# Stingrays



## Dominateprimate (Aug 27, 2011)

I love stingrays and was wondering if i could put one in a peacock hap tank, with about 2-3in of black flourine sand?


----------



## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

Not so sure it's a good idea... Could you be more specific as to what kind of ray? What size tank? Specificly footprint... Haps/peacocks require quite the different landscape as apposed to a ray...


----------



## Dominateprimate (Aug 27, 2011)

its a 125; 6'x18"x23". i wuld be happy with any kind of ray actually, i love them all  is there a specific kind that would be reccommended for this particular tank? i know peacocks and haps like the caves and rays like the flat areas but i think i can incorporate both enviornments into a 6ft long tank


----------



## jd lover (Mar 11, 2011)

no ray can fit in a stander 125g


----------



## Adrian101 (Jan 24, 2011)

Just to clarify all rays get huge lol. You need huge floor space.


----------



## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

Yes, they are correct... Sorry man...


----------



## Dominateprimate (Aug 27, 2011)

alright *sign* thanks for the help though so i didn't just go ahead and go out and drop about 150 buck on a stingray that would not do well at all. since im not getting the ray though could i get a fourth species of peacock?


----------



## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

What is your current stock?


----------



## Dominateprimate (Aug 27, 2011)

Nothing right now :lol: But this is what im planning on:
5-6 venustus
5-6 sulfurheads 
5-6 ruby reds or red empress(havnt decided yet, leanin towards the ruby reds though)
2-3 synos
1 large black ghost knife


----------



## Adrian101 (Jan 24, 2011)

Don't know if a black ghost will survive the water conditions of Africans. They are rather delicate from my experience and hate change. They also have very little defense against anything aggressive. I keep mine with in my south American tank and the most aggressive fish is a blue acara. Maybe try one of the more robust knifes.


----------



## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

Dominateprimate said:


> Nothing right now :lol: But this is what im planning on:
> 5-6 venustus
> 1 large black ghost knife


These species will be an issue.

In my opinion venustus need their own tank! LOL


----------



## jordanroda (May 4, 2006)

A venustus is like a African LargeMouth Bass :wink:


----------



## Dominateprimate (Aug 27, 2011)

Well venustus are my favorits africans i know the sulfurheads get quite large. You mentioned a more robust knife? Maybe a clown im planning on feeding them spectrum and maybe raiding my own feeders so i'd be able to make sure he got fed i have my venustus colony built up now and they're living happily in my 55 with my diverse mbuna stock list. (its actually 5 female venustus and 1 female female livingstoni with a male livingstoni).

I have an unlimited source of rock if caves are the problem and im planning on putting in 2 large peices of driftwood and a pretty good amount of plants so it's going to be far from and open water tank(except for maybe the very upper portion) could j change the stock list to this:

7 venustus
5 sulfurhead
5 ruby reds
5 german red shoulders
2 synos 
1 clown knife(if this knife doesnt work either, reccommend one to me). Its not that i like the designs on the fish's body as much as i like the anatomy of the fish itself. Ya know, somerhing that looks unusual, stingray would've really caught the eye but since thats not going to work a knifefish woyld be a fine substitution. Basically im wanting the cichlids for color and activity and the synos for design the knife im looking for as something to be a little different, i know they arent very active at times and im ready for that byt they just look SO cool to me that i would give my left arm to have one 

Thanks for the help!


----------



## Adrian101 (Jan 24, 2011)

My black knife is the most active thing in my tank. A clown knife would be better. Its just the fact that a ghost is basically blind so it is very open to attack. Clowns are great but do get big. I say go for it but be prepared to remove it if anything bad starts happening. Good luck.


----------



## Ollie (Sep 22, 2009)

African brown/black knives stay smaller I've kept a pair in the past really neat fish, I'd be concerned about keeping any form of knife with agressive cichlids as they are quite delicate. They may be predatory but they are non agressive. My male rainbowfish was capable of intimidating my knives just by displaying at them and he was half their size.


----------



## Dominateprimate (Aug 27, 2011)

well i love clown knives but i was just scared they would hurt my cichlids9due to their size). the way it sound you all are saying i should be scared for my CK rather than the cichlids! this is why i love cichlid forum  i've been thinking the wrong way entirely. i would actually favor the CK over the BGK whic is making me more excited. I did a little more research on them and what the internet's saying is that they get get to be like 3' in the wild but on the other hand they rarely reach 18" in captivity. i think a 6' long tank would be able to house him.

okay, so the stocking list has changed (yet again :? ) and i guess is still subject to change :lol: , this is now what im expecting to put in my tank:

7 venustus/livingstoni
5-6 sulfurhead
5-6 ruby red
2-3 synos
1 CK
(may add another colony but that's still up in the air, you all can tell me if that'll be a good idea or not)


----------



## jd lover (Mar 11, 2011)

Dont get the ck **** be too big for your tank. Bgk might work if its a full grown one


----------



## Ollie (Sep 22, 2009)

Have to agree, most stuff I've read on Clown Knives reccomends 300gal min and I've also seen plenty of people out there with 24"+ Knives, would point you in the direction of MFK but it seems to be down at the mo. If you want a knife Id go with a smaller species.


----------



## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

A clown knife can grow large enough to eat your cichlids while they sleep. Not to mention they're not the easiest fish to train off of live food...


----------



## Dominateprimate (Aug 27, 2011)

well then what is a MFK?


----------



## Ollie (Sep 22, 2009)

Dominateprimate said:


> well then what is a MFK?


Monster Fish Keepers forum one of the best places for large non cichlid info


----------



## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

Ollie said:


> Dominateprimate said:
> 
> 
> > well then what is a MFK?
> ...


If you like a bunch of teenage advice from people that fly off the handle and keep their fish in too small of tanks... Then it's the perfect place to go. :lol:


----------



## Dominateprimate (Aug 27, 2011)

Any knives that woulx be compatable with the stock? I just love the anatomy


----------



## jd lover (Mar 11, 2011)

Best chance you got is to grow the bgk and the Africans out in 2 separate tanks and when full grown add them at once to the "show" tank.

Bgk grow slows, are sensitive but at the same time territorial.

My current juvenile bgk ate the eyes out of one of my cories and he's only about 4 in but my 8inch had to be put with my discus as those are calmer and about the same aggression level as the bgk.

A brown or centipede knife only get to around 8-10 inches and that's a bit small. The clown and aba aba gets way to big for a 125.


----------



## Ollie (Sep 22, 2009)

You could try a Bronze knife(asian knife) Notopterus notopterus http://www.seriouslyfish.com/profile.php?genus=Notopterus&species=notopterus&id=838 *** seen them in stores but never kept one myself they are a bit larger and alot more solid than an african brown but nowhere near as big as a clown.

Regards

Ollie


----------

