Fromia lost a limb help please

Stacyod · Feb 25, 2019

my tank is at work and unattended on Sunday. My fromia has been active lately... Rock climbing, going into tight places between rocks... he even went into a hole I think the neon dotty back had excavated. O few weeks ago he got stuck in a crevice and took a few days to come out. Saturday night one of his legs looked a little rough. This morning it’s gone. Other than that he seems ok, if that’s possible. I mean he is out and moving. He is stiff, maybe not as much as normal but not melting. Tank inhabitants are as follows
2 clowns, misbar and percula, neon dotty back, 1 fire shrimp, 1 skunk shrimp, assorted snails, Zoanthid colony, hammer coral, green star polyp, bubble tip anemometer and new to tank on Saturday a ruby red dragonet. The anemone is target fed every 2 days plus the clown fish feed it. It has been in the tank for quite a while without incident. What do you think happened to my fromia star and what can I do to help him heal? Thanks.

Coralreefer1 · Feb 25, 2019

These stars are very delicate and their is not much that can be done when things start to go south. It looks like your star is basically melting with a cottage cheese appearance for lack of better word. It looks like their are other areas in question as well. Did you or the person who bagged your star happen to handle it? Linkia and Fromia, especially can not be handled like a Brittle, Chocolate or Serpent Sea Star can.
If it keeps receding, it is best to remove it from your tank so that it doesn’t degrade your water quality.
Sorry I don’t have better news!

Stacyod · Feb 25, 2019

I’ve had this star since October. He’s grown significantly since I bought him. No issues until Saturday night when one limb looked a little ragged. I’m wondering if he tore it on the rocks or if something in the tank hurt him. Everything in the tank has lived together peacefully for months until now. No new additions until Saturday. I added the dragonet. His mouth is too small to do any damage and it’s not his temperament.