Craigslist Stingray - Is It Healthy?

Long Island Fish Guy

Black Skirt Tetra
MFK Member
Mar 28, 2017
64
21
13
32
Long Island, NY
Pictures are attached. See below for CL ad description:

hybrid Male baby stingray born with abnormality with a curled tail and small cleffed lip 6 weeks old, eatting on pellets, frozen blood worms, chopped tilapia, chopped nightcrawlers. Father is a Mini marble motoro and Mom is a Hystrix/p14 hybrid. Father is 5 years old at 9.5" and Mother is 3 years old at 10" So this baby shouldn't get bigger than 10" 80$.

Good deal? Other than the deformities, does the ray look healthy? I would consider myself an intermediate fishkeeper, but this would be my first ray. Can this ray live a long life or will it die early due to its deformities?

4E562960-8C74-4D93-B055-2B48C1B660C0.jpeg EACC29B8-3D1A-42E9-838D-DB9924C6192A.jpeg
 

Puffer Fish Boi

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Nov 7, 2018
27
15
3
22
I don't know much about stingrays so I can't really speak, but I think that's a good deal assuming the stingray is healthy. Can you get a look underneath of it, if it's stomach is sunken in then I think that means it has parasites or is starving (I know it is like that with plecos so I think it would be the same with a stingray, not 100% sure though). As for the deformities, I doubt the curled tail will mean much, the cleft lip I'm not too sure of, but assuming he gets enough food and it doesn't get worse or affect his breathing or anything then I don't see why it would affect him. Anybody with more experience please correct me if I'm wrong
 
Last edited:

Cowturtle

Peacock Bass
MFK Member
May 2, 2016
319
697
115
Cincinnati
The cleft lip is nothing to worry about. Maybe it's the way the deformed tail makes it look but that ray looks pretty terrible around the base of the tail should be full and round not sunken in like that. Maybe it's just the deformity but it looks pretty severe.

For a first ray I wouldn't go for it although price and adult size look good.

Edit: If you do go for it make sure you see it eat good before you take it.
 
Last edited:

Go_redfish

Redtail Catfish
MFK Member
Jul 21, 2018
1,106
2,860
154
Not a ray expert but with anything off CL I would assume a full quarentine to be in order. It be a good animal to learn on I'd bet. Even if it didnt live terribly long. Good luck with it if you decide to go for it!
 

wednesday13

Silver Tier VIP
MFK Member
Mar 2, 2008
4,237
3,817
1,629
The deep south
I agree with Cowturtle Cowturtle in that its a bit hard to tell if its super skinny or not due to that tail deformity. A rays stomach actually shows on top of the back when there full. You want to look for a nice fat tail and a fat "back pack". Those 2 signs will indicate a healthy fish. Is the price right....sadly maybe... but i would def. pass on that as your first ray. They are a wonderful, hardy species to own and u don't want to get discouraged starting with such a poor quality fish. Personally i would not sell that fish if i bred it. If your looking for something that stays small look for a male marble, hystrix, or a hybrid from a number of members here who breed and can give u size of the parents. Lots available these days in the $100-200 range. Stay away from reg. motoro as they are some of the largest growing.
 

Long Island Fish Guy

Black Skirt Tetra
MFK Member
Mar 28, 2017
64
21
13
32
Long Island, NY
Thanks guy! I’m probably not going to get it after what everyone just told me. I really want a stingray that stays small for a low price, this might just not be that stingray.....

Still a small window open for me to YOLO it
 

Leo Messi

Blue Tier VIP
MFK Member
Jun 14, 2015
335
549
390
Switzerland
Last time I've been at the breeding facility of one of the worlds (top 5) biggest and most successful stingray breeders, he had an amazing pup that had the same deformity. They call it pigtail. He told me that the chances that such a pup survives is almost 0. Very very rarely one survives and is healthy, but most of them have internal deformity too and die within weeks.
 

Long Island Fish Guy

Black Skirt Tetra
MFK Member
Mar 28, 2017
64
21
13
32
Long Island, NY
Last time I've been at the breeding facility of one of the worlds (top 5) biggest and most successful stingray breeders, he had an amazing pup that had the same deformity. They call it pigtail. He told me that the chances that such a pup survives is almost 0. Very very rarely one survives and is healthy, but most of them have internal deformity too and die within weeks.
Wow. Thank you for letting me know. Definitely some useful information!

Currently speaking to someone from the marketplace on MFK for a Mini Marble/Aparicio hybrid :) They all look healthy!
 
zoomed.com
hikariusa.com
aqaimports.com
Store