stingray update

[eddi]

Hello everyone,

two weeks ago today my stingray gave birth to two pups, a male and a female. After a couple of days I moved them from the original tank (a 360 gallon) to a 10 gallon because my two eels would come out at feeding time and scare them. The male pup started eating at 9 days and the female started to show interest over the weekend, but now both have stopped eating due, I think, to water quality.

I was changing two gallons per day, one in the morning and one in the evening, with water from the original tank but I guess that was not enough. I found traces of ammonia and nitrite as well as nitrate so I just did a 50% water change with RO/DI water.

I don't really have any questions; the people at work seem less than enthusiastic about the pups despite me trying to explain how difficult it is to raise them, so I just wanted to share in the appropriate forum.


Wish me luck,

Eddi

 

[davelin315]

What kind of stingrays do you have?

 

[eddi]

David,

I have Florida Spotted Rays, also called Yellow Spotted Rays.

Eddi

 

[Anonymous]

I think it is neat that you are giving it such a valiant effort. I don't know anything about them. Perhaps you could call Seaworld or some large aquarium or zoo and get some info on the pup care. That is if you don't already have it. Good luck.

 

[eddi]

Steve,

thank you. I found an aquarium in Minneapolis that has been able to breed rays and raise pups. They told me I was basically doing everything I could, but I would really feel bad if they died.

 

[smokinreefer]

that is cool eddi!!!

how long have you had the pair of rays? how big are they? stingrays are one of my favorites too!

congrats and i hope they pull through!

 

[CAPT PETE]

Eddi,
Check out "Aquarium Sharks and Rays" by Scott Michael. Alot of info on sharks and rays. A must read. Well worth the $25.00 at www.barnesandnoble.com. Good luck.

 

[Reef55]

post pictures please!!

 

[Anonymous]

I do not know your budget but a childs play pool with salt water and any small pump for circulation might help. A lot of the Rays have stopped eating is as you refered to water quality and cramped quarters. Some rocks to stay out of sight may help.

 

[Mouse]

Keep it up Eddi, your doing good man!!!

 

[eddi]

Unfortunately my male ray died last night. The female seems to be doing ok (lays in the sand during the day, is more active at night) but she is still not eating.

Smokin' I have not had the rays real long, maybe three months. They are about 6-8" in diameter.

Capt, that is a great suggestion. I have been looking for any info on just that topic and $25 is highly worth it. I will get it today.

Reef55, I am sorry I have no way of posting pics.

Fishaholic, I do agree that 10 gallon is too small but not so much because of lack of swimming space. Rather, because of the water going bad quickly. I was aware of that and tried to keep up with water changes, but I guess it wasn't enough.

Mouse, thanks but I guess not good enough.


Eddi

 

[arnjer]

Sorry to hear about your loss. I know you are doing everything possible. I wish you the best of luck.

Jerry

 

[davelin315]

Try and entice her to eat with live foods like glass shrimp or fiddler crabs. When I had an octopus, I relied heavily on fiddler crabs for its meals. If you're in a pinch, try and hold some tiny chunks of shrimp or a live rosey under it's mouth until it starts to "pump" and form an umbrella over your hand. If this fails, you may want to see if you can put the eels into the small tank temporarily and leave the baby with mama. Have never bred them before, but have kept blue dots and sharks, and the blue dots were always picky (unfortunately, due to stupid people at LFSs who said "Nurse sharks get along great with rays!" I had very well fed nurse sharks after a few months - also happened with leopard sharks).

 

[eddi]

Dave,

thanks for the suggestions. I have asked around and I was told to try live foods as well, especially live ghost shrimps. I will do my best.

As far as moving the eels, I am afraid that is impossible. My geometric is almost 2' and my snowflake is s little over a foot. I simply have no place to put them. And when I talked to the aquarium that was able to raise pups I asked about whether removing them from the mother would hurt them and I was told that there is no real 'bond' once the pups are born.

I am really scared for the second pup now. It has not come out at all today. I can see her breathe under the sand, but I have not seen her move.


Eddi

 

[eddi]

Dave,

one more thing. You have a nurse shark??? Those suckers get HUGE! I have a 360 and I would not consider getting anything bigger than a horn! WOW!

Eddi

 

[davelin315]

I had one. They are very tough fish, but unfortunately, I was feeding it ocean perch that I bought at the grocery store, and something was wrong with it, because a few hours after eating it, it vomited everything up in its stomach, and proceeded to die a few hours later. It was just over 3 feet long at the time (got it around a foot long). A wobbengong (also a big shark) shared its pond and also threw up the fish but recovered (lost a few fish in my reef as well and a couple of shrimp that ate it) later. After about a year I finally decided to try some fresh fish again and gave the wobbegong some smelt from the same grocery store, and what do you know. Same thing happened, and it killed a few things off in my reef as well. Bad luck with "fresh fish" from Dominick's. Won't ever buy their "fresh" stuff again. It was a very sad day that my sharks died. The pond is still empty for almost a year now. Only home to a few urchins, some deported xenia, and an undulated trigger I bought to maintain the filter.