new rays - extra issues with reticulata rays?

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
I was told that my retic was previously fed on nighcrawlers so I located some nightcrawlers and have been cutting them up as small as I can. I have fed them twice now. She comes to the worm peices quickly and appears to be eating them but once she moves to the next peice, upon closer inspection, it seems as if she is sucking them dry rather than really eating them.
I am making sure to have bloodworms and mysis shrimp in the same area so thay can be sucked up too.

Questions: Is this worm sucking typical behaviour and is she getting nourisment? Is it a sign that the worms are too big?

The retic is slightly less than 4 inches in diameter.
 
Well, you guys were right on the money. I found a LFS selling live blackworms and my little retic spends many hours of each day eating them up. This looks very good.
 
Hmmm....the last few days my retic hasn't even been eating the blackworms. She was very interested and spent hours trying to find and eat them previously. However, the last 3 days she just hasn't made any effort to eat.

She will just sit around and not search out the food like before. She is often quite active at periods of time during the day but just not for food. I try to introduce the blackworms after the motoro has its full of nightcrawlers but still the retic won't make any effort to get the worms and the motoro will eventually find them and suck them up. I even drop the worms right in front of her nose.

I am thinking that its time is coming as I have done all I know to do. Daily water changes to keep good water, tried ghost shrimp (too clumsy to catch them), nightcrawlers (I am told she ate them but she only showed interest the first time I introduced them), mysis shrimp (ate them on the first introduction then no longer), krill/scallops/grocery store shrimp (all with no luck), and blackworms (loved them for days then stopped).

Should I just give up or should I try a new approach? Thanks.
 
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