Serpent Starfish losing legs like crazy!!!!???

[michaelabellz]

My baby stripped serpent starfish has been losing legs like crazy all today and im freaking out i dont know what to do. My water parameters are all fine (including salt). Ive had this starfish for id say about a week or two now and i dont exactly know how old he is but when i got him he was the smallest out of the group so he must be pretty young. I noticed a small piece of his leg at the corner of the tank this morning and i was alarmed right away so i went searching for him and found about three other pieces of his legs around the tank (it wasnt his full leg just the tips). Once i found him i separated him from the rest of the tank because i assumed it was from the hermit crabs or my mollies, but i just came back from work and more of his legs are gone, his legs are nothing more than little stubs. Ive noticed that the starfish has not been eating at all as ive been trying to feed him shrimp since the second day i had him and he just never cared for it, i just assumed he made himself full from eating around the tank. I feel terrible i dont know how or what to do or how to help him, if anyone has any idea that could possibly help please let me know it would mean the world.

 

[michaelabellz]

 

[ShepherdReefer]

What kind of fish do you have in the tank?

 

[michaelabellz]

What kind of fish do you have in the tank?

I have 2 black mollies. I thought it was the fish at first but he’s been quarantined all day and is still losing legs.

 

[michaelabellz]

This was him before I went to work so about 11 this morning.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Could be poor acclimation or water quality but the number one cause of stars losing legs is low or high salinity and/or high nitrates

 

[michaelabellz]

Could be poor acclimation or water quality but the number one cause of stars losing legs is low or high salinity and/or high nitrates

Yeah I did read on the poor acclimation which is the only thing I can think of which could have been the problem. I did drip acclimate them for an hour but I read some people even go up to 8 hours.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Yeah I did read on the poor acclimation which is the only thing I can think of which could have been the problem. I did drip acclimate them for an hour but I read some people even go up to 8 hours.

I prefer placing specimens in a bucket and adding a cup of water every 15 minutes 6-8 times (2+hours) then test bucket water to assure salinity is equal

 

[kichimark]

I was going to suggest the acclimation could be the issue as well. I have the same star and got it from a pal that was breaking down his tank. He gave it to me but the water it was in was cold when the star came to me. It too lost a leg but regrew after a while in my tank. I am assuming because of the shock.

Is there anything that you can put him in? I would suggest having him in another container with something to hide in so you can easily monitor. If not, try to monitor the best you can (mine hides all the time) and introduce some food with a turkey baster next to his mouth.

 

[michaelabellz]

I was going to suggest the acclimation could be the issue as well. I have the same star and got it from a pal that was breaking down his tank. He gave it to me but the water it was in was cold when the star came to me. It too lost a leg but regrew after a while in my tank. I am assuming because of the shock.

Is there anything that you can put him in? I would suggest having him in another container with something to hide in so you can easily monitor. If not, try to monitor the best you can (mine hides all the time) and introduce some food with a turkey baster next to his mouth.

I do have him in a separate container, he’s been in there since yesterday morning since I found him but he’s still losing pieces of his legs. I tried to feed him a piece of shrimp but he doesn’t care for it at all. What do you feed your serpent? Maybe my guy is just a very picky eater.

 

[michaelabellz]

I prefer placing specimens in a bucket and adding a cup of water every 15 minutes 6-8 times (2+hours) then test bucket water to assure salinity is equal

Okay thank you so much for the advice it means a lot!!

 

[dvgyfresh]

I do have him in a separate container, he’s been in there since yesterday morning since I found him but he’s still losing pieces of his legs. I tried to feed him a piece of shrimp but he doesn’t care for it at all. What do you feed your serpent? Maybe my guy is just a very picky eater.

I have a brittle star and I think he just eats left overs/ algae wafers. The only thing I’ve been able to spotfeed with is frozen mysis and krill, hope that helps

 

[Uncle99]

Looks like something tasted him....or her.

 

[NurseYoyo203]

Check your salinity. They're very sensitive to unstable salinity.

 

[Sabellafella]

My baby stripped serpent starfish has been losing legs like crazy all today and im freaking out i dont know what to do. My water parameters are all fine (including salt). Ive had this starfish for id say about a week or two now and i dont exactly know how old he is but when i got him he was the smallest out of the group so he must be pretty young. I noticed a small piece of his leg at the corner of the tank this morning and i was alarmed right away so i went searching for him and found about three other pieces of his legs around the tank (it wasnt his full leg just the tips). Once i found him i separated him from the rest of the tank because i assumed it was from the hermit crabs or my mollies, but i just came back from work and more of his legs are gone, his legs are nothing more than little stubs. Ive noticed that the starfish has not been eating at all as ive been trying to feed him shrimp since the second day i had him and he just never cared for it, i just assumed he made himself full from eating around the tank. I feel terrible i dont know how or what to do or how to help him, if anyone has any idea that could possibly help please let me know it would mean the world.

I remember reading an article a while back about starfish rejecting their arms( not for reproduction) do to rising water temperatures. Do you have any temperature swings at all, that you know of?

 

[MagicMiller72]

I had a problem in the past with keeping starfish. I now have an 8" Red Bristle and he is happy and healthy. I did not acclimate him as I was shocked to have even seen him. I purchased a live rock and it was placed in a styrofoam box and when I got home he was out of the rock and in the box, so just took him and put him right into my tank, good or bad...my salinity back then was only about 1.021. My current Salinity I run at 1.025 and all my inverts seem to be in love so far...lol

 

[MagicMiller72]

I run my temp around 79-80 degrees now also compared to it used to be 72-73. Everything likes a little warmer water I'm noticing...but not too warm obviously!

 

[MagicMiller72]

What's your Alk?