Hooks in WC rays

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Mrs. Kitty

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Dec 4, 2008
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Gr8KarmaSF;2828719; said:
Is it wild caught? Perhaps there is a hook stuck in it?
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We have a wild caught ray that is refusing to eat. It has been over two weeks now and my husband has tried everything. How do you know if they have a hook stuck inside of them and is there anything that can be done for that?
 
there is no way to tell... unless you use a metal detector... ive just found hooks in the bottom of my tanks that had fresh imports(first time through me for a hard core loop) usually it will just disolve in there stomach(been told this not 100% sure on it being true) or they throw it up...
 
I heard a salt bath helps them throw it up but... only something I heard not proven.. I find it hard to believe that with rays 6" or smaller they still use hooks to catch them. To catch a small one on accident is unavoidable but for them to do that as their primary way to catch them
 
You can tell if a ray has a hook by taking an x-ray of it (probably not practical for you). I feel strongly that the ideas mentioned are not accurate.

I've been diving is saltwater and see hooks hanging out of the sides of fishes mouth (so obviously exposed to saltwater) that have obviously been there for a while as they had algae growing on it. Try a hook in straight water and see how long it takes to dissolve.

Now, consider how long you can leave a fw ray in saltwater, and how high of a salinity level it will be. Do you really think it will magically melt away? If the ray could 'cough it up' it would have. Now consider that the hook is probably in the rays gut- how much saltwater do you think would reach there?

Thinking hooks will quickly dissolve from inside a fish is a common misconception. Studies have been done in game fish that showed that they stayed there for the study length, which I believe was years.

The good new is that if it is in the gut and hasn't ruptured anything the ray may do fine with it (if this is indeed the problem). The hook will either pass, or the body will try to wall it off. Chances are that, if you consider how long it took for that ray to be collected to right now, it probably hasn't punctured the bowel or it would be dead already. It might discourage it from eating though. I have had rays with hooks that have started to eat.

Might turn out fine. Good luck.
 
So here is my question, IF indeed the hook is in the ray and preventing the ray from eating to do pain, should one force feed their ray just alittle bit until the ray naturally pushes the hook out?
 
Erica is right on.
As for passing a hook (or other solid object) oil laden foods help, but it's a hard thing to do. Hooks do a lot of internal damage.
 
There is a hook that designed to dissolved in sea water within hours..but it is pricey..most ppl use stainless steel hook which is much cheaper and strong..so the chances of the hook to dissolve is quite slim.
 
What about stomach acid? I remember from chem class a loooooong time ago that they said human stomach acid can dissolve teeth and metals, maybe it works with fish stomach acid too?
 
The salt thing was just something i heard and I dont recommend doing over the normal dose for any wound etc.. If it is lodged in the stomach like said i believe over a long time depending on what metal the hook was made of it can dissolve but unlikely. Maybe the body can "wall" it off and the ray canlive over time as if not there, with a lot of rays, not all obviously they do manage to get it up and spit it up.. I have seen a bunch of imports and there were a few hooks on the bottom of the tank. The fisherman are using the same techniques they always did but with what seems like stronger interest in rays overall a lot more details and info on rays is brought to the open. With importing rays there are huge fatality rates which is unfortunate, but its all part of it. Many of the rays do very well with or without the hooks and with proper care and the somewhat proper home environment can live very long lives. CB rays i always look at as a little less overly...."offensive" cause they no nothing more than the tank and weren't taken from a paradise and put in a clear box, in most cases.. Not sure where this went or what.. Sorry for my rant or derail.... In the end still best of luck and lets hope its not a hook and it starts eating for ya! mine just finally starting eating yesterday after 2 weeks with me. My fingers are crossed yours turns around now too
 
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