A question about rays

jpcampbell123

Redtail Catfish
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Feb 18, 2011
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I noticed mine is not eating like she used been testing it with api freshwater test kit the ammonia has been zero and pond is fully cycled ph is 7.4 to 7.3
 

wednesday13

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Can hit her with a round of prazi pro in the water column for safe measure… if shes still eating it works much better IMO when digested and is very safe. Soak her food it in for a few feedings. Pups should be offered food 2-3 times a day and their stomach/back should be taller than their eyes. A “good rule of thumb” to make sure there full enough. A ray will almost never refuse earth worms. Quickest way to bulk them back up if/when needed. I think i read u were feeding frozen mysis shrimp when u got her. Shed need 5-10 cubes every day. I always started my pups on mysis, they need alot of it tho. Once a ray gets too thin they start to deteriorate. Any signs of hip bones or dent in between the eyes? Rays are very hardy IMO and can handle pretty bad water at times… gotta keep them full/healthy tho or theyll drop like flies if anything else is “off”… the tallest part of their body should b their back. If they dont have a “backpack” lol… safe to offer more food until they do. They can only pack in so much in 1 sitting some times, y its good to offer as much as theyll consume a few times a day when there small. Hope she turns around for ya.
 

wednesday13

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Should I try a diff food she's been eating mysis shrimp but shows less interest and I think she killed a p bass
Can offer cut up shrimp, cut up tilapia, red worms, earth worms, live black worms, pellets… just about anything. “Quickest fix” is live worms. They need alot of them, it can get expensive, and there hard to get off worms tho is the down side. Kinda a “dire need” food IMO if they refuse all others and are showing hip bones.
 

jpcampbell123

Redtail Catfish
MFK Member
Feb 18, 2011
1,977
506
150
In the water
She acted like she wanted to eat I touched her with a net she let me scoop her her mouth was barely moving is 5.0 on nitrates too high for a Ray it's been being 0 but this time it was 5.0 I am doing a big ro di wc she's my first Ray and I hate to lose her
 

wednesday13

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5-10 nitrates is still “acceptable”. Don’t panic and keep messing with the system too much aside from a normal w/c. The added stress will flop her. Id pick up some live crawlers or red worms and just focus on gettin her weight back up. Being ur first ray i think its just lack of feeding. Hip bones or dent in between the eyes? Even if shes got a head dent or hip bones showing its still possible to bring her back. I received a $1k pearl ray once on deaths door with a head dent. Hit him with crawlers every few hrs for about a month to get it back to “normal”… all part of learning. Always gotta have some “emergency” crawlers in the fridge with small rays in house. They can be very picky eaters esp. when moved. Local tackle shop, walmart or some gas stations will have crawlers depending on where u live. In a pinch, start diggin in the yard lol…
 
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