cownose ray?

[ardenen]

Was watching TV (okay... I admit it was watching Tanked) and saw some personal aquariums with cownose rays. I've only seen cownose rays in public aquariums and didn't think you could get them for the home aquarium. I did a quick google search and apparently I've also only seen smallish cownose rays. Apparently they can reach 35 inches wide and 26 lbs according to wikipedia. Unless the rays I've seen are extremely dense I have yet to see a 26lb cownose. On Tanked they purchased cownose from a wholesaler (Exotic Reef Imports) but I can not find a single online retailer selling cownose. I think I found one selling bat rays but per wikipedia those grow massive. SO my questions are twofold - is it possible to purchase cownose rays for the home aquarium and do they really grow that large? I guess I have a third question: are they like some sharks where people house them until they get too big and pass them along?

Also I reserve the right to be completely wrong about the rays I'm thinking of - but I'm pretty sure they're cownose

 

[small alien]

Don't. That would be where I'd start. Keeping sharks and rays is extremely specialized. As in public aquaria. Cool animal.

 

[ardenen]

It looks extremely specialized as in a ray tank -- but I'd love to do a ray tank. It also does not appear to be a threatened species - in fact Virginia wants you to eat it because it's a pest species. So if it is possible to keep I would love to keep one in the appropriately sized aquarium. But if it grows to 35" and 26lbs I can't afford an aquarium that could keep one. I've just never seen one that large -- even in public aquaria.

 

[small alien]

Having seen rays swimming in aquaria, they put on a lot of miles. It seems like you'd need a very big space. Like, a whole living room. You sound like you're doing your homework. That's good. They are amazing animals.