Motoro Stingray

 Quick Care Facts

• Care Level: Moderate   • Temperament: Semi-Aggressive   • Maximum Size: 36"
• Minimum Tank Size: 180 gallons   • Water Conditions: 75-82° F, KH 8-14, pH 5.0-6.5
• Diet: Carnivore   • Origin: South America, Amazon River basins   • Family: Potamotrygonidae
• Species: Stingrays   • Aquarium Type: Large-Bottom-Dweller

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Motoro Stingray's are found living throughout South America including Argentina, Venezuela, Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, French Guyana, Guyana, Peru, Surinam, Paran-Paraguay, Orinoco, and Amazon River basins. In the wild they spend the majority of their time along the river beds in search of worms or invertebrates on which to prey.

As they spend much of their time on the river or pond bottom, they have adjusted to lower light levels and will prefer lower lighting levels in their aquarium home as well. Motoro Stingray's like other rays will bury themselves within the substrate of their environment as a form of protection when they feel threatened. Therefore a substantial soft substrate should be provided to them in the aquarium in order to simulate their wild habitat.

Like other stingrays, the Motoro is a high-metabolic fish that is in near constant movement and feeds many times throughout the day. This high metabolism also means that they produce a lot of waste, which requires a strong biological and chemical filtration system in order to provide them the very high quality water they need to survive and thrive within the aquarium environment.

Motoro Stingray's are considered moderately difficult to keep; however, if some standard rules for caring for rays are closely adhered to the Motoro Stingray should be reasonably easy to keep. Aquariums containing rays need to have very clean water that allows for consistent stable water parameters with minimal fluctuations in pH & nitrates, along with ammonia and nitrite that are kept at non-detectable levels.

Strong mechanical, biological and chemical filtration will need to be supplemented by regular water changes in order to keep nitrate levels consistently low. Rays eat quite a bit and are a large bodied fish that will put out a sizable amount of waste for the filtration system to keep up with. Therefore, a properly running filtration system will generate a good amount of nitrates in response to the heavy bio-load.

Typically frequent water changes are used to keep nitrates low, but other methods like nitrate removing aquatic vegetation within a sump can also be used in conjunction with water changes to keep nitrates low. The aquarium decor should be designed with the ray in mind, which means a soft sandy substrate and a large amount of swimming room with minimal rock, wood and plant decor.

Motoro Stingray's can be feed a variety of different meaty foods including: beef heart, fish flesh, earth worms, krill, blood worms, table shrimp, clams and small fish like minnows, silversides or similar feeder fish. Earthworms and invertebrates rank up very high on the Motoro's favorite foods list and is a good food choice to get them eating when first introduced to the aquarium.

They can then be fed a more varied diet as they become settled within the aquarium. Any crustaceans present in the aquarium will be treated as a prey item and should only be present within a ray aquarium if intended as a food source.