Help with dead ray.

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dparks87

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jun 1, 2010
303
0
0
Florida
Hey guys I lost a reticulated ray today. I had him for two weeks. Water parameters are 77-79 deg Fahrenheit, PH is 7.2 and I had no traceable amounts of ammonia, nitrite or nitrate. I used an API test kit. Filtration is a fluval 304 with two sponge filters. The tank is a 55 gallon. The ray was about 4 or so inches in diameter. He was readily feeding on live black worms, frozen blood worms, and frozen brine shrimp. Tank mates are 5 small tinfoil barbs and two silver dollars. I noticed no external damage like nips or bites of any kind, I did notice that yesterday the ray turned over and seemed a bit uncordinated. He did however eat a nice wad of black worms. I was doing water changes everyother day because of all the feedings I was doing. I use an aquarium pharm. stress coat and stress zyme in the recomended dosages after each change. The other ray seems healthy and happy and is still eating.
Attached is an image of the rays underside. I noticed some red veins on his underside. He may have been dead for several hours befor i took him out this morning.

dr.JPG
 
Hmm the only thing I can think of is an internal parasite. A lot of retics are treated poorly because of hoe cheap they are and everything so they get the parasites. I would dose with prazi pro for the other ray and see if any worms come out! They you will probably know the cause of this guy!
 
bahamaqt00;4256885; said:
Hmm the only thing I can think of is an internal parasite. A lot of retics are treated poorly because of hoe cheap they are and everything so they get the parasites. I would dose with prazi pro for the other ray and see if any worms come out! They you will probably know the cause of this guy!
Click to expand...

You know that was the first thing that came to my mind as well, I read alot about how internals are common with these guys. So If i treat for internal parasites You think I will actually be able to see them in the poop? Or will I just be looking for pale stringy waste?

I do not have any prazi pro but I do have some metronidazole, i am not sure what the active ingredient is in prazi but would you think this would work as well?
 
Yeah you should be able to tell if they have parasites by their poo. White and stringy means parasite. I have never heard of metronidazole. If I were you I would go pick up some prazi pro just because I trust it and so many have used it and I know it is stingray safe (rays are pretty sensitive to medication) good luck!
 
well if you have no reading on anything with that filtration then your test kit is old as a cycled tank you should have some readings of something especially in a small 55. when you saw him being uncordinated was his stomach red then? also how long has the tank been set up? also are you using city or well water?
 
Just tested the Nitrates again, hear is a pick of the result, I did a sizable water change Wednesday of about 50%. The retic. ate a ball of live black worms yesterday so he was eating, and that was after I noticed him swimming irregularly. I did not notice any discoloration yesterday while he was still alive, to be honest after he ate and the water test came out ok I turned the lights out and left them be.
I have city water not well water, I use API's stress coat and stress zyme with each water change. I was feeding the rays once a day and doing a 40% or so water change after every other feeding.

wr.JPG
 
im not sure as i dont use either of those products but do they dechlorinate? well water in most cases dont have to worry about it but city water is treated.
 
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