Red star fish! Shrinking!

micheleshell · Mar 3, 2023

Why is my star fish shrinking? It has this white slimey stringy stuff hanging off of it.

ISpeakForTheSeas · Mar 4, 2023

Pics under white light are generally helpful, but it sounds like your star may be dying - they tend to basically disintegrate when they die in our aquariums.

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

micheleshell · Mar 4, 2023

Thank you. This is my second one and my water is exactly where it’s supposed to be. I’ve come to conclusion these sea stars are not meant for my reef tank.

ISpeakForTheSeas · Mar 4, 2023

micheleshell said:
Thank you. This is my second one and my water is exactly where it’s supposed to be. I’ve come to conclusion these sea stars are not meant for my reef tank.

Yeah, most tropical sea stars really don’t do well in our tanks yet, as they’re either coral-eaters or biofilm-eaters (which we can’t feed effectively yet).

exnisstech · Mar 4, 2023

I have not kept one because most of what I have read says they have special requirements to keep them from starving to death

micheleshell · Mar 4, 2023

ISpeakForTheSeas said:
Yeah, most tropical sea stars really don’t do well in our tanks yet, as they’re either coral-eaters or biofilm-eaters (which we can’t feed effectively yet).

livinlifeinBKK · Mar 4, 2023

Well, i beg to differ...most people shouldn't be keeping them but there are success stories and i think my research study provided some relatively sound evidence to support that. It isn't luck either.

micheleshell · Mar 4, 2023

livinlifeinBKK said:
Well, i beg to differ...most people shouldn't be keeping them but there are success stories and i think my research study provided some relatively sound evidence to support that. It isn't luck either.

livinlifeinBKK · Mar 4, 2023

You forgot to include the reply part...

micheleshell · Mar 4, 2023

Well maybe it’s something I’m doing wrong. Either way, I haven’t had success and I am not going to purchase anymore. I don’t want anymore dying because of me.

livinlifeinBKK · Mar 4, 2023

micheleshell said:
Well maybe it’s something I’m doing wrong. Either way, I haven’t had success and I am not going to purchase anymore. I don’t want anymore dying because of me.

That's probably for the best then...

AydenLincoln · Mar 4, 2023

It’s dying/melting away! It could be from diet or lack of target feeding, parameters, or it was a not acclimated properly! Unfortunately once it gets to this point 99% don’t recover.