Not everyone runs air pumps but I wonder if kicking the water temperature up has anything to do with it. Maybe try and increase the surface agitation or add another air pump to the tank.
Ray became lethargic
- Thread starter rlane
- Start date
Just tested that water parameters.....
ph- 7.8
ammonia- between 0.0-0.25 (looked closer to zero but couldn't make up my mind)
nitrite-0.0-5.0 (much closer to zero than 5)
nitrate- between 40-80 ppm (closer to 40 again but couldn't call it definitely that)
it looks as though the water overall is good but the ph may be a little high? I tested the tap water ( I am on a well) and the water came out of the tap at 7.8 as well. Could it be that the water is too alkaline?
As as I stated the male appears to have no problems at all, it's only the one ray? Do these parameters seem way off? If now the water what else could it be?
ph- 7.8
ammonia- between 0.0-0.25 (looked closer to zero but couldn't make up my mind)
nitrite-0.0-5.0 (much closer to zero than 5)
nitrate- between 40-80 ppm (closer to 40 again but couldn't call it definitely that)
it looks as though the water overall is good but the ph may be a little high? I tested the tap water ( I am on a well) and the water came out of the tap at 7.8 as well. Could it be that the water is too alkaline?
As as I stated the male appears to have no problems at all, it's only the one ray? Do these parameters seem way off? If now the water what else could it be?
PH is a bit high and it makes your slight readings of ammonia and nitrite worse... you should have no nitrite reading at all in an established tank. And yes one ray can definitely be more sensitive.
Update- I just brought a water sample to the LFS and they tested the water- their results, no ammonia, no nitrate and no nitrite, ph was between 7.8-8.0. I bought some SeaChem Acid Regulator which they use on their ray tank. I've added a little bit to the tank and will slowly add more till the water gets back to 7.0.
The strange thing is the water coming out of my well has always been slightly over 7.0. every time I have tested my water it confirmed this. Last Wednesday or Thursday night we had a massive rain and I did a big water change on Friday. I have no idea why the water coming out of my well jumped up so quickly but can only assume that the rain had an effect on it. I am going to have to keep my eye on this and will always test the ph out of the tap prior to doing another water change. Hopefully after I buffer the ph down a little bit she will gain her appetite back. Keep your fingers crossed for me?
The strange thing is the water coming out of my well has always been slightly over 7.0. every time I have tested my water it confirmed this. Last Wednesday or Thursday night we had a massive rain and I did a big water change on Friday. I have no idea why the water coming out of my well jumped up so quickly but can only assume that the rain had an effect on it. I am going to have to keep my eye on this and will always test the ph out of the tap prior to doing another water change. Hopefully after I buffer the ph down a little bit she will gain her appetite back. Keep your fingers crossed for me?
the ph, while being high, will not in itself kill your rays. rays can adjust to high ph's no problem. if they aren't getting any nitrate reading though, that makes me think that something is up with your cycle. ray tanks are never 0 nitrate, even with massive nitrate munching plants in the system or nitrate reactors. you SHOULD have a nitrate reading, less if you just did a water change, but a reading nonetheless.
Update- I brought the ph down to 7.6 last night over a 3 hour period or so and this morning I brought it down to 7.2-7.4. Ill test again this afternoon when I get home. The female was alittle more active, she was swimming around alittle more than she had been, but no where near normal. She refused to eat again but hopefully as I bring the ph down she will gain her appetite back.
Anyone have any ideas if it isn't the ph what the problem could be?
Anyone have any ideas if it isn't the ph what the problem could be?
pH isn't the problem, like stated earlier , unless it swings.
Do you have another tank you could put her in?
Problem can be anything.
Maybe she's getting picked on, maybe it's a parasite. Maybe she just don't like the food your feeding her.
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Do you have another tank you could put her in?
Problem can be anything.
Maybe she's getting picked on, maybe it's a parasite. Maybe she just don't like the food your feeding her.
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True
Ph isn't a problem even as high as 8.4
Don't mess with the ph you may bring it down with ph down but it will rise back up as soon as you start doing water changes even faster if your on a drip
Ph changes are more harmful than good and if your bring it down with ph down you will be fighting a losing battle to keep it down
You should have some nitrate or their is something wrong
Why don't you have your own test kit don't trust what a shop tells you trust your own results
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I do have my own test kits, my results basically mirrored what the LFS results were. I stated that earlier. I am nervous and concerned, as I am sure you all would be if one of your favorite rays went off its feed for no obvious reason? As I stated earlier, I feed them earthworms, tilapia, shrimp, smelt and massivore, of which up until a few days ago she would eat very aggressively (except for the massivore).
I realize that anything can be the problem, but most of you guys here have years more experience than I do so if you can come up with any constructive ideas at all no matter how out there they may seem I would love to hear it. She is a beauty and hate to see her stressed like this?
what t1kar said. ph swings are never good. rays will adapt to your ph, there's no need for lowering or raising them as you will struggle with them every water change and can cause them to crash as well. rule of thumb is to not mess with ph if you don't need to, and in this case, you don't need to.
understandable, we all get nervous when our fish (rays especially) act off. rays can go on starving periods sometimes where they eat little to nothing and then randomly gorge like normal up to a week or two later. it does happen. it is somewhat akin to the dry season in the amazon, where they eat little and then the rainy season comes and there's food aplenty. sometimes it's worrisome but works itself out.
biggest concerns are no food at all and massive weight loss, burn marks (ammonia, etc), curl, unusual stool.
like stated previously, i find that 0 nitrate reading very peculiar.
