Something attacked serpent starfish?

[dmmitchell]

Something went after the serpent starfish in my Biocube 29 last night. His central part is half ripped open. He’s still actively moving so I’m hopeful he might heal.

Any idea what would do this? I have tiny hermit crabs and snails, a short spined black urchin, rock flower anemones and just a couple of fish in the tank so far - a royal gamma and a reef chromis. Still at the early stage of stocking it.

Trying to figure out what hurt it so I can separate them.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Firstly, I see aptasia anemones in pic which sting and should be eliminated. Kalkwasser mixed into a paste and injected into them will rid of them.
Other than urchin which MAY be a possibility, what else do you have in tank?
Harlequin shrimp will do this as will coral banded and at times peppermint shrimp. Also bumble bee snails

 

[dmmitchell]

Thanks foe the tip about the aiptasia. I’ll tackle them right away. Still a beginner and learning as I go.

All that’s in the tank is in my list above. No large shrimp - no shrimp at all in fact. Just tiny hermit crabs and snails, six rock flower anemones of varying sizes, and the Gamma and Chromis, the Urchin and the Serpent. The starfish is my favorite so I’m already annoyed.

Any chance he can heal up? He’s still quite active and moved away when I touched him.

Think it’s wise to move the Urchin out to another tank? I have a 20 gal with just two hawkfish in it.

 

[jcasiglia]

I'm curious if you ever figured this out, I just had the same thing happen in by BioCube 32, also with a serpent star. I have some urchins, a blue tang, and a clown, along with some blue leg crabs.

 

[dmmitchell]

My best guess is the urchin. There’s just nothing else in the tank that could have caused that sort of damage.

Later the same day I caught a hermit crab eating at the wound. Ended up moving the serpent starfish into a near empty 10 gallon tank to heal up. It’s still red, still moving, I’m hoping for the best.

 

[tbaum101]

I've lost 2 to the same thing. On that list, at the time I had peppermint shrimp and bumblebee snails. Something at the central body out in the middle