My Motoro is bobbing for air

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
N

nintri

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Sep 12, 2006
42
0
0
Canada
My Motoro has been bobbing for air almost continually for the past 2-3 days. He bobs up and down grabbing air with the front of its disc then rests for a few seconds sitting on its tail while still on the glass. Anyone know what the issue may be?

I have a 100 gallon tank. The 4.5 inch motoro is the only occupant. Ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 20 ppm. Temp was at 81 but I decreased it to 79 in an attempt to help. I also added a couple of aquaclears with no filter media to help with aeration and water flow. My two large foam filters already had the water surface moving. I condition my water for water changes and I perform a wc 2-3 times a week.

The motoro was eating well but is now too distracted by its new activity. It's body looks normal to me (no visible illness or injury).

I already lost its retic friend last week (would not eat) and I worry that my second ray might also go to stingray heaven. Any suggestions?
 
all my rays do this i think what your describeing is normal ray behavier
if its not eating then yes theres a problem
if he goes up and down the glass alot thats normal
 
Thanks. I understand that a ray will enjoy swimming along the glass but I wonder if this is different from the norm. He picks one spot only by the back corner and goes up and down the same spot - NEVER anywhere different. Also, when I say continually, I mean continually. I work from home for large chunks of my day and can say that I have only spotted him sitting flat on the bottom of the tank on rare occassions and those occassions last minutes or less before going back.
He did take a quick break eat a couple of bits of night crawler yesterday but today he has eaten nothing.
I have had him for a month now. Up uptil 2-3 days ago, swimming along the glass was uncharacteristic of him.
Hmmmmm..I'm a little worried.

Any possible problems that could be associated with this?
 
Correction: After writing that he did not eat today, I left the computer to find him chomping on the night crawler pieces that had been sitting in the tank for 1.5 hours. I saw him eat two small pieces. He is now back to the bobbing.
 
My ray is almost constantly climbing the glass. It eats well and is healthy, I think it's just having fun.
 
I think you are right to be concerned. That behavior does not sound "normal."

Offer him some live black worms. If he is eating, you can rest much easier. It might not hurt to add some carbon to one of your filters just in case.

Colin
 
He is eating very well. I suspect that it is playing as you suggested.
Thanks for your feedback.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
MonsterFishKeepers.com
Top Bottom