New stingray behaving wierdly! is this normal?!

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Auricom1

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Sep 22, 2010
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U.K.
Hi Guys,

I just wondered if i could get some advice? i am a newbie to stingrays - i got my first one on Monday. he settled in well - spent the first night scooting around the bottom of the tank. He ate bloodworm and a small earthworm on Wednesday. And i saw him eat a worm this morning. he seems to be fine and seems to have settled in well. However, he has just spent 20mins free swimming in tank (which i'm not worried about) and swimming up and down the glass (again, i don't think i am too worried about that) but he also turned himself into a bowl? shape and floated around on the surface a few times, for maybe 30 seconds at a time? (This is what i'm worried about!) It seems really odd to me, but then again i am new to stingrays! Is this normal behaviour? It almost seemed as if he was going to surface to get extra air, but none of my other fish seemed to be struggling, they were just milling around the bottom of the water column as usual. my setup is a 450L tank with a fluval FX5 filter, running to a spraybar (to give more o2), and with one normal outlet. Fine sand substrate, water temp is 28C. Water is Waste water from RO unit, with RO added to soften water. pH is 7.0 NO2 0 NO3 5ppm. I also have a very strong pond pump that i put on sometimes to create flow and micro bubbles. i switched this on and ray headed straight for the flow and seemed to be enjoying himself!! He is now back on bottom of tank behaving normally!! I did find a link on here to similar behaviour, but it was a different species, Any advice would be appreciated,

Cheers,

Mike:headbang2
 
Hi again,

Sorry i forgot to add. When he was floating on surface his eyes and gills were above the waters surface, and his disc was up-turned into a bowl shape!!! Bizarre!!
 
You're missing the Ammonia (NH3) reading but assuming that's also zero, it sounds like your ray is enjoying his new home. One of my females spends more time surfing my FX5 output than she does on the tank floor.
 
Hi Pete,

good to hear from you. And thanks for replying!!

This really freaked me out!! it just seemed like he was short of o2, and trying to get to the surface lots. My FX5 output is probably 2 inches below the surface, and the 2nd one is attached to a spray bar. I am just checking Ammonia, it is reading '0' at mo, but i have to wait another 3 mins. To be honest i can't imagine water quality being an issue, as i have discus and Tiger fish, which don't tolerate poor water quality. So one of your rays floats partially out of water too!!?? thats so wierd!!! But good to know. i was concerned there could be something wrong with the little guy. I have read about something called 'curl' which sounds similar, and which they tend to do shortly before dying!!

Cheers,

Mike
 
Yup check your Ammonia level. It might have just been low oxygen though

As long as he is eating I wouldn't worry too much

Edit: if it where deathcurl he wouldn't be able to return to normal at all
 
Hi,

thanks guys!! i defo needed reassurance there!!! Ammonia is '0'. To be honest i am meticulous with water quality. i have never had a problem in 15 years. Do rays need more oxygen than other fish size for size. because my discus and tigers, or giant talking catfish weren't struggling at all?

Sorry for all of the questions. I just to make sure i give the little guy every chance he deserves!

Cheers,

Mike
 
>i have never had a problem in 15 years

You also never had a ray :D It'll be well worth taking water readings more frequently than you probably do right now to be sure that a) the biofilter picks up for the new load and b) you understand how the water chemistry is affected by keeping a ray - pH is probably the thing people ignore most and the thing that catches them out when it drops.

I figured you wouldn't have ammonia but it was better to be sure. I still think he's probably just playing and especially if your spray bar is moving the surface I'd be very surprised if you're having Oxygen level issues.

A ray with death curl isn't surfing on a filter output, it's sitting on the tank floor with the disk raised around the edge because it is no longer able to keep it flat. It's also almost certainly not going to eat. Or move. Or swim up and down walls.

I think you're fine right now.
 
Hi Pete,

i check my water quality 2 - 3 times per week at the moment. Is that enough?

You're right about one thing....i haven't kept one before! i feel like a beginner all over again!! Still, that's part of the fun. Thanks for all of your kind advice. Hopefully the little guy will be ok. I think i was just shocked and confused!!!! I've never seen anything like that before!!!! I have to say, the little guy looked very cute with disc curled upwards and eyes above the water surface floating around!!!!

I must get a video if he ever does that again. lol!!

Thanks again,

Mike
 
Hey pete,

to be honest i'd rather you ask than assume i do something i don't! Good advice from someone more experienced than i is always welcome!

I tend to be meticulous when it comes to water quality, its the whole prevention is better than cure!!

Thanks again Pete,

Cheers,

Mike
 
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