Help! Ray has lump

[salt-h2okeeper]

Not sure if this is correct forum for fish ailments (I'm newbie) but:

Our orb ray has a large lump on its underside near its mouth that has grown and is causing difficulty eating (see photo). He has had it for about a month, is ravenous, but not able to get much down. I know sharks can get goiters from low iodine, but this came about really suddenly (couple of days) and they eat a varied diet.
It could possibly be a piece of squid cartilage that got lodged in its throat... I gave our two rays (blue spotted & orb) and shark (bamboo) chopped squid a month ago (which they all LOVED), but may not have removed all the cartilage from the squid. The lump showed up right after the squid feeding. This was the first time they've gotten fresh, unfrozen squid (purchased at asian fish market).

We have had the aquarium for 1-1/2 years and both the spotted blue and orb rays for that entire time. They both have always eaten very well and have had no other problems, ever (except for a biting angelfish that is no longer living with us). The water quality is perfect, nothing else has changed, so am thinking it could be the piece of squid cartilage that is now either infected or ???

I would take to fish dr. if that was possible; he's a great pet, but don't think that's possible.

Any thoughts...???

ps - if any of this belongs on another forum, please tell me; this is first post.

Here is photo:

 

[Citrinellus]

Here is the shark/ray section, http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=-1&f=189

and here is the general salt section, http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=-1&f=187

Good luck with the ray, I hope he gets better.

 

[salt-h2okeeper]

Thanks much! Will post in the shark/ray section...

 

[SpeshulEd]

That's crazy! I know nothing about salt rays, perhaps zoodiver can help.

 

[salt-h2okeeper]

Thanks, you're right, zookeeper and a couple of others helped out in the Shark/Ray forum. Its 99% that it is a goiter which is caused from nutritional deficiency (lack of iodine). So, he's on a strict diet of shellfish and Mazuri shark/ray vita-zu tablets for now...

 

[aquaman45]

Dont dismiss your first thoughts,could be an abscess caused by a foreign body lodged inside the lower jaw..............try salting the water at a rate of half ounce per gallon for a week or two,the fact its raised its ugly head that quickly could point to an infection.
Good luck!

 

[softturtle]

Dont dismiss your first thoughts,could be an abscess caused by a foreign body lodged inside the lower jaw..............try salting the water at a rate of half ounce per gallon for a week or two,the fact its raised its ugly head that quickly could point to an infection.
Good luck!

i don't know how much of an effect this would have on saltwater fishes.

 

[aquaman45]

i don't know how much of an effect this would have on saltwater fishes.

Sorry but i thought the ray in question was a freshwater sp....he did say Orb didnt he?....meaning Orbignyi.....perhaps i read his post wrong....oops!

 

[Zoodiver]

It's a Round ray - saltwater. The name Orb to me was odd at first, too.

 

[softturtle]

Sorry but i thought the ray in question was a freshwater sp....he did say Orb didnt he?....meaning Orbignyi.....perhaps i read his post wrong....oops!

I had to read carefully, but when I read "spotted blue" I figured it was salt.