Having trouble with your ray? Ray death recently?

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Gr8KarmaSF

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Quarantine Tank
Not sure if people will be open to this or not but in order to help all ray owners lets take a quick survey! Yes, I realize that there are many variables in isolating this increase in sudden ray death syndrome. But perhaps we can find something in common that all situations might share?

These questions can also be applied to any ray owners having issues or problems with their rays! The more info the more we all can help you!

Please copy and paste then answer! :)

1. How often do you do water changes?

2. What percentage do you change?

3. What size is your tank?

4. What is your stock?

5. What is your filtration?

6. What do you feed your rays?

7. How often do you feed your rays?

8. How long have you maintained this schedule?

9. Barebottom or Sand?

10. How long before your ray stopped eating and its death?

11. Did you add salt for treatment?

12. What other meds did you use?

13. Did you transfer the sick ray?

14. What other info do you think might be helpful?

15. Where was your ray from? Vendor? CB? Wild Caught?

* Please add any more question that you think might help!
I will add the questions once suggested.
 
Ullopincrate;2895456; said:
Maybe add where the ray was purchased?

Done!
 
:popcorn:
 
The ray I lost was captive bred. WCs were introduced a month ago.

1) Minimum 4 times a week. Average 5.
2) 20-30% during week, half on weekend
3)Around 1K pond (liner)
4) 4 Odoe, 1 Gar, 1 Rhaph, 1 Poly, 12 rays (average a foot)
5) 80 GPM Wet/dry
6) Mainly smelt and shrimp
7) 6 times a week for adults, 2 times daily for juvies
8) Last summer
9) Barebottom
10) 72 hours
11) Yes 3 lbs/100
12) Binox
13) YES to tank but same system
14) Binox appeared to have helped my situation.

Happened fast, slime coat thickened, less active, greyish tinge to her, eyes cloudy, "coughing", trying to bury,disk began erroding around back edge which was being held off ground, curled, died. I believe larger rays may have contributed stress. Became less active so I isolated her, seemed OK, added a few new fish, refused food shortly after.
 
1. How often do you do water changes? twice a week

2. What percentage do you change?50%

3. What size is your tank? 400 gallon only has about 325 in it

4. What is your stock? 3 rays now two gars one ck one pike chiclid

5. What is your filtration? two filter boxes one home made one pump 1800 gallons per hour one 965 gph

6. What do you feed your rays? smelt nightcrawlers and shrimp ghost shrimp

7. How often do you feed your rays? once a day a night

8. How long have you maintained this schedule? every day

9. Barebottom or Sand? very little sand

10. How long before your ray stopped eating and its death? one days time death was month

11. Did you add salt for treatment? no

12. What other meds did you use?none

13. Did you transfer the sick ray? all where not eating

14. What other info do you think might be helpful? Had a bad water spell when it started

15. Where was your ray from? Vendor? CB? Wild Caught? local pet store buy all my stuff there for years. Had these guys for about 8 months
 
Bump for more info from any recent ray deaths....

Happily I have never had a death!
 
so mine is doing better...maybe something totally different but just so it does not look so grim.

1. How often do you do water changes? 2x a week

2. What percentage do you change? 50%

3. What size is your tank? 150gallon

4. What is your stock? 2 x hystrix 1- 4.5" 1- 6" 2 x hybrid's 6" and 7"

5. What is your filtration? 1000gph fluval canisters

6. What do you feed your rays? pellets/shrimp/earthworms

7. How often do you feed your rays? daily sometimes a couple times a day.

8. How long have you maintained this schedule? since this tank was set up in the beginning of December

9. Barebottom or Sand? Sand (thin layer)

10. How long before your ray stopped eating and its death? N/A Ray turned around and is looking great now.

11. Did you add salt for treatment? no

12. What other meds did you use? none/ water changes!!!

13. Did you transfer the sick ray? NO

14. What other info do you think might be helpful?

15. Where was your ray from? Vendor? CB? Wild Caught? aquascape


You can delete this if you feel it is a derail since the thread is for recent ray deaths. But maybe this could be helpful for others.
 
Please copy and paste then answer! :)

1. How often do you do water changes?

Every second, third day, depends on how large is the tank/pond, and how stocked the enclosure is.

2. What percentage do you change?

Anywhere from 40-80%

3. What size is your tank?

135 - 6'ers
500gal (8'x4') pond (liner)

4. What is your stock?
Currently just wild caught flowers (Schroederi).
Menchacai pair (young adults), Otorongo pair, sp. Motelo, Laticeps, Flowers (P47), sp. Aparicio, Motoro "blue" ...until a couple months ago. Decided to concentrate on Schroederi for now.

5. What is your filtration?
Anywhere from sponge filters, canisters (FX5s) and sumps.

6. What do you feed your rays?
CBW for wild newcommers, earthworms, shrimp and pellets.
I have a compost bin to ensure the worms are healthy and chemicals free, and the goal is to have the rays as quickly as possible on pellets and shrimp. Cleaner, easier, healthier.

7. How often do you feed your rays?
Every day, as much as they eat. If I find uneaten foods, especially in the transition period I syphon the detritus out and top off the water.

8. How long have you maintained this schedule?
Well, rays are pretty new to me, but for my fish I've been doing this for years: overfiltration, good foods, regular maintenance.

9. Barebottom or Sand?
Both, sometimes bare, sometimes sand. Depends on the filtration too, type of tank. Lots of flow, sand, temporary holding tanks, bare. Something like this.

10. How long before your ray stopped eating and its death?

The sp. Motelo has a great story to her. She came in squiky clean, and she just refused foods. She mouthed some, for months, I could see her loose, and loose, and loose weight. I did all, force feed (under close advice from a dear friend, please do not try unless you are thoroughly advised, and you have an idea about what you're doing ...and most important, only in extreme circumstances).

OK, 5 months after, and after long periods of starvation ...she ate a dozen earthworms like it was nothing. :eek: Sorry to dissapoint you bud, she made it, she eats like a pig and she's getting fatter every day. I just trader her and the guy is super happy of her eating habbits: from anorexia to bulimia. <- joke ;)


11. Did you add salt for treatment?
Salt (marine, no additives) ...forever lasting method, 1lbs/100gal

12. What other meds did you use?
Prazi pro, Melafix

13. Did you transfer the sick ray?
Nope, lost the P47s a week after shipping, really bad ammonia burn.

14. What other info do you think might be helpful?
Research, research, research. Rays are not impossible to keep, just understand your new pet's needs and you'll be very happy. They are extremely intelligent creatures, and once acclimatized and into a healthy pattern, they will surprise you daily with their attention :)


15. Where was your ray from? Vendor? CB? Wild Caught?
Wilds, all of them.


* Please add any more question that you think might help!
What meds NOT to use
Copper based, and here's where Nic should chime in with a long list ;)
What to do when getting rays
1st ...buy your tank, minimum 6'er for pups to grow out, preferably 180s, and just imagine larger :)
2nd ...read about CBW (california black worms), get your supply ready
3rd ...make sure your filtration is top notch
4th ...if steps 1 to 3 have been completed, ORDER YOUR FRICIKIN RAYS ALREADY. :headbang2
 
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