to feed a arowana, two rays and six oscars when they are all full size. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CORVETTE Posted April 13, 2009 Report Share Posted April 13, 2009 Yes but all of my aro's, rays, and Oscars have eaten pellets so its not so bad. My datnoids still only eat shrimp and fish now that can get expensive.... I buy smelts from the fishing hole here in Calgary and have had great luck with them and my fish just ask Hybrid about my P-bass...lol make sure they aren't preserved in any way just frozen and they work good I'll get the name of them for you. like i said over a year and no problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skynoch Posted April 13, 2009 Report Share Posted April 13, 2009 Sand is a matter of opinion i have kept rays in both and i preferred small round gravel. The Rays still blow into it and bury them selves in it it just doesn't get stuck in the filter as easily? Saving in shafts and impellers. The worst I've seen for ray tanks are rays with fine fine sand and it is stuck all over there bodies in there slime coat. Like i said to each there own. x2 It is a personal preference but I've removed the sand from all my ray tanks and went with fine round gravel also. Sand may seem fine with small rays but once they get big the sand will be everywhere in the tank when they bury themselves. Also for small rays use only enough fine gravel to cover the bottom and as they get bigger you can add more up tp 1" thickness. I think with the bigger rays you won't have any conflict issues with your oscars except like rudy said water quality. Get the drip system installed and you will save alot of headaches later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rudy Posted April 15, 2009 Report Share Posted April 15, 2009 For all my ray tanks I use Aquagiant fine gravel. It basically courser sand that stays put with rays but still has the same look and benefit as Normal sand. It also comes in Black Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rED O Posted April 15, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 15, 2009 What about just play sand? I only want enough to cover the bottom. half a inch about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CORVETTE Posted April 15, 2009 Report Share Posted April 15, 2009 Hey you can use what you want in there play sand will work. Most of us have used sand and we want to save you the trouble with your filters is all thats why we use somthing a little heavier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skynoch Posted April 15, 2009 Report Share Posted April 15, 2009 I've used the playsand before and it got into my filters with my fx5 intakes as high as they go in a 36" high tank. It will go over your overflows also. You don't need much fine gravel at all. I used two of the large aquagiant bags (50lbs) for my 300 and that was more than enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDFISHGUY Posted April 25, 2009 Report Share Posted April 25, 2009 I use playsand but it is a much coarser variety than the first time I bought it. The first time I used it, it was horrible. It was fine and it was death to impellers. The stuff I use now has larger grains and I haven't had a problem with it for the last 2 years. I have one tank with overflows and one with AC 110's and a canister. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skynoch Posted April 25, 2009 Report Share Posted April 25, 2009 I use playsand but it is a much coarser variety than the first time I bought it. The first time I used it, it was horrible. It was fine and it was death to impellers. The stuff I use now has larger grains and I haven't had a problem with it for the last 2 years. I have one tank with overflows and one with AC 110's and a canister. Where did you get it from? I got mine from homedepot and it was too fine. I just assumed they were all the same but would be interested in checking out what you use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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