Force feeding my blue spot ribbon tail plate eating snake fish
 

After running out of live and frozen foods to try.... Out came the syringe

Here he is being sedated
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a1...52BEC190EB.jpg


Air line tube with the end rounded off, the food is basically a mix of a bunch of different frozen foods, vitamins and 70% rodi water that was also run through a uv filter just because
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a1...52D6BACFE3.jpg

Tube is in, remember his stomach is almost 3-4" beyond his mouth
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a1...52CD8F2540.jpg

Back in the tank regaining consciousness, as I type this he is fluttering around the bottom of the tank plotting his revenge on me
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a1...56A98C7C7E.jpg

Also everything used for feeding was sterilized

So how often do you have to do this?

Until he eats on his own or dies unfortunatly

Have you tried cubes of frozen squid? Back in the day I worked at a fish store and we would hold cubes of squid on the end of tongs near the bottom. The rays would come and chew on them. They were never really interested in anything floating around the tank and really preferred to target feed from tongs. Good luck with him!

Wow, good luck.

How did you sedate him?

Dedication. Wow

Hah, you actually did it man! Whooooo!

Same way I tricked my wife and made her drool, clove oil

Haha ya, he was looking real rough when I got home from work last night so I figured it was time. He was doing way better when I woke up (11am) so ill see how he is tonight

I'm debating wether or not to feed him daily or every second

He's getting 1ml of a high protein mix with 2ml of rodi water

wow, this is a great story to read!

Hope you'll succeed and he'll eat soon. It takes a lot of dedication to do this.

I've been off and on about getting one and you are slowly tempting me to go for it. Glad things are looking up for you. I'm still torn between the smaller California rays and the blue spot


Sent from my porcelain aquarium

Am I the only one
 

I am the only one that finds this post objectionable.
Taking a fish that posters admit is extremely difficult to keep alive and attempting to feed it by force feeding it through a tube.

My God what is this hobby coming too!!

I've seen them hand feed

This animal would have died already in another's care. I applaud the dedication

Not really sure what kind of answers you were looking for.:lol:

So you're objecting to the fact that I was given a fish that was imported and wouldn't eat and dedicating my time and money every night at 2am when I get home from work to try and save a fish from a certain death?

Anyways....



He seems to have become a lot more active since I began feeding him and he started to sift sand quite a bit throughout the night. Not to sure if he's eating on his own yet as he gets all mad and puffs up when I go anywhere near the tank. Ill continue feeding him until I can visually confirm that he is eating on his own.

^^^^^^Kind of has a natural feel to it.....^^^^^^^

Ill be upgrading the pump on my skimmer tonight from a 1500gph to a 3000gph in an attempt to keep him more comfortable and ill be doing a 100g water change on Saturday

Out of curiosity what size of tank are you keeping him in


Sent from my porcelain aquarium

I agree that it is not the best way to keep critters, but he is keeping one alive that was already in captivity

+1

naesco always has to say something about our systems

Good luck to you Spit Fire
I hope your ray feeds on it's own very soon

Tank is 8'x 30" footprint and not to sure how tall

Total system volume just over 300g

Tyler's the only person I know that would try and save this critter from a starvation death, hey people it's very easy to criticize, but knowing him as I do he would not turn his back on the challenge of trying to help any animal in distress, I say "good on you Tyler". Hope it all works out. :thumb:

I, for one, am incredibly impressed with Spit.Fire's dedication and commitment to the animal in his care. It shows a great deal of integrity, as far as I'm concerned, and I applaud his efforts at successfully getting nutrition into an animal that would otherwise perish.

In the interests of full disclosure, I do help my bestie force feed a rescue lizard that she's recently brought into her care.

Apparently you are, not even sure why you would find it objectionable.

that is dedication.
good on you bro.

when i had one way back in the day, i fed it frozen smelt, from the supermarket.
http://www.breakersfish.com/wp-conte...ed-300x225.jpg

i'd cut a few chunks and bury most of it under the sand. so that it could "hunt" like their natural behaviour.

i'd hand feed chunks of smelt too. but man, if they bite you, they got a good grip! it'd let me "pet" it too!

very cool animal. hope your efforts are rewarded and the stingray comes around.

I've got close to a lb of frozen smelt left over from my sharks, I've been burying all sorts of different foods but have yet to actually see him eat as he won't do anything if he knows I'm watching him, I'm gonna wire up a web cam into a glass box and seal it up so I can monitor him without disturbing him. If or when he starts eating the next step will be getting him used to me. My old freshwater ray would grab food right out of my hands and let me pet him and I'm hoping to get this one to that point.

I'm also thinking of swapping the moonlights to red LEDs in an attempt to make it so he can't see me in the dark

On an unrelated note, I guess I should get some gas in my generator so I don't have a repeat of my last sick fish

Truely thankful that there are people like you in this hobby.

Keep up the good work!

Ever think of getting another one in there? Maybe it needs a friend or 'mentor' to show him that feeding time is delicious!

Keep it up ! You are as dedicated as I was with my cleaner wrasse which is now been in the tank for 4 years.
Very cool.

I've been thinking about it, I can import one for cheep but I don't agree with taking them out of the wild or there is a private local guy out here that has 3 for sale but from the sound of it he just imported them to sell them and he wants 250each for them which is 170$ more than my cost on an import

I quite often agree with what you have to say, but this time I am actually shocked. I would think you of all people would commend the OP for taking the necessary steps to save the ray. Not many people could or would do what the OP has in order to help his ray. I agree the ray isn't the best choice for captivity by far, but if everyone was educated in force feeding then we would lose a lot less fish to starvation.

The OP gets standing applause from me.

I don't think I'd want to try to force feed a loin fish tho... But I agree... Very impressed with the op I vote outstanding member award


Sent from my porcelain aquarium

Last update. The stingray didn't make it. My wife sent me a message today saying he died. For anyone who decides at any point that they want a stingray please use this thread as a reminder of why they should not be brought in from the wild.

Sorry to hear


Sent from my porcelain aquarium

I am sorry to hear that the fish did not make it.

At the time I posted I was unaware that there was a previous thread and in that thread you rescued this fish from a LFS
Accordingly I saw this thread "as feeding instructions necessary for the care of this fish", which attracted some other reefers to post that they would also attempt this as well.

That is why I posted that I was surprised that other reefers did not find this thread objectionable.

geeezzz..how do I forward this informative thread to the bunch of idiots on the "Tanked" program?

Very sorry about your ray...you did everything you could.

Good job on owning up on that one Neasco. I think the tang police have an important job in this hobby to remind us of the consequences of bad purchases and poor husbandry of these live creatures.

Sorry the ray did not make it, I commend your efforts.

Hey Tyler sorry he didn't make it.

that really sucks, and its not like you didnt try , such a shame . Bet i know what lfs brought it in , got so sick of seeing rediculusly hard to keep fish mixed in with fish that where more ich than fish at that place.