"Is it that hard to nurse them back to health? I have a knack with critters but rays are alien to me"
Small retics purchased at LFS have a reputation of being rather more prone to dying than other rays. And this one is really really skinny. Has it eaten anything at all? Because I don't think you have too much more time to get it eating. By the way, I really hope that this LFS just doesn't know anything about rays and didn't realize how emaciated this one was. In any case, I'd go back to a store with a printout of this thread and politely ask for a refund. $130 isn't a lot for a ray, but it is a lot for a fish and you shouldn't be paying for something that is in such poor shape.
Also, should you feel tempted to buy another ray at the LFS definitely ask to see it eat and don't accept any excuses if it doesn't (e.g. "we just fed it"). You really have to stuff a healthy ray way more than an LFS ever would for it to refuse food.
Small retics purchased at LFS have a reputation of being rather more prone to dying than other rays. And this one is really really skinny. Has it eaten anything at all? Because I don't think you have too much more time to get it eating. By the way, I really hope that this LFS just doesn't know anything about rays and didn't realize how emaciated this one was. In any case, I'd go back to a store with a printout of this thread and politely ask for a refund. $130 isn't a lot for a ray, but it is a lot for a fish and you shouldn't be paying for something that is in such poor shape.
Also, should you feel tempted to buy another ray at the LFS definitely ask to see it eat and don't accept any excuses if it doesn't (e.g. "we just fed it"). You really have to stuff a healthy ray way more than an LFS ever would for it to refuse food.