Severe stingray open wound & healing process (graphic pictures)

[Castexi]

Hi all. I recently had a pearl stingray that I've kept for a number of years badly bitten by a tank mate. The tank mates are juvenile arapaima and black diamonds and a mutt motoro. Figured I'd throw up some pictures of the situation I've been dealing with that some of you may find interesting, especially if you've been worried about or dealt with similar yourself. The following posts will contain graphic pictures - all I ask is that if you have any criticism, to try to keep it civil and constructive. Thanks.

The first picture is her last year for a base line, the second picture is her compared to the other rays sizes a month or so back

 

[Castexi]

These next three pictures are within one minute of me seeing and hearing wild splashing in the tank and looking over and seeing the damage. She was taken out immediately and moved to that tank's sump.

 

[Castexi]

I forgot to include this picture in the last group. This skin was excised once I moved her as it was flapping loose and I did not want to develop any issues with it healing with debris underneath, etc.
I carefully excised the extra hanging bits. She was calm and didn't fight, likely still in shock from everything that had just transpired.

 

[Castexi]

These pictures are several days later after I'd moved her from the sump to a tank she could freely move in, alone. This was consequently another sump that I gutted out to make space for her and used the wet/dry racking system to hold a heater in place and media so that she would not have to interact with anything on the floor. Prior to these pictures I'd left her completely alone in and in the dark, only doing two water changes and feeding her. She has not stopped eating through this entire experience.

 

[Castexi]

These pictures are her tonight. It has taken time and patience to get where we are right now, and even though she looks to be recovering I am still not certain she will survive. The divet on her head has raised back up slightly from the extremely sunken in condition it was immediately following the attack and move.

 

[Castexi]

I will continue to update this as I can, assuming she continues to heal and progress.
[reserving this spot for future updates]

 

[Castexi]

As an addendum to these posts since someone may ask: I only treated the water with copious amounts of melafix and small amounts of non-iodized salt. She was receiving daily hefty water changes and she was and is currently at 80f. There is not now nor has there been any disc curling or erratic behaviour from her.
[reserving this spot for future updates as well]

 

[kno4te]

Good care so far. Looks like it’s healing up.

 

[Castexi]

Good care so far. Looks like it’s healing up.

Appreciate it, buddy! It felt like one of those situations where you "know" the worst is going to happen - so even just these minor progress updates are exhilarating for me.

 

[jim barry]

Looks like you have done a good job with the healing process.
Any ideas what caused it?
And I must say it looks more like a Marble Motoro, not a Pearl mate