Star fish and diamond goby

[NewbieC123]

Hey Team,

I was gone today and got home and my star fish was falling apart. I have had him for around 4-5 months. My tank has been running Fallow for the last 76 days(I had a velvet outbreak that wiped out all my fish). I added a QT diamond goby last week. He has been eating great but I have not seen him the last 24 hours. Parameters are good. My salt was slightly high (1.026). Ammonia .10, ph 8, nitrate 5, nitrite 0, alk 158, calcium 450, mag 1445, phosphate .5.
I have a red sea 350 and just did a 30 gallon water change after I saw the star fish. The water parameters I tested before the change. I also fed coral, crabs,
and shrimp while running Fallow.

Any ideas a what could be going on?

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Hey Team,

I was gone today and got home and my star fish was falling apart. I have had him for around 4-5 months. My tank has been running Fallow for the last 76 days(I had a velvet outbreak that wiped out all my fish). I added a QT diamond goby last week. He has been eating great but I have not seen him the last 24 hours. Parameters are good. My salt was slightly high (1.026). Ammonia .10, ph 8, nitrate 5, nitrite 0, alk 158, calcium 450, mag 1445, phosphate .5.
I have a red sea 350 and just did a 30 gallon water change after I saw the star fish. The water parameters I tested before the change. I also fed coral, crabs,
and shrimp while running Fallow.

Any ideas a what could be going on?

Most likely starvation for the starfish (tropical stars don't generally do well in our tanks; we don't know how to feed them properly).

The goby may be hiding, but is there anyway it could have jumped out, gone into the overflow/equipment/plumbing, etc.? Was it showing any symptoms of any issues (fast breathing, torn fins, pinched belly, etc.)?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hey Team,

I was gone today and got home and my star fish was falling apart. I have had him for around 4-5 months. My tank has been running Fallow for the last 76 days(I had a velvet outbreak that wiped out all my fish). I added a QT diamond goby last week. He has been eating great but I have not seen him the last 24 hours. Parameters are good. My salt was slightly high (1.026). Ammonia .10, ph 8, nitrate 5, nitrite 0, alk 158, calcium 450, mag 1445, phosphate .5.
I have a red sea 350 and just did a 30 gallon water change after I saw the star fish. The water parameters I tested before the change. I also fed coral, crabs,
and shrimp while running Fallow.

Any ideas a what could be going on?

Please post pics under white light intensity as I see what may be dino. Additionally, how are you testing the water quality?
Starfish is stressed which likely started this and may be due to elevated Phosphate and even ammonia. You say the numbers are good but you want ammonia at < .025 and Phos at .05 - .1
mag is getting higher as you want 1300-1400 and salt at 1.026 is acceptable. I suspect some false readings especially if using API test kit

 

[NewbieC123]

It’s always a possibility it jumped. I have dogs so they could have eaten it. He was doing really well. I would spot feed the star fish reef chilli and he would respond by un-peeling from the glass.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

It’s always a possibility it jumped. I have dogs so they could have eaten it. He was doing really well. I would spot feed the star fish reef chilli and he would respond by un-peeling from the glass.

What kind of starfish is it?

 

[NewbieC123]

Most likely starvation for the starfish (tropical stars don't generally do well in our tanks; we don't know how to feed them properly).

The goby may be hiding, but is there anyway it could have jumped out, gone into the overflow/equipment/plumbing, etc.? Was it showing any symptoms of any issues (fast breathing, torn fins, pinched belly, etc.)?

Please post pics under white light intensity as I see what may be dino. Additionally, how are you testing the water quality?
Starfish is stressed which likely started this and may be due to elevated Phosphate and even ammonia. You say the numbers are good but you want ammonia at < .025 and Phos at .05 - .1
mag is getting higher as you want 1300-1400 and salt at 1.026 is acceptable. I suspect some false readings especially if using API test kit

One of the LFS has the API tester all in one tester. Here it is under white light. No idea the type of starfish.

 

[vetteguy53081]

One of the LFS has the API tester all in one tester. Here it is under white light. No idea the type of starfish.

Tank looks too clean for a starfish and I encourage you to take a water sample to a store that does NOT use Api kits and have them test your ammonia and nitrates and compare readings- then you'll know where your levels truly are at

 

[NewbieC123]

I did a big clean last night. But I will do that.

 

[NewbieC123]

@vetteguy53081 do you think I should do a bigger water change? I just did a 30
gallon and have a red sea 350 which is around 90 gallons with sump.

 

[Uncle99]

The goby is an expert at cleaning sand.
The starfish is expert at cleaning sand.
Maybe food just ran out.

In the end, the starfish will starve anyways.

 

[vetteguy53081]

@vetteguy53081 do you think I should do a bigger water change? I just did a 30
gallon and have a red sea 350 which is around 90 gallons with sump.

What you did should be sufficient

 

[MnFish1]

Just a point, starfish are extremely difficult to keep long-term for most reef-keepers. It looks like a type of linkia star - but it's hard to see how big it is, etc. I would carefully watch because they can die/decay quickly. I have seen starfish that are 'starving' literally start 'eating themselves' i.e. disintegrating. They are usually pretty tolerant to conditions, but - in a tank an agree with the rest of the posters suggesting maintaining excellent parameters - and the proper food sources is paramount. I hope he pulls through. Thought unlikely to be 'bullying//attacking' - I would watch for that as well.