Is my red fromia starfish dying?

[muzikalmatt]

I think I already know the answer to this question, but does it look like my red fromia starfish is starting to disintegrate/die? I know these guys typically don't last long in reef tanks, and I didn't want to get him initially, but the fiance really wanted him. (I know, I know. Please don't judge.) He's been in the tank for over 9 months and has done pretty well, but I noticed the tips of his legs were starting to turn white. From the research I've done and reading threads here on R2R showing them disintegrating, I fear this may be the start of his eventual death. I tried to get a quick picture but it's a bit white/blurry. I can try to get a better picture of the white spots if needed. He's still moving around the tank but if this is indeed the beginning of the end, I know I need to remove him before he completely disintegrates and pollutes the tank.

 

[Kellie in CA]

Yup. I had the same experience. I won't judge......my 3 year old daughter begged for one until I gave in.

It will take a while before it completely disintegrates, but it's really hard to watch.

 

[AcroNem]

It does appear to be dying, I'm sorry. Most hobbyists don't get 9 months out of them.

 

[muzikalmatt]

Dang. I really hoped that wasn't the case but thanks for confirming it for me. I will keep an eye on him to give him as long as I can, but once he starts taking a turn for the worse I'll go ahead and remove him.

 

[TriggerFinger]

Sorry for your loss @muzikalmatt. I don’t mean to be insensitive but there are red serpent starfish that you could look into. Serpents are more hardy and live a lot longer in our tanks.

 

[muzikalmatt]

Sorry for your loss @muzikalmatt. I don’t mean to be insensitive but there are red serpent starfish that you could look into. Serpents are more hardy and live a lot longer in our tanks.

Thanks Trigger! I appreciate the suggestion as I really do enjoy having the starfish in the tank. He added a nice splash of color and given that he was 6-legged instead of the typical 5, he was fairly unique and fun to watch.

With the serpent star would I have to worry about him potentially going after small fish or inverts (especially feather dusters)? They can get pretty large right?

 

[TriggerFinger]

Yes they do get large. I feed my serpent larger bits of meaty food when I feed the tank; I drop it in her cave. She also catches smaller pieces and pellets and argues with the clean up crew over it. I have not experienced any fish or feather duster casualties but it could be possible if it was starving. Here’s mine at the fish store before I brought it home.

 

[muzikalmatt]

Woah that's awesome! That thing is massive! Would that be too large for my IM Nuvo 40 AIO tank? The display area is about 35ish gallons. Also, I have a yellow watchman goby paired with a pistol shrimp who pretty much live in caves underneath the rock structures. I'd hate to create a territorial dispute. As much as I love the look of this guy, he might be something I'd have to wait until I upgrade to get.

 

[KrisReef]

May as well remove that melting animal now. Dry it out as a reminder for your fiance.
Best of luck (31 years married, probably won't make 32. )

 

[TriggerFinger]

Ya know, I’m not sure...I don’t want to tell you yes and have it turn out badly...mine is in a 90g. For what it’s worth..they mostly stay in their cave. Although, they are taken from the bajillion gallon ocean so are any of our tanks really big enough??