You can call him Ray (FW) cuz' that's what he is
I've had my ray for about a month now.  He is a fresh water ray from the St. Johns River in Florida.  He used to eat from our hand during the first week, however, we can't seem to catch him eating now.  It doesn't look like he's touching the stuff we leave in there.  We're giving him tetracycline that our pet store ray specialist gave us.  We've been keeping the filter off because the medicine, but have been doing 10% water changes every other day.  His pH is at about 8, he's got a glass bottom (no gravel).  The problem is that he doesn't seem to be eating, and his Left eye is clouded over.  He's been on his medicine for about four days now.  He looks a lot better than he did a week ago except for his eye and eating problem.  Please Help us, thank you.
<Hi Luke, Please head over to this link and do what you can to provide the conditions mentioned there. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwstingrays.htm  Make sure you read down to the bottom of the page to see the disease section. These guys need a lot of room, filtration, low pH (below 7) and are sensitive to some meds.  More at the link above.  Craig><<This is actually not a permanent freshwater denizen... RMF>>

A minor inaccuracy (Potamotrygonidae id)
Hello,
I wanted to say that I love the magazine. I also wanted to bring up one thing though. In the May 2003 issue focused on livebearers, in Fenner's article "Livebearing Fishes, For Aquariums... and Not" there is a picture listed as Ocellate river stingray, Potamotrygon motoro. The fish in the picture is actually P. henlei or P. leopoldi, more likely the latter, but from the picture it's impossible to tell. P. motoro is an extremely variable species, but the black body is a tell-tale that it's not motoro. 
I'm currently keeping a group of 3 Leopoldi's, http://scott.aaquaria.com has some of my pictures of them. Also, I wanted to ask if you were planning any freshwater stingray articles in the next few months, they're quite colorful, and very interesting, and are somewhat overlooked as aquarium fish, in my opinion.
S. Allen Greeson
Colorado Springs, CO
<Thank you for this input. Will check, change in my notes. Bob Fenner>
From: "David E. Boruchowitz" <editor@tfh.com>
Judging from FishBase, I'd vote for leopoldi. Or is this a case of extreme variability in coloration?<Actually... please see: http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.cfm?ID=53761&genusname=Potamotrygon&speciesname=henlei Bob Fenner>

FW Stingray ids
Robert,
Hello. I wasn't quiet expecting a reply that quick, but yeah, most likely leopoldi. They can kind of go back and forth, generally leopoldi is black and white where as henlei is greyish black and gold spots. It varies a lot, and the best trait I know of is that henlei has it's spots extending to the underside of the body, leopoldi doesn't. It may all be a moot point, there are arguments that they're the same species, and that leopoldi is just the regional variant for xingu, since it's endemic. who knows... Stingray taxonomy is in just as much disarray as most south American fishes.
Scott
<I checked the few pix on fishbase.org and the P. henlei is dark-bodied and similarly spotted to what I have (tentatively) identified on WetWebMedia.com: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwstingrays.htm
and fishbase: http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.cfm?ID=53761&genusname=Potamotrygon&speciesname=henlei...
agreed re the systematics of this family. 
Bob Fenner>

FW Stingray ids
The one on WetWebMedia may or may not be henlei, I'm going off Ross's publication with Schafer, Freshwater Rays, it's by Aqualog and Freshwater stingrays from south America by Ross for my species ID's. It doesn't make much of a difference except henlei is a bit smaller than leopoldi apparently.
<Don't know that the arrangement of spots isn't different, but just wanted to state where my identification came from. Bob Fenner>

Stingray Identification? - 03/31/2005
I am getting ready to purchase my first stingray, but I am receiving conflicting information about the type of ray. The store at which I plan to buy the ray tells me it is a Brazilian teacup ray. I have been look up information on the web and have found that any ray under 5" is considered a teacup.
<Agh, I hate common names. I've only ever heard Potamotrygon orbignyi (also known as P. reticulatus) referred to as the "teacup" ray. Do please consult http://www.fishbase.org  and enter "Potamotrygon" into the genus area and do a search. Look at all the different rays, and compare with the one you're looking into purchasing. Try to make a positive ID prior to purchase, so you know what you're getting into.>
When I first saw the ray I thought it was a flower ray.
<Again, common names, especially when dealing with fish as uncommon as the freshwater rays, are worthless.>
Is there anything special that I can look for on the ray to help me determine which species it is?
<Just as above.>
I am planning on putting the ray in a 55gal to start.
<I would *strongly* urge against this. Plan for the *adult* size of the fish, and have the appropriate size/shape tank to start with. A 55 is grossly inadequate for housing a fish that will ultimately have a disc size of 14" or so. A 55g tank is only 12" front to back. Please plan on a MUCH larger tank than this.>
What is the average rate of growth for stingray?
<Very fast, if fed and cared for properly. If you got the ray, at, say, a 6" disc diameter, expect it to outgrow the 55g in less than a year. I wouldn't put a 6" ray in a 55g to start with. Given the cost of rays, you really will be farther ahead to start with a tank that can house them for their lives, not for a few months. It will cost you more in the long run to keep upgrading just to keep them in "adequate" sized housing. Please think seriously before making your purchase; better to wait and succeed than to be impatient and risk losing the fish.>
Thanks!
<Wishing you and your future charges well, -Sabrina>