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stingray question... stkg./sel. 7/27/17
Cortez Ray; env., no reading 2/16/16 Deep dives of devil rays solve 'mystery' of warm brain
7/2/14 stingray... Something 4/11/10 California sting rays, no data of use 1/11/09 Hi I have 2 California stingrays in a 180 gallon tank. water levels are fine <...> I've had them for 3 years now but I noticed on the smallest ray he has 3 tiny black dots on his body. Do you know what this could be from? Is the water lacking anything? Please help Michelle <... please send along productive information: Make up of the system, its history, tankmates, foods/feeding, actual water test results... Photo/s if you can. Bob Fenner> California sting rays... Again... Still no data of use, reading 1/15/09 Hi I have 2 California stingrays <Urolophus halleri> in a 180 gallon tank. water levels are fine <Meaningless> I've had them for 3 years now but I noticed on the smallest ray he has 3 tiny black dots on his body. Do you know what this could be from? <Mmm, could be stress... you do have a chiller? Natural coloring... perhaps parasitic> Is the water lacking anything? <How would I, anyone be able to ascertain this? You've presented no data re... the short answer: Sure, could be> Please help. Michelle <... please... don't write... read instead: http://wetwebmedia.com/rays.htm and the linked files above. Bob Fenner> Steve the ex-croc man vs. the Ray... about the animal? 9/4/06 Greetings Mr. Fenner, Today is a tragic day for just about anyone who cares for the planet's animal's and a grieving family of course. I write today after viewing your website, and seeing your email address. I want to pose a question about the animal that took Steve' life, we hear being reported on the news that this creature is a "Bull Nose" Ray of about 7' across, and I was curious about the approximate measure of the stinger portion of this individual's tail? thanks. warmest regards, Zander Z. Van Draden Zz <Mmm, likely ten to fifteen cm.... do lose these, regenerate... is actually a "sheath" that covers the poison-secreting mechanism... Bob Fenner> Ray barbs regrowing 10/06/06 Dear WWM, As a librarian working in a marine science library I get lots of questions from the public, one today was "do stingrays regenerate their barbs if they are "removed"?" <Mmm, the "sheaths" that fit over the actual barbs do so... and the venom-delivering barb can if not removed too fully... In public aquariums that use stingrays for display/petting pools, the barbs are removed to the extreme... and do not regenerate> Crikey, I was stumped. So I headed for the WWM site - cos those that keep rays are sure to understand them best- and I found this little gem about the barb of the ray that got Steve Irwin "Mmm, likely ten to fifteen cm.... do lose these, regenerate... is actually a "sheath" that covers the poison-secreting mechanism... Bob Fenner" I have read lots of conflicting info. about ray barbs. Please tell me more this about regeneration and about the poison/venom too. Vicki <Wish I knew of some popular works on these cartilaginous fishes that would cover this "hot" topic. Cheers, Bob Fenner> New Yellow Ray Parasites? Incompatible Ray Mix, Disease 6/14/06 Hello, I just got a 5" baby yellow spotted stingray from a local wholesaler. He was caught off the Florida Keys. I have a tank with a full grown Cali ray that I added him to. <... not compatible... one is tropical, the other a cool water species...> He seems to be doing ok, I got him to eat shrimp and krill. The problem I'm having is I don't have a QT tank and he was never QT before I got him and he has some kind of parasites. <Typical... cartilaginous fishes often have worm and crustacean ectoparasites collected from the wild> They look like little black flat worms, kinda like a little leech. I tried to get them off with my fingers, but his back is too slick. I can see him itching with the sides of his discs. There is around 10 or so on him. The move like flatworms. What can I add to the tank without hurting the rays and what can I do to keep them from spreading to my Cali ray (which I've had since he was a baby without any problems)? The tank has a deep sand bed, rock and the 2 rays. Thanks <See WWM re Ray Disease, Ray Systems, Marine Worm Parasitic Disease... Bob Fenner> Urobatis jamaicensis in captivity 4/25/06 Hello my name is Riley I have read a lot of information on stingrays. I currently have a P. reticulatus, but I'm also interested in marine rays I have researched and found that Urobatis jamaicensis is the most suitable for life in an aquarium. I searched your site and found no information regarding this ray other than ("Urobatis jamaicensis (Cuvier 1816), the Yellow Stingray. Western Atlantic; North Carolina to Venezuela. To thirty inches wide. Aquarium and Cozumel photos.") I would like to know the basics and the requirements of this beautiful animal. <Mmm... you should peruse the article, FAQs on Batoid fishes...> Such as tank size, <Hundreds to thousands of gallons... at least twice the width of the intended maximum size, thrice the length. Height not very important functionally>> eating habits etc. I would also like to know how to go about purchasing this ray, what sites or sources carry it. Also what are appropriate tanks mates? Your help is most appreciated. Thank you for your time! <Or a referral... to Scott Michael's "Sharks and Rays in Aquariums"... Bob Fenner> Narcine brasiliensis (Lesser Electric Ray) Care 10/11/05 I
have a quick question. <Okay, Adam J with you tonight.> I was in
the Gulf of Mexico off of Florida and caught a Brazilian electric ray.
<Yes, Narcine brasiliensis, very common in Florida waters.> My
wife talked me into bringing it back home to Arkansas to put in our
marine aquarium. I don't have any access to any annelid worms that
he may eat. Do you have any suggestions of where I can purchase them?
<I wood use Google and search for methods of culturing your
own.> Do you know of any other food sources that he may eat?
I've got other marine fish in there from the Gulf, and don't
necessarily want him to eat them, but if it means his survival,
that's ok. <Very unlikely for the ray to pick on fish, in
fact it may be the opposite. Fish such as Marine Angels and Triggers
are known to pick at the skin and eyes of sedentary rays.> I
should have gone with my instincts and let him go. He is pretty small
right now. Do you think he may adapt to any other food? <This ray is
one of the most difficult to keep because of its feeding behaviors. No
public or private aquaria (that I know of) has ever coaxed one into
eating prepared foods. However they have been known to accept a few
other types of foods other than annelid worms such as: Ghost Shrimp
(though these are not very nutritious), Adult Clam Worms (Nereis
virens), Lug Worms (Arenicola cristada) and other small/slow moving
crustaceans. As I'm sure you have gathered this animal is not
for the faint at heart. Even public aquaria who attempt to keep this
animal have many difficulties getting the creature to eat and adapt to
captivity. They are also prone to bacterial infections and parasites
such as marine leeches (Branchellion ravenelli) and straight from the
ocean without QT I am willing to bet there are parasites to be found on
your specimen. To be honest it is best left in the ocean (though
DO NOT return it for fear of contamination) If you do get the animal to
eat I would look into vitamin supplementation as well. And please keep
in mind the adult length of this species at nearly 20', this animal
will eventually need a tank with a foot print of at least 24' by
60' as an adult. Also for more general care look into Scott
Michaels book, Sharks and Rays. And BE CAREFUL! This animal can
and will emit mild electric shocks.> In His Name, Pastor Shawn
<Adam J.> Sting Ray Care 10/4/05 Hi, <Hello, Adam with you tonight.> I Love stingrays and have had very good luck with California Rays (Urobatis Halleri) <Very neat temperate species.> and extremely bad luck with a (Taeniura lymna) Bluespot Ribbontail Ray throughout my aquatic career. <This is not surprising at all. Often they die within the first week or two of captive life and rarely accept food. Even when they occasionally accept food they seem to go on hunger strikes at times and often never resume feeding. Very rare that this animal is kept successfully long term. This one is best left in the ocean.> I have been lucky enough to obtain a baby Bali Bluespotted Stingray (Dasyatis Kuhlii) which is currently residing in my 50 gallon quarantine tank. <Ahh yes this 'look alike' species is much hardier. Generally they are easily coaxed into taking frozen fare such as fresh market fish, squid, krill, any meats of a marine origin really. You should have a fine layer of sand on the bottom of the tank, at least 3' in which t can bury itself when threatened. Coarse sand will cause irritation to its smooth skin, which can lead to bacterial infections and even death. You'll also (eventually) need a tank of at least 300 gallons with lots of surface area and minimal rockwork. Keep in mind that as with all elasmobranchs this species is sensitive to stray electrical voltages, heavy metals, and high nitrate levels.> I have tried to search both WetWebMedia and the web and have not found much information on care about this stingray. Please help me learn to provide the best possible atmosphere for this animal. <I also will take this opportunity to plug Scott Michael's book 'Aquarium Sharks and Rays.' It is filled with tons of good general information. However I will say that I disagree with many of the listed tank sizes for some species. I believe all sharks and rays should be treated to X-large spacious tanks (not closets) or left in the ocean.> Obsessed Aquarist Dinesh Patolia <Adam J.> Delayed reactions to stingray stings 9/24/05 Saw a child who was stung in the front of the ankle by a stingray 3 weeks ago. He soaked his foot in hot water, and it got better. About a week later, he started to get these small dense bumps in the sting area. They continued to increase in number. About a week ago, he was swimming in a pool and slightly scraped his forehead and nose. Now those same bumps are developing in these areas. They itch slightly and are not painful. A few more come out each day. Any ideas? <Mmm, yes... I would take this child to his pediatrician, ask for a referral to folks who deal in such matters... There are two or more components in such stings... some involve the immediate trauma, venom... others more latent infection... Bob Fenner> Atlantic Turbo Ray? What? - 09/17/2005 Hi Bob <Crewmember Sabrina with you this afternoon.> I have an Atlantic Turbo Ray in my tank I put it in last week it is about 6" in dia. <First learn what this animal is. Start here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/rays.htm . "Atlantic turbo ray" doesn't even come up in a google search. Your fish store, or their dealer, or their transshipper, has invented this name, most likely. Find out what the animal is, and be prepared to return it or give it appropriate living conditions. I do not believe ANY marine rays collected for the aquarium hobby have adult sizes less than 18" in dia. This means you'll be needing several hundreds of gallons for the beast at its adult size.> Two questions are it safe to keep in my tank and what will it eat. <I know nothing about your tank, therefore could not even begin to tell you if this mystery ray is safe in your tank. Assuming this is a Dasyatis species, it should eat meaty foods, like pieces of fish and shrimp. You may need to get it started eating with live shrimp. Best to get reading!> Thanks Edward Demsky <Wishing you well, -Sabrina> Stingray sting 8/23/05 My husband and I were on vacation in Corpus Christi Texas and he got stung by a stingray. I took him to the emergency room and they stuck his foot in hot water, took an x-ray, and gave him some antibiotics. It is now 2 weeks later and he is still having some pain in his foot and he is very tired, nauseated, has diarrhea, and sweats a lot even though he is not hot. Could this be because of the sting? Thank you, Amber <Amber, Sting Rays have one or more barbed stingers and two ventrolateral venom containing grooves that are encased in a sheath, so to speak. When a victim is stung, such as your hubby, the stinger apparatus then injects a protein based toxin into the wound generally causing immediate intense pain. The injury may occur without envenomation since many rays lose or tear off the sheath covering the venom gland. In your hubby's case, sounds like the gland was intact. And yes, your hubby's symptoms are included along with others listed below. Syncope Nausea Vomiting Diarrhea Diaphoresis Muscle cramps Abdominal pain Seizures, and Hypotension Have hubby keep taking his antibiotics as the doctor prescribed. Hope he is feeling fine soon. James (Salty Dog)> Stingray Questions - 08/21/2005 Hello, I was wondering if you
could answer some questions about stingrays for me. <We'll
certainly try our best!> I saw some the other day and was very
intrigued by them, I can't seem to find out what species it was
though! I have scoured the internet and came to your site. <Ahh,
welcome. Much, MUCH information to be had here....> The
ones I saw had a blunt nose and ranged in color from dark to light
grey. <Far too many possibilities to even begin to
guess. Have you seen here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/rays.htm ? > I was also
wondering what kind of tank and accommodations they would need to keep
one (or more) as a pet. <Some in-depth research will be required of
you, here.... As they are Elasmobranchs, they are
dramatically sensitive to metals, electric current.... Water
quality must never be anything but perfect.... And perhaps
the most daunting, I know of no saltwater species available in the
hobby that would survive long in less than several hundreds of gallons
(you read that right!). But as challenging as they are, they
are doubly rewarding. There is far too much information than
can be exchanged in a mere email.... Consider picking up
Scott Michael's book, "Sharks and
Rays".... and keep in mind that, in my opinion and the
opinions of many others, his minimum tank size requirements are
drastically small....> I was wondering if you could tell me the
different species, hopefully the one I saw, and maybe some pics?
<Take a look at that link I gave, and also look for the Scott
Michael book.> I looked on your website but haven't had much
luck finding anything but will keep looking. Love the site! <Glad to
hear this! I hope you find it to be a great source of
information.> How difficult is it to have a ray? <Very.> What
is the average price of them? <Varies dramatically.> Thanks so
much for your time! Jessica <Mm, another thought for you, Jessica -
have you considered the freshwater stingrays of genus
Potamotrygon? If you are not in California, you might find
these a less expensive, (slightly) less difficult animal to care
for.... But still a very great challenge in animal
husbandry, to be sure! Take a look here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwstingrays.htm and
elsewhere on the 'net for a great wealth of
information. Wishing you well, -Sabrina>
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