Starfish legs falling off!

[Chortanator]

This started happening last night. No changes in parameters. No nitrates, no ammonia. Salinity 1.024. He has been fine in the tank for 2 months. All other fish OK.

 

[El_Guapo13]

How long has the tank been setup?

What other livestock is in the tank? Maybe something has been getting agressive with him?

 

[Chortanator]

tank has been set up since july. only fish in the tank are a pair of clowns that keep to themselves. rest of the livestock are snails, urchin, sea apple

 

[NanoDJS]

Starfish have been doing this recently , they call it zombie legs. And I am not making this up .. I just saw a documentary on it.

 

[Chortanator]

I saw a youtube video on it! But I thought it only happened to starfish in the wild

 

[El_Guapo13]

Starfish have been doing this recently , they call it zombie legs. And I am not making this up .. I just saw a documentary on it.

Really? That sounds bad. Is it a disease, or like a genetic defect or something?

 

[NanoDJS]

Its called starfish wasting disease , and unfortunately almost all SF in the hobby come from the wild anyhow.

 

[Auquanut]

I've tried to keep Red Tile Starfish twice. The first time was when the tank was a few months old. It lasted maybe 3 months and then wasted away exactly like yours is doing. I waited about another 6 months and tried again. The next one lasted considerably longer, but succumbed to the same fate.

I've read that they are very hard to keep long term. Especially in younger systems. As their feeding habits are not fully understood, they can eventually starve. This is strictly what I've read and experienced. Don't know if there is any science behind it. Now that my tank is much more mature, I'd like to try again. Just don't think I have the heart to kill another starfish. Hopefully someone with more info/experience will chime in.

 

[Billdogg]

I've tried to keep Red Tile Starfish twice. The first time was when the tank was a few months old. It lasted maybe 3 months and then wasted away exactly like yours is doing. I waited about another 6 months and tried again. The next one lasted considerably longer, but succumbed to the same fate.

I've read that they are very hard to keep long term. Especially in younger systems. As their feeding habits are not fully understood, they can eventually starve. This is strictly what I've read and experienced. Don't know if there is any science behind it. Now that my tank is much more mature, I'd like to try again. Just don't think I have the heart to kill another starfish. Hopefully someone with more info/experience will chime in.

^^^This^^^

Sadly, just another creature best left in the ocean.

IMHO, the only stars truly suitable for most aquariums are in the serpent and brittle star families. Well, and asterinas, but some will tell you that they are actually bad for your system. Personally, I've never had an issue with them.

 

[CasaReefer]

Has had a Sand Sifting Star for 3 months now he seems to be doing O.K has grown some even...

 

[Saltyreef]

I had a red fromia starfish for about a year. It eventually started falling apart. Granted the tank had no nutrients during his tenure but he was happy and active while he lasted.

 

[Chortanator]

At least I know it's not anything I'm doing wrong. I'm curious as to how they eat, I have target-fed phyto, pods, mysis. Always give my tank lots of phytoplankton because they are mostly inverts and my sea apple needs to eat a lot of it.

 

[ca1ore]

It’s quite simply starvation. Not enough for them to eat so after a few weeks to months they just start to disintegrate.

 

[ca1ore]

At least I know it's not anything I'm doing wrong.

Well other than collectively none of us should be buying them so that importers stop bringing them in. I was able to sustain a small red fromia star in my 450 for almost a year, but ultimately it disintegrated. They look ‘fine’ almost to the end then they quickly go. Not again for me!

 

[Chortanator]

Agreed! Ignorance on my part. I won't buy any more of these guys. I hate seeing them deteriorate like this

 

[Auquanut]

Agreed! Ignorance on my part. I won't buy any more of these guys. I hate seeing them deteriorate like this

Don't beat yourself up. We've all been there. It took me twice to figure it out.

 

[mattzang]

brittle stars ftw!

unfortunately mine is securely lodged in a rock so i only get to see tips of feet every so often

it's a real bummer the linkia/fromias just don't do well, they're such awesome little creatures

 

[rkpetersen]

Ditto everyone else's experience.
The longest I've been able to keep any Fromia species star has been about a year.
Same with Linkias.
Serpent stars, on the other hand, do just fine.