Hand feeding ray and getting stung?

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batang_mcdo

Polypterus
MFK Member
Apr 24, 2006
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Manila
i tried hand feeding my rays earlier, i tried with my new P14 as it still has an air hose on its stinger.
one of my female Bds also wanted to be hand fed, i noticed she also likes to do chin ups on the tank side.
but my worry is she doesnt have an air hose on her stinger. when hand feeding , is the chance of being stung high?
 
Why would you want to bite the hand that feeds?
I used to hand feed young rays/pups all the time but not now they are over 20" disc but that's only because I find more than one larger ray can be difficult to keep an eye on when hand feeding.
So long as a ray is not backed into a corner or something I would say the chances of being stung are small.
Just be careful !!
 
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I also feed mine and have never noticed any aggression

I think the main point is.. let the ray come to you out of its own free will. be relaxed and dont scare it with fast movements especially at first
Once they get used to coming to you, they dont scare so easily anymore and are actually demanding... my BD loves a scratch too when she comes for food

Dont ever force yourself on the ray.. she must get to trust you and come out her own free will.
 
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I have a hystrix and a retic they never bother to even try to sting. They are always about the worms. I agree with everyone else don't force them let them come to you.
 
thanks :) tried again :) one of my rays came up and looked quite happy when she got a piece of prawn from me :) the others were going crazy below , but they dont seem to know how to come up.
 
batang_mcdo said:
thanks :) tried again :) one of my rays came up and looked quite happy when she got a piece of prawn from me :) the others were going crazy below , but they dont seem to know how to come up.
Click to expand...

It takes time.... let them do it in their own time
Also not all rays are crazy up and down the glass, my BD is terrible she is permanently up and down, floats in the bubbles.. etc..
Some of the others don't really do it often

I also have 2 baby henleis which are in with Polkadot so because they small I have been target feeding them with long tweezers to stop Polkadot from pinching their food so.. everyone got used to this tweezers in the tank and soon they didn't care if it was the tweezers or the hand they just wanted food and came up straight away
I think that has made them eat out my hand quicker than they normally would
 
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