Circular stingaree

Where they come from

Circular stingarees (Urolophus circularis) are temperate-water stingarees from southern Australia and around Tasmania. They hang out on sandy and silty bottoms, often half-buried, cruising for worms and small crustaceans.

That origin story matters because most people try to treat them like a tropical reef ray. They are not that. Think cool, clean, oxygen-rich water and a big, calm footprint.

Setting up their tank

Footprint beats height every time. These rays live on the bottom and do laps, so give them floor space and gentle, predictable flow. I always plan the aquascape like a skate park with no sharp edges - open sand, wide turns, and nothing they can wedge under.

• Tank size: realistically a very large, wide tank. Think public-aquarium scale if you want long-term success, not a standard 6-foot reef.
• Substrate: fine sand, deep enough for them to bury (a few inches). Skip crushed coral and anything sharp.
• Rockwork: minimal, stable, and sealed off so there are no caves they can jam into. Epoxy and zip ties are your friends.
• Filtration: oversized mechanical + biological + heavy export (big skimmer, large sump, frequent water changes). Rays are messy.
• Flow and oxygen: moderate flow with lots of gas exchange. They like clean, oxygen-rich water, especially in cooler systems.
• Temperature: keep it in the temperate range appropriate for the species and collection location. A chiller is usually part of the deal.
• Lighting: they do not care. Set it for you and any non-stinging tankmates, but avoid blasting them with reef-level intensity if it makes them hide nonstop.

Acclimation is where a lot of attempts fall apart. Go slow, keep the lights low, and do not let them sit in a small bag of cooling, oxygen-poor water any longer than necessary. I prefer a temperature-stable bucket or tub with strong aeration for drip acclimation.

What to feed them

They are bottom hunters. If the ray is eating aggressively, you are already ahead of the game. The trick is getting them onto reliable, clean foods and making sure tankmates do not steal everything before the ray finds it.

• Staples: pieces of squid, prawn/shrimp, scallop, marine fish flesh (sparingly), and quality frozen crustacean mixes
• Natural-style options: live or fresh marine worms and small crustaceans (great for new arrivals if you can source them safely)
• How I feed: target feed with long tongs or a feeding stick, placing food right in front of the ray on the sand
• Frequency: smaller meals more often beats one big dump of food. New arrivals may need daily attention until they settle

Watch the body shape. A healthy ray should look filled out behind the head and across the disc, not sunken. If it is eating but slowly losing weight, assume competition, parasites, or food quality issues and act early.

How they behave and who they get along with

Most of the time they are calm, curious in their own way, and spend a lot of time buried with just the eyes and spiracles showing. They will bulldoze sand, so anything loose on the bottom will get rearranged.

Tankmates are where people get into trouble. You want peaceful fish that will not nip the ray, will not compete too hard at feeding time, and will not freak the ray out with constant zooming.

• Better choices: mellow temperate fish that stay midwater and do not pick at fins or eyes
• Avoid: aggressive triggers, large puffers, big wrasses that harass or steal food, anything known for fin-nipping
• Also avoid: small bottom fish and inverts you care about - many will eventually be considered food

Breeding tips

In home aquariums, breeding circular stingarees is not something most hobbyists will pull off. They are livebearers (aplacental viviparous, like many stingarees), and successful reproduction usually means a very stable, spacious system and a compatible pair over a long time.

If you ever do keep more than one, give them a lot of space and watch for chasing or cornering. Mating can involve biting, and in a tight setup that turns into injuries fast.

Common problems to watch for

Most stingaree problems start as small stuff you could easily miss: a tiny scrape that turns into a nasty infection, a slow appetite drop, or a ray that stops burying. Daily observation is your best tool.

• Abrasions on the disc: usually from coarse substrate, sharp rock, or bumping glass during stress
• Bacterial infections: often follow scrapes or poor water quality, show up as red patches, ulcers, or fraying edges
• Refusing food: common in new arrivals, also happens with bullying tankmates or temperature swings
• Parasites: weight loss despite eating, excess mucus, or odd breathing can point this way
• Ammonia/nitrite sensitivity: rays react fast - rapid breathing, lethargy, and sudden decline

If you take one thing from this: stability and space do most of the work. A circular stingaree can be an amazing animal to keep, but it will punish shortcuts. If your system is built like a ray system first and a display second, you will have a much better time.