Fish Missing

[qstorm]

So I had a red serpent star fish. been in the tank the same time as the CUC.
it lost about 1/4 of it leg one day and another piece the next .. This was about 3 wks after getting it. I notice it wouldn't move around a lot ,only when its feeding time. My wife thinks the hermit crabs bit off the legs. That night i saw one crab eating the piece of leg that came . any how i thought those crabs was too small to eat that fish. Went on vacation for 4 days, came and can't find the star fish any where. It normally stays hidden but I can't find it , dead or alive.
Can the CUC really eat him or would it be the other way around. I had 6 small hernit and 3 emerald.
I fed pellets when I was a way, but normally do pellets and mysis shrimp when I'm here

 

[jsker]

So I had a red serpent star fish. been in the tank the same time as the CUC.
it lost about 1/4 of it leg one day and another piece the next .. This was about 3 wks after getting it. I notice it wouldn't move around a lot ,only when its feeding time. My wife thinks the hermit crabs bit off the legs. That night i saw one crab eating the piece of leg that came . any how i thought those crabs was too small to eat that fish. Went on vacation for 4 days, came and can't find the star fish any where. It normally stays hidden but I can't find it , dead or alive.
Can the CUC really eat him or would it be the other way around. I had 6 small hernit and 3 emerald.
I fed pellets when I was a way, but normally do pellets and mysis shrimp when I'm here

Sounds like the star fish was in it's demise and possibly passed and as you thinking the clean up crew did there work.

 

[SurfLife]

There is a very good chance that jsker's conclusion is correct but I would like to offer some hope if possible. I have a few serpent stars that were all introduced into the tank at the same time. Two of them have been fine since that day but the smaller one had a leg come off in the container I was acclimating in. As soon as I put him in DT he disappeared into the rocks. Many weeks went by and I figured he was for sure dead and something(s) ate em up. I dont remember exactly how long, but a few months later I see this little leg, barely, coming out of a rock while feeding mysis to the others. I shot some mysis at it, which it took and was then gone. Over time I started seeing more legs and then eventually the entire sea star which included his new leg. He still remains in that rock and only puts about 3-4 legs out during feeding but rarely at night I see him come out.
He hid really well for a few months.