Im sorry to hear about your ray but im afraid your lfs guy is more or less right, rays are incredibly sensative creatures and can and do just drop dead for no apperent reason, especially when new. Very few shops will guarentee rays and those that do are usually specialist shops that charge a bit more, and even then most only offer a 24 hour guarentee.
If you decide to get another ray, or anyone else fancies trying them this is my advice to follow before parting with your money.
1) Always go to a retailer that holds rays as part of their everyday stock, the staff at these stores should be used to rays and will know more about their care and whether the ray is healthy or not. Look for a fat healthy active fish, if the pelvic bones near the tail are showing through the skin or the ray is lethargic then it is unhealthy.
2) Always buy a ray from stock, a ray that has been ordered in may have been moved up to 4 times in the last 72 hours before you get it home. Always buy a fish that has been in stock for at least 2 weeks, a good retailer will quarentine new rays for two weeks and will not sell them until they are feeding. If you see a ray that is new in stock and are worried it will be sold place a deposit on it and collect it in two weeks. Stress is a major killer of rays and most ray deaths occur in the first 24 hours from purchase.
3) Always ask to see your fish feed before buying it, if the retailer refuses do not give them your custom. If the ray feeds well (rays are real pigs and should get really excited when food is given) then it is a good healthy fish. If the ray refuses food or only eats a little dont buy it but go back and see them fed again in a weeks time, if it only eats a little again then it could be healthy but a bit picky and may be worth the risk if you are prepared to put the effort into getting the fish feeding properly. If the fish refuses food both times then do not buy it.
If you decide to get another ray, or anyone else fancies trying them this is my advice to follow before parting with your money.
1) Always go to a retailer that holds rays as part of their everyday stock, the staff at these stores should be used to rays and will know more about their care and whether the ray is healthy or not. Look for a fat healthy active fish, if the pelvic bones near the tail are showing through the skin or the ray is lethargic then it is unhealthy.
2) Always buy a ray from stock, a ray that has been ordered in may have been moved up to 4 times in the last 72 hours before you get it home. Always buy a fish that has been in stock for at least 2 weeks, a good retailer will quarentine new rays for two weeks and will not sell them until they are feeding. If you see a ray that is new in stock and are worried it will be sold place a deposit on it and collect it in two weeks. Stress is a major killer of rays and most ray deaths occur in the first 24 hours from purchase.
3) Always ask to see your fish feed before buying it, if the retailer refuses do not give them your custom. If the ray feeds well (rays are real pigs and should get really excited when food is given) then it is a good healthy fish. If the ray refuses food or only eats a little dont buy it but go back and see them fed again in a weeks time, if it only eats a little again then it could be healthy but a bit picky and may be worth the risk if you are prepared to put the effort into getting the fish feeding properly. If the fish refuses food both times then do not buy it.
descent bloke afterall!
)
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