Help!?

[Ottawa_Newfie]

I have 2 dwarf Motoro stinrgrays (1 male and 1 female) they are not eating, not moving alot. Male is worse than the female. Water test results.
Ammonia = 0.0
Nitrite = 0.0
Ph = 6.6
Nitrate = 30ppm
Temps are held steady at 78-79degrees
180 gallon tank. with 1 Asian Arowana, and 3 kelberi bass.

The rays are not damaged at all.. I do 30% water changes weekly. And for the past wekk I have done 3 extra water changes for a total of 4.. to be on the safe side.

Food has not changed.. I feed that tank shrimp and tilapia.
All inhabitants have been together for 4 months minimum (the aro and rays, have been together for 6 months)
Arowana is 12", bass are 9" , rays are 6-8"

I am at a loss!?!?!?!?!? Female is slightly more active then that male. Neither has eaten for about 1 week.

I am a LONG time fresh water fish keeper, but these are my first rays.

 

[kno4te]

Ur nitrates are 30ppm and up’d ur water changes. Was it higher before? Is ur tap ph low? Last poop? Higher nitrates could be the cause. Try to do increase ur water changes to 50% twice a week. Hope a ray keeper can respond to you.

 

[Galantspeedz]

Try bloodworms or live ghost shrimp to see if they are interested?

Any bullying by the bass or aro recently?

And if you have done 4 water change in a week, when was your result taken? Before or after water change, and how many days between? Same for PH... any idea what's the PH just after water change?

 

[AnthonyFish20]

Id try live black worms if you can get them.

 

[Ottawa_Newfie]

Ur nitrates are 30ppm and up’d ur water changes. Was it higher before? Is ur tap ph low? Last poop? Higher nitrates could be the cause. Try to do increase ur water changes to 50% twice a week. Hope a ray keeper can respond to you.

Thanks for the reply.
I retested the Nitrates (went out and bought a new kit) I was using the test strips.. Nitrates are closer to 10ppm. Tap ph is very Alkaline actually.

 

[Ottawa_Newfie]

Try bloodworms or live ghost shrimp to see if they are interested?

Any bullying by the bass or aro recently?

And if you have done 4 water change in a week, when was your result taken? Before or after water change, and how many days between? Same for PH... any idea what's the PH just after water change?

Thanks for the reply.
I did try blood worms.. no interest.

 

[Ottawa_Newfie]

Try bloodworms or live ghost shrimp to see if they are interested?

Any bullying by the bass or aro recently?

And if you have done 4 water change in a week, when was your result taken? Before or after water change, and how many days between? Same for PH... any idea what's the PH just after water change?

Thanks for the reply.
There is no bullying that I can see... and no damage on the rays that I can see at all.
Results of water tests were right before I posted the thread. I did retest my Nitrates with a new test kit and showed closer to 10ppm.

 

[Ottawa_Newfie]

I have 2 dwarf Motoro stinrgrays (1 male and 1 female) they are not eating, not moving alot. Male is worse than the female. Water test results.
Ammonia = 0.0
Nitrite = 0.0
Ph = 6.6
Nitrate = 30ppm
Temps are held steady at 78-79degrees
180 gallon tank. with 1 Asian Arowana, and 3 kelberi bass.

The rays are not damaged at all.. I do 30% water changes weekly. And for the past wekk I have done 3 extra water changes for a total of 4.. to be on the safe side.

Food has not changed.. I feed that tank shrimp and tilapia.
All inhabitants have been together for 4 months minimum (the aro and rays, have been together for 6 months)
Arowana is 12", bass are 9" , rays are 6-8"

I am at a loss!?!?!?!?!? Female is slightly more active then that male. Neither has eaten for about 1 week.

I am a LONG time fresh water fish keeper, but these are my first rays.

View attachment 1377108

View attachment 1377109

**UPDATE** retested Nitrates = 10ppm.
Female is more responsive to male... at least she went and checked out some shrimp (didn't see her eat any though)
Male is not moving much.

I did notice their gills puffing what I think is more than they should be. (I think)
I added an air pump with a decent airstone running on high...

 

[Ottawa_Newfie]

Just tested the ph in my tap water, it is high - 7.6. Tested the 180gal it is 6.5
So I am doing another bigger water change, 50%. Hoping that should drag the ph closer to 7.0.

The female is swimming a nice bit this morning, the male is not.

**NOTE I have other tanks, I tested the ph in them, they are bang on 7.0.

 

[Galantspeedz]

Sounds like a ph problem... could be due to bio load

Maybe you can add more media and a bag of coral chips to buffer the PH