Cutting rays stingers

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aquaman45 said:
I agree completely with zoodiver on this, he has raised some very good points based on hands on experience.....no substitute for that!

I have been trimming my pups for a very longtime now. I usually do this when ever possible a week or two before shipping them out, during this time the protective membrane grows again surrounding the blunt stump that's left. All that is needed is a pair of snipe nose pliers (long handle ones)to hold the barb firm and clear of the body, a pair of electrical wire cutters is then used to trim the barb...oh yes and the confidence to do it! I catch the ray and place it in a shallow bowl to limit its movement, it usually takes about 30 seconds all in all. I too have noticed shippers in South America are doing this more now, its less stress for the ray because there is no need to remove it from the water. Many of the larger rays 30cm disc plus are man handled in rather a rough way by grabbing the stock (butt) of the tail with leather welding type gloves, this stops the ray from thrashing its tail whilst a sheath it applied, seen the rays going crazy whilst this practice is carried out.
So all in all I like the trimming method, reduces the chance of infection, I have seen a few problems with the sheath method, removed one off a new import and the smell from the dead proteins within the venom was over powering.
Other advantages is the newbie ray keeper has a few months to get used to his or her ray without worrying about being tagged, but most of all I do it because it prevents the bags being punctured whilst in transit.
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This is the method I used. Very quick. My hands didn't get close to tail
 
Most injuries that happen in the wild are caused by people stepping on rays covered in substrate
I don't think the tip of the barb would play any part in this kind of injury
This injury would happen by people stepping on the barb not the tip then the ray swimming off causing the razor edge of the barb to rip skin

Wouldn't it

I maybe totally wrong it wouldn't be the first time


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T1KARMANN said:
Most injuries that happen in the wild are caused by people stepping on rays covered in substrate
I don't think the tip of the barb would play any part in this kind of injury
This injury would happen by people stepping on the barb not the tip then the ray swimming off causing the razor edge of the barb to rip skin

Wouldn't it

I maybe totally wrong it wouldn't be the first time
Click to expand...

Why are you so insistent on this? If you step on a ray in the wild, you are most likely stepping on it's disk, which it will then use its tail and stab you with a piercing motion. You've kept rays how long and haven't noticed their use of the tail this way? I guess if Zoodiver can't convince you then it's a lost cause...


Anyway, I only posted because I wanted to share this:
This thread has messed with my mind, last night I dreamed that my 2 rays jumped out of the tank and were trying to hide under the couch. Whenever I tried to pick them up they would stab at me with their barb. It was weird.
 
dxdx said:
Why are you so insistent on this? If you step on a ray in the wild, you are most likely stepping on it's disk, which it will then use its tail and stab you with a piercing motion. You've kept rays how long and haven't noticed their use of the tail this way? I guess if Zoodiver can't convince you then it's a lost cause...
Click to expand...


Exactly what I was going to say
 
You can't argue with him so don't waste your time. He's never wrong. This is the same guy that thinks Ray can't smell.
 
I have NEVER had a ray try to sting me with its tail over it's back or to the side

I do see females swing the tail to the side to get males off but NEVER like a scorpion

Maybe I never stressed my rays out during water changes or I keep them very well fed I have no idea why but I have never seen it from my rays

I base my disagreement on my own findings nothing more

If I had seen them flare up like a scorpion don't you think I would have agreed with others who say they do this


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strollo22 said:
You can't argue with him so don't waste your time. He's never wrong. This is the same guy that thinks Ray can't smell.
Click to expand...

How many rays do you keep by the way or do you just follow me around like some kind of stalker

Some people have never seen 4 bar dats some have never seen rays try to sting like a scorpion oh well

I got your valentine card by the way


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