My first ray! Impulse buy... Can ya blame me?

Mr. Allgood

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Feb 16, 2012
617
12
33
Iowa
Just bought retic at lfs. I knew nothing about rays. Now I know little. They told me he wouldn't get larger than 6 inches and that he would be fine in my 125 with Africans and flowerhorns. I dropped $130 on the little guy (4inches) and brought him home. It didn't take long to discover that the lfs didn't know wtf they were talking about. I now plan on him getting 12-16 inches. He did fine in my 125 for first two days till he found convict fry and was attacked by their parents. Once they got a piece of him it was game on for the rest of the cichlids. I hooked a 20g to my 75 and dropped him in there for the time being. As of now, I dunno what I'm gonna do. Either gonna buy another 125 or gonna kick some fish out the door. One thing I do know...... I NEED MORE RAYS! Thinking of having a tank just for rays, cats, and polypterus. Unless that is a bad idea??? What other freshwater rays stay "small"? Aremr.gray.JPG there suppliers near Iowa?

mr.gray.JPG
 

grapedinox

Candiru
MFK Member
Oct 14, 2007
657
9
48
Spokane Wa
Oh my that ray is sooooo skinny!!! You have a very unhealthy ray on your hands. and I am not even going to touch on how god awful the gravel is LOL Other freshwater rays that stay small usually the 2 are Hystrix and retic but even then I can assure you they really aren't "small" I have a male Hystrix that is over 15 inches and a female retic also over 15 inches. The Hystrix is done growing as he is like 10 years old or something but I am not quite so sure on my female I hope she is done growing but I know she is still getting thicker. But really I wouldn't put either one of them in a 125 even by them selves so a 125 could never be a forever home to a ray even one of the "small" species. I say 200 or preferably a 300 for a minimum tank size IMO. But then again I do not consider these throw away animals and want to keep them for life so I plan for them so I can have them for life. This is of course just my .02 I hope other more experienced ray keepers chime in here.
 

Mr. Allgood

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Feb 16, 2012
617
12
33
Iowa
Yeah, after some research I came to the realization that he is unhealthy. I run sand but that gravel was already in 20g lol. I don't consider any of my fish to be throw away animals:) My tank size has always grown with my fish. 125 would just be for starters. I also have 3 ponds and plan on making my own 500g+ tank. What can I do to fatten him up? I am offering bloodworms, black worms and carni pellets multiple times a day. I considered taking him back but figure that I have a better chance of keeping him alive than most anyone else just for the simple fact that I care more about the critter than the money involved. I am going to raise hell next time I make the trip to pet shop. It will break my heart if this little guy doesn't pull through. Do you think that his light color my be a result of health or are they sometimes just that gray?
 

Warrensmentor

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jan 29, 2012
574
0
0
Virginia
The best foods are live foods right now. He needs them! Keep live black worms in the tank at all times, and throw in some live ghost shrimp. Don't waste water quality on pellets he won't eat. Best of luck, we all are hoping with you.

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Mr. Allgood

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Feb 16, 2012
617
12
33
Iowa
Tomorrow I will buy a few dozen ghost shrimp from wal-mart. All of our pet stores were out today. I am thinking of buying the other two rays they had. Perhaps I can save their lives as well. They are equally starved and living in unheated water. I think that with a stern lecture, I can get him to sell them to me nearly at cost.
 

ICHIBAN TROPICAL FISH

Fire Eel
MFK Member
May 14, 2010
1,014
97
66
46
Steeler city
Pool litte ray I don't thing he or she cant make in a week , you need to lean before you get a ray good luck
 

Crazyfish88

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Nov 6, 2009
1,969
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0
BC, Canada
U should see if this one makes it first before u purchase anymore IMO. That rectic's pelvic bones are really showing significantly. If u don't work on him quick I don't think he has a couple weeks maybe less. GL.


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jstavis

Candiru
MFK Member
Mar 18, 2009
222
1
48
Madison, WI
I'm not here to scold you for an impulse buy (been there done that) but please don't drop any more money on starving retics. You are not saving them, but probably just bringing them home to die.
 

Mr. Allgood

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Feb 16, 2012
617
12
33
Iowa
Is it that hard to nurse them back to health? I have a knack with critters but rays are alien to me
 

Crazyfish88

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Nov 6, 2009
1,969
0
0
BC, Canada
Also that ray is well underfed. When rays are starved too long and pelvic bones are showing significantly they might of caught a internal parasite(tape worm etc). That's the thing with poor ray keeping from LFS's that don't have a clue on what they're doing with keeping rays. In my city there was a lfs that had 3-4 small sized stingrays. They were super skinny like your rectic. They all ended up dying in less then a month. It was sad.


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