Ray

Long story but I was given a day old newborn electric stingray. The fisherman who gave it to me had no idea what species it was. I put it in my 80 gallon reef and stacked up all the rock So that there was more sand (aragonite) space. I've had it for about 4-5 days and it's been doing good but I have yet to see it eat. I looked up it's diet which is mostly bristleworms and dead fish bits and have tried many times to feed it chopped squid and shrimp..
My first question is since it's only a couple days old, can it even eat yet?
I also wanted to know if it will shock the rest of the inhabitants like the fish or inverts? It hasn't shocked me yet and I think its a little small to kill anything (he's as round as a silver dollar and a little longer including the tail)

 

Mmm... If I were you I would let it go back into the ocean. Rays are difficult to keep especially if you don't have a system setup for it. Since it is wild caught you might have better luck with offering it live food (shrimp) and if it is an electric ray you might want to move the other fish just to prevent any unwarranted deaths. I would release it back into the ocean where you got it from. It will IMO be better off. Good Luck! Sorry if I sound gloomy, just wish you the best of luck in keeping the little guy alive.

 

Well the fisherman caught the mom stingray and while getting the hook out she gave birth to the baby, which I'm pretty sure is premature birth. I was going to release it when it gets larger... I have a bad feeling he wont do so well this small in the wild. He's got an awesome color pattern too, I'll post some pics up once the light turns on.

 

It may not survive in the wild, but that's the circle of life (survival of the fittest). Personally, I think it is better off there than in an aquarium, anyway.

 

Stingrays are certainly cool in tanks. I don't know much about the ones that you can't catch in the North Atlantic. Sorry about that =\ I'd suggest you ive him his own tank with alot of moving space.

 

Not to sound like a broken record but I would send the little guy back to the ocean and let his instincts kick in as best they can. I think his survival rate, though low, would probably be higher back in the ocean.