stinger guard question

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interesting, I thought I read in the book I have that the guards are not good to have, and if possibly should be avoided, because they can cause infections no? As far goes as the stingers falling off every few months, I hope I find it before it finds me in due time, when it releases it!
 
Correct, the guards are often used in shipping so prevent the ray from popping the bag. Taking them off requires a little skill and a bit of luck as well. If you pinch them flat, they SHOULD slide off. I'd suggest using two pair of pliers or something similar. One to hold the tail at the base of the barb, the other to pull the guard off.

I was doing a shipment of leos by hand one time and took a barb in one side of my middle finger and out the other. Before I could break it off and push it all the way out, the ray twisted and it tore straight out. Not fun.
 
You don't just want to pull it off! It could kill the ray. You need to put the ray in a tub. And take a razor blade. And do it slow! cut the tube. Then it will just come off. Ive done it many times. If you leave it on the ray. Make sure you have MINT water and salt in there. Cause It can get bad real fast.
 
i had a leopoldi that had airline on its sting and chouldnt get it to feed after 1hr of removing the airline it was eatting

rays use the tails to stear when swimming and it can knock their balance off making them stressed other fish sometimes peck at the airline and it can get fungus

its best to remove the airline when catching the rays before putting it into its new home

get yourself a thick pair of garden gloves hold the tail firm with one hand and pull the airline off

they normally come off easy just dont be scared of the ray and get a freind to hold the net
 
Its reasons like this that the stinger should just be cut off before shipment its gonna grow back anyway.


this is not an option, its easier not to buy a ray with the guard!
 
hollywood69;811564; said:
Its reasons like this that the stinger should just be cut off before shipment its gonna grow back anyway.


this is not an option, its easier not to buy a ray with the guard!
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Yeah I know its not an option anymore im talking about before the ray was shipped to your local fish store.
 
DavidW;812793; said:
agreed......having removed the tubing from literally hundreds of rays, this is the best method and the best time to remove it, heavy gloves to hold the tail and a firm hand. I found needle nosed plyers to be easiest to then grip and vertically compress the guard a little and it will, as zoodiver and TK1 say, slip right off....btw , smell it after you remove it...most of them you can clearly smell the necrotic tissue. IMO clipping the stinger is more traumatic to the ray, often the stinger will not break/cut cleanly at all, leaving it just as sharp but much shorter
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When my rays stinger got caught in a net i just got a pair of nail clippers and snipped it in halve and it left the stinger nice and round at the tip i think it would be the same amount of trama as placing airline tubing on it.
 
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