New Yellow Stingray, Need Help, parasites??

tainte97

Member
I just got a baby yellow spotted ray from a local fish wholesaler who catches them in the keys. I have a tank with a pretty large cali ray in it that I've had for a long time. I do not have a QT tank so I had to add him to the display with no QT. I noticied he had little blag bugs on him, almost look like the things that crawl all over the glass, the ones that look like snails with no shells. They seem to be moving there bodys like a leach. They don't come off I ran my finger over them and there on there. There is no redness anywhere on the ray. Should I be worried about this and will they spread to my other ray. The guy who I bought him from said the ray will get them off by himself by burying in the sand, which he has yet to do. I got him to eat 2 shrimp already. Just want to know what these are and how to rid them, never dealt with this before.
 

moby

Member
The guy who I bought him from said the ray will get them off by himself by burying in the sand,
This sounds a little questionable to me. If this were true why didn't the ray get rid of these parasites while in the wild burrowing in the sand?

I'm sorry I don't have any info on getting rid of these critters, but I can bump you.
Is there too many to manually pluck them off? I would be worried they will spread to your other ray. Any pictures?
Moby
 

tainte97

Member
I tried to get them off with my fingers, no luck, but i didnt really pluck at them yet I want him to get use to the tank first
 

unleashed

Active Member
do a bit more research online by doing a few google searches but here are a few known paresites listed for the yellow ray.
Cestodes such as Acanthobothrium cartagenensis, Phyllobothrium kingae, Rhinebothrium magniphallum, and Discobothrium caribbensis are among the endoparasites associated with the yellow stingray.
this found at http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/Galler...wStingray.html
ps if you have a zoo with an aquarium you should be able to contact that dept and ask for advice on how to rid your ray of this pest without harming your ray.most zoos are happy to help
 

tainte97

Member
I can't seem to find anything that tells how to get rid of this or any pictures of the different parasites. I really don't know what to do. The ray has ate a few pieces of shrimp and lets you touch him but I cant get these off of him.
 

unleashed

Active Member
as i stated above in the post call your local zoo or any zoo for that matter or aqaurium that has sw aquariums they will be able to help you call there main number and ask to speek the the head of the aquarium dept.they will know how to treat your ray without injuring him.because he is also a bottom feeder(they dig food from substrate) i fed mine thera+A pellets by spectrum 2 times a day the a variety of meaty foods in the pm such as chopped squid, krill ,mysis shrimp ,without a proper variety your ray will become manurished and not be able to fight off any illness.be sure to rinse any grocery stor purchased foods well in fw to remove any paresites they may harbor befor feeding.
 

tainte97

Member
Well I tried calling and got no where. I went out today and got ruby reef rally and treated the tank and will do so for the next 3 days. A few of these things seemed to fall off in the tank, I still don't see any on myother ray so maybe I'll get lucky and this will work. Im more worried about the red hole on his underbelly then the parasites now.
 
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