I had a power outtage on Tuesday for 6 hours. Now I've been testing the water and doing a 30-40% waterchange each day and the parameters are 0 ammo, 0 trite, 40 trate. I have 3 hystrix rays (1 male 2 female) that are about 2 1/2 years old. The darkest female is having her disk torn up pretty bad and I've seen the male biting her several times this morning a lot more damage was done to her disk but also the tip of her tail is white and looks like its flaking. The other 2 disks and tails are nice and clean but she looks horrible. I'm wondering if its just the male trying to make whoopie. 180 gallon 2 AC110 and a rena xp4 while I'm building a new sump and temp is constant 82-83 degrees. No other tank mates and diet is massivore. Unfortunately my camera is toast but when I did the water change last night I added aquarium salt to maybe help with the disk and tail. She eats like a pig and has a solid cream colored bottom of disk with no pink or red irritation. Just looking for advice and thoughts. Also she has no twitching like I have read when there is something very wrong but I'm also wondering if it is disk rot but then why wouldn't the other 2 have it. Anything else I can do please inform me.
Please help
- Thread starter digger
- Start date
The damage to the disc sounds like mating behavior to me, if she is getting to torn up you might want to section off the male for a while or move him to another tank to let her heal up. Not sure about the white on the tail.
the mass water changes is pro;;y sending signals to the rays that its the rainy season triggering their mating season as well. i have read this about rays
I have as well but my main question is regarding the tip of her tailbeing white. I have never heard of this or seen this being accounted for from mating. I wish I could get some pics of her tail I just want other peoples advice regarding this issue.
well do u have a pleco in there? if not then i would say it could possibly be the male, they usually go for the rear, and maybe the tail just got in the way....
Sounds like you should seperate the male from the female. How big are they?
As for the tail, I had the same thing happen with my motoros. The male chewed a good 1 1/2" off the end of her tail as well as biting her pelvic fins and disc. The tip of her tail turned white like you are seeing. This is most likely from the lack of skin covering the tissue. I had to keep my motoros apart when the male was real bad. The skin will eventually grow over the tip of the tail again as long as the male leaves her alone. Not sure if I have any pictures of her where you can see the tail, I'll look.
As long as you keep up with the water changes and can seperate your rays, she should be ok.
As for the tail, I had the same thing happen with my motoros. The male chewed a good 1 1/2" off the end of her tail as well as biting her pelvic fins and disc. The tip of her tail turned white like you are seeing. This is most likely from the lack of skin covering the tissue. I had to keep my motoros apart when the male was real bad. The skin will eventually grow over the tip of the tail again as long as the male leaves her alone. Not sure if I have any pictures of her where you can see the tail, I'll look.
As long as you keep up with the water changes and can seperate your rays, she should be ok.