Indoor Ray Pond W/Liner

[packer43064]

Well I was thinking of using a 8 foot in diameter stock tub to house the rays, but it won't fit through a standard door frame and is only 24 inches tall. Here's the link if your lost as of yet. stock tub thread

So if that won't work then I might as well make one. I've never made a indoor pond or anything like this, but have been researching. It'll be made with 4x4's for the frame and 2x4's as ribs conncecting the 4x4's. 2x4 bracing on top with fiberglass on top of them as a hood to stop heat loss. Sheets of plywood will then be place on the inside along with insulation to prevent heat loss also. I'm thinking 45 mil EPDM pond liner with a cheaper PVC pond liner over it. I'm paranoid as it is and don't need to be worrying about the rays eating or stabbing their barb through anything. The flooring will be tiles.

So the question is how big should I make it? I'm not sure what size would be needed with these requirements. Must haves:

1. Must be able to house at least 5 female motoro rays and a male motoro. They won't be full grown to begin with, but I don't plan on getting rid of producing large females.

2. Not soo big that I would have problems on a basement concrete floor.

3. Between $500-700 in cost. The liner will eat up alot of that, but that's expected.

4. This will be the main breeding tank so the size must be condusive for breeding. I know motoro's usually need 3 feet in height for when they flip and do the act.

Here's another thread I made for why I'm doing this. The-Ray-Room

 

[scott s]

24" tall...turn it sideways and bring it in.

 

[hondas3000]

it is best if you can build a plywood then 2x4 or 2x6 depend on how big you go framing it around so it hold the plywood together and the plywood help the liner to be flat so ray can't damage it. If you plan to breed then think about the height. I would say at least 3ft high so there is enough height for male ray to flip the female. Btw 45 mil liner is strong and ray can't chew or damage it as I have it in my tank for 2 years now but then my pacu can make a pin hold out of it not ray .

 

[JohnG]

On the pond liners don't waste your time/money on the PVC liner, the rays will have no trouble destroying it. I kept a bunch of large rays on a 45mil edpm liner for about a year with no trouble, if I am remembering right there where 5 females over 18" and several males. If your feeling paranoid do 2 edpm liners over each other. Your construction using 4x4s and 2x4s sounds about the same as mine, should work good for you. Recommend the 2x4 ribs be at 12" intervals and use atleast 1/2" plywood.

For 5 full grown female motoros I would go with atleast an 8'x8' pond, 10'x10' would be better. You want to give them plenty of space so they can swim, and when the male latches onto a female she doesn't slam him into a wall. As to height I go with 30" on my resin ponds, but but a liner you might as well go 36" tall.

One other note on breeding, keep in mind your going to want to be able to separate your males when the females have had enough of them or your expecting pups soon. Plan ahead and build yourself a smaller holding tank for males, doesn't need to be that big, I use a 3'x8'. Would also suggest plumbing it into your main pond so the water chemistry will match and you don't need extra filters.

 

[packer43064]

On the pond liners don't waste your time/money on the PVC liner, the rays will have no trouble destroying it. I kept a bunch of large rays on a 45mil edpm liner for about a year with no trouble, if I am remembering right there where 5 females over 18" and several males. If your feeling paranoid do 2 edpm liners over each other. Your construction using 4x4s and 2x4s sounds about the same as mine, should work good for you. Recommend the 2x4 ribs be at 12" intervals and use atleast 1/2" plywood.

For 5 full grown female motoros I would go with atleast an 8'x8' pond, 10'x10' would be better. You want to give them plenty of space so they can swim, and when the male latches onto a female she doesn't slam him into a wall. As to height I go with 30" on my resin ponds, but but a liner you might as well go 36" tall.

One other note on breeding, keep in mind your going to want to be able to separate your males when the females have had enough of them or your expecting pups soon. Plan ahead and build yourself a smaller holding tank for males, doesn't need to be that big, I use a 3'x8'. Would also suggest plumbing it into your main pond so the water chemistry will match and you don't need extra filters.

Won't worry about the liner then. Less money I got to spend. Didn't think about a smaller tank for the males. Good idea. I've seen you tanks with multiple females, what do you do when their having pups? Will female rays attack the pups until you get them out? Still trying to figure the little details out.

 

[packer43064]

it is best if you can build a plywood then 2x4 or 2x6 depend on how big you go framing it around so it hold the plywood together and the plywood help the liner to be flat so ray can't damage it. If you plan to breed then think about the height. I would say at least 3ft high so there is enough height for male ray to flip the female. Btw 45 mil liner is strong and ray can't chew or damage it as I have it in my tank for 2 years now but then my pacu can make a pin hold out of it not ray .

One 45 mil EPDM liner it is!

 

[JohnG]

Never had issues with the pups being attacked but I usually get them out of there pretty quick. For pups I built a table on top of my pond and setup a 75G with a built in overflow box, and cut a whole in the table for the overflow to just return water directly into the pond. No need for extra filters and the temp and water chemistry will match the water the pups where born in so you don't have to worry about acclimating them.