Ray Tail injury?

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Capt_Rick_Dixie

Plecostomus
MFK Member
Sep 26, 2017
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Clearwater, FL/ Janesville, WI
Noticed this on my bd hybrid pup last night. Hasn't gotten worse or anything like that and definitely doesn't seem to bother him at all. Still active as always and eating well. Thinking maybe he rubbed it on something while glass surfing or possibly was nipped by one of my larger angels. I haven't seen any aggression or interest in the ray but ya never know what happens when the lights go off...

Let me know what you think. Those angels need to gtfo if they're going to be bothering him

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Are there other rays in the tank? I couldn't see an angel doing that. Either way, it looks like a very minor injury so it should be fine.
 
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Are there other rays in the tank? I couldn't see an angel doing that. Either way, it looks like a very minor injury so it should be fine.
Nope, he's the only ray in there. I would have been just as surprised if it was an angel but ya never know. Now that I think about it the other day I had to move the filter intake from one of my canisters out of my overflow box to reseal a pipe. Maybe he got the tip sucked into that? Who knows. Regardless I'm probably just being paranoid.
 
No need to dose with anything at this stage, it is a minor injury, clean water will do the trick. That white part you see will pretty much just fall off.

That is a typical injury that would be sustained by having his/her tail pecked at by a tankmate. Usually the tip that cops it. No real harm, but tails don't grow back. Losing it bit by bit sucks.

In an evolutionary sense I have always found it odd. Stingrays have such an amazing ability at regenerating - look at the damage females can sustain during mating, and the disk heals back perfectly in all but the absolute most severe cases. But the tail doesn't grow back at all. Which is odd and it is the stingrays main defense.

My take on dosing and adding things like salt for stingray injuries is pretty simple - stingrays are tough SOB's. If your water is clean and the animal is healthy - it is very seldom needed. Adding medications or even salt is just one more way a keeper can mess things up. To put it into perspective one of my females has been stabbed near the gills (noticed it this morning) - this is the second time that has happened in the last 12 months. I'd forgotten about it until I read this thread - it will heal fine without me doing anything extra.
 
No need to dose with anything at this stage, it is a minor injury, clean water will do the trick. That white part you see will pretty much just fall off.

That is a typical injury that would be sustained by having his/her tail pecked at by a tankmate. Usually the tip that cops it. No real harm, but tails don't grow back. Losing it bit by bit sucks.

In an evolutionary sense I have always found it odd. Stingrays have such an amazing ability at regenerating - look at the damage females can sustain during mating, and the disk heals back perfectly in all but the absolute most severe cases. But the tail doesn't grow back at all. Which is odd and it is the stingrays main defense.

My take on dosing and adding things like salt for stingray injuries is pretty simple - stingrays are tough SOB's. If your water is clean and the animal is healthy - it is very seldom needed. Adding medications or even salt is just one more way a keeper can mess things up. To put it into perspective one of my females has been stabbed near the gills (noticed it this morning) - this is the second time that has happened in the last 12 months. I'd forgotten about it until I read this thread - it will heal fine without me doing anything extra.
Thanks for the input! You're absolutely right. It's funny how I truly know all of this but the second I have a new pup I get paranoid about all of this. I'll keep up with the daily water changes and hope he doesn't lose any more of his tail. Thank you again!!
 
No dramas, best of luck. This tiny little end of the tail of injuries are generally harmless. It is just annoying, as a 1/4" a 1/4 " there adds up, and will mean the tail length is decreasing bit by bit. While it doesn't affect the ray, aesthetically it isn't pleasing, to me anyway. It happens a long the way anyway, especially with groups of adult rays, tails get chewed.
 
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Could also be caused by the ray going up and down the side of the tank, where the tail rubs the sand on the way back down. I've had rays do this before. As above, the white part will fall off.
 
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