crimzy
Active Member
It was suggested that I provide a thread about this condition for other hobbiests who keep sharks and rays. I am far from an expert on fish diseases but I was forced to research this particular issue and treat it accordingly.
I was first introduced to a goiter when I discovered that my yellow stingray had a round protrusion just under its mouth a year or so ago. My ray was not acting ill at all but the lump continued to grow and I started to become worried. The situation become more bothersome when the affected area looked like it was becoming raw from the friction of being constantly rubbed against the sand and glass. At that point I treated with antibiotics to prevent infection. Here are some pics of when my ray had the condition:
Anyway, out of necessity I began to research this condition and it became very clear that this was goiter and lots of aquarium sharks and rays get it. I consulted Fenner, Scott Michael's book, as well as other experts and some very knowledgeable hobbiests that I found. There was some disagreement about both the cause and the treatment for goiter. One notion was that goiter is caused by an iodine deficiency in the water. The other idea was that goiter is caused by a nutritional deficiency from the limited diet that these animals generally get in aquariums. I also received the suggestion that a goiter must be surgically removed by a veterinarian (though I didn't follow this advice).
In response to the condition, I decided to play it safe and use both suggested treatments. First, I gradually added iodine over several days until my iodine level was close to the highest acceptable aquarium level. I also provided several additional food options, as well as vitamins, that I had previously not been feeding. Personally I think that the problem has more to do with nutrition than iodine because at the time mine got goiter, I had become pretty lax about feeding. I was basically feeding just two foods to my ray, silversides and krill. I was no longer feeding nori that my ray loved, nor was I soaking the food in any vitamins or garlic.
I started feeding more mixed food foods, such as shark formula, angel formula, trigger formula, formula one and formula two. These foods are good because they contain quite a mixture of natural foods for the ray. I also was introduced to Mazuri shark vitamins. Mazuri is a company that produces vitamins for a great many exotic animals including elephants, large cats and sharks, and they are used heavily by many zoos. I also added pellets, squid and pretty much every other food source I could think of to the mix.
Fortunately, my ray made a full recovery. Be aware that the condition can take several weeks/months to develop and similarly can take the same amount of time to cure.
Here are some pics of my ray from tonight. I know they are not the best pics but they do a decent job of showing the area that was previously affected. If anyone has any questions about this condition, I'd be happy to offer my assistance.
I was first introduced to a goiter when I discovered that my yellow stingray had a round protrusion just under its mouth a year or so ago. My ray was not acting ill at all but the lump continued to grow and I started to become worried. The situation become more bothersome when the affected area looked like it was becoming raw from the friction of being constantly rubbed against the sand and glass. At that point I treated with antibiotics to prevent infection. Here are some pics of when my ray had the condition:
Anyway, out of necessity I began to research this condition and it became very clear that this was goiter and lots of aquarium sharks and rays get it. I consulted Fenner, Scott Michael's book, as well as other experts and some very knowledgeable hobbiests that I found. There was some disagreement about both the cause and the treatment for goiter. One notion was that goiter is caused by an iodine deficiency in the water. The other idea was that goiter is caused by a nutritional deficiency from the limited diet that these animals generally get in aquariums. I also received the suggestion that a goiter must be surgically removed by a veterinarian (though I didn't follow this advice).
In response to the condition, I decided to play it safe and use both suggested treatments. First, I gradually added iodine over several days until my iodine level was close to the highest acceptable aquarium level. I also provided several additional food options, as well as vitamins, that I had previously not been feeding. Personally I think that the problem has more to do with nutrition than iodine because at the time mine got goiter, I had become pretty lax about feeding. I was basically feeding just two foods to my ray, silversides and krill. I was no longer feeding nori that my ray loved, nor was I soaking the food in any vitamins or garlic.
I started feeding more mixed food foods, such as shark formula, angel formula, trigger formula, formula one and formula two. These foods are good because they contain quite a mixture of natural foods for the ray. I also was introduced to Mazuri shark vitamins. Mazuri is a company that produces vitamins for a great many exotic animals including elephants, large cats and sharks, and they are used heavily by many zoos. I also added pellets, squid and pretty much every other food source I could think of to the mix.
Fortunately, my ray made a full recovery. Be aware that the condition can take several weeks/months to develop and similarly can take the same amount of time to cure.
Here are some pics of my ray from tonight. I know they are not the best pics but they do a decent job of showing the area that was previously affected. If anyone has any questions about this condition, I'd be happy to offer my assistance.