starfish problem

[Saltwater_Reefing]

I have a sand shifting starfish and overnight it lost a big chunk in its leg. I have 2 snowflake clowns, 1 yellow watchman goby, 1 pistol shrimp, 1 emerald crab and 11 snails.

 

[Stephen8169301]

I have a sand shifting starfish and overnight it lost a big chunk in its leg. I have 2 snowflake clowns, 1 yellow watchman goby, 1 pistol shrimp, 1 emerald crab and 11 snails.

Possibly the pistol shrimp considering they dig also #fishmedic

 

[Saltwater_Reefing]

Possibly the pistol shrimp considering they dig also #fishmedic

could it be the pistol shrimp isn't getting enough food, I feed every other day and I feed this home made fish food from the local store.

 

[MischiefReef]

Some pictures would help to diagnose. My suspicion would rest on the emerald crab or pistol shrimp. There are also certain bacterial strains that cause starfish to detach their limbs (highly rare in home aquaria)

 

[Stephen8169301]

could it be the pistol shrimp isn't getting enough food, I feed every other day and I feed this home made fish food from the local store.

Possibly I spot feed my crab everyday so he doesn’t attack anything never trust a crab

 

[Saltwater_Reefing]

Possibly I spot feed my crab everyday so he doesn’t attack anything never trust a crab

can I just feed my normal home made food from the store, It has different stuff in it, both fish and the corals eat the stuff.

 

[Saltwater_Reefing]

Some pictures would help to diagnose. My suspicion would rest on the emerald crab or pistol shrimp. There are also certain bacterial strains that cause starfish to detach their limbs (highly rare in home aquaria)

 

[vetteguy53081]

This often happens when star is stressed from low or high salinity, high temperature (best at 76-78), starvation and even high nitrates. Dont use cheap test kits for these guys.

 

[Saltwater_Reefing]

This often happens when star is stressed from low or high salinity, high temperature (best at 76-78), starvation and even high nitrates. Dont use cheap test kits for these guys.

77.9 degrees right now, 1.025 salinity

 

[vetteguy53081]

77.9 degrees right now, 1.025 salinity

Nirate is my larger concern as well as food supply

 

[Saltwater_Reefing]

Nirate is my larger concern as well as food supply

what could I feed it, the same stuff as my fish and corals?

 

[vetteguy53081]

what could I feed it, the same stuff as my fish and corals?

Frozen shrimp , Krill, Clam, mussels, as well as grazing throughout the tank, Occasionally they will eat flakes, and pellets.

 

[Saltwater_Reefing]

Frozen shrimp , Krill, Clam, mussels, as well as grazing throughout the tank, Occasionally they will eat flakes, and pellets.

when I feed the frozen mixture should I try to squirt it close to it's mouth?

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

what could I feed it, the same stuff as my fish and corals?

My sand sifting starfish suggestions:

I'd try something like clam, oyster, etc. and/or snail meat (you can find various frozen/live marine snails to try online, including conch meat, periwinkle snails, babylonian snails, etc.)

The quote below is specifically geared toward Astropecten spp. (predatory) sand sifting stars, but there is another genus of sand sifting stars called Archaster that is thought (importantly the diet was inferred, not studied in the research that this diet was pulled from) to be detritivorous (specifically, they are thought to be microphagous detritivores). I have heard but cannot confirm that Archaster spp. misidentified as Astropecten spp. may be more common in the hobby than actual Astropecten spp. are.

So, with this in mind:
- If your star is detritivorous (which may be a very big if), then you would likely want smaller foods than the suggested below (which is designed for predatory sand sifters). In this case, I'd suggest trying to mix something like TDO Chroma Boost into the sand for your stars to find.
- If your star is predatory (which may to our limited knowledge be possible at this point even if it is an Archaster sp.), then the below advice (and my advice above) is more likely to be useful.
- If your star is actually primarily a biofilm eater like Linckia spp. Protoreaster nodosus, etc. (which may also to our limited knowledge be possible for an Archaster sp.), then it's likely to die regardless of what you do or don't feed it at this point.

I’ve heard they climb the glass when they’re looking for food and can’t find any in the sand bed.

Generally, people recommend large tanks and waiting until your tank is established before trying these (or pretty much any) sea stars, and the star survives on detritus in the tank. Unfortunately, even in a lot of these tanks, after they finish clearing the detritus from the sand, they typically starve.

My current advice to avoid the star staving - which may or may not help, I genuinely don't know at this point (it could take someone months to years of testing it to find out for certain, as sea stars can last months without food):
Target feed the star things like clam on half shell, oyster, mussel, scallop, etc. (bivalves); snail, whelk, conch, etc. (sea snail gastropods); and a good quality omnivore food (like LRS Reef Frenzy or Fertility Frenzy). These are - according to the best sources of information I can find - the sorts of foods sand sifting stars consume in the wild, and the star should swallow these foods whole if they aren't too big - you might need to experiment a bit with the size of the pieces offered to get it sized just right, but generally I'd say err on the smaller side.

If you decide to give it a shot, let me know how it goes, and keep me updated on the long term survival of the star!

 

[vetteguy53081]

when I feed the frozen mixture should I try to squirt it close to it's mouth?

You can

 

[Saltwater_Reefing]

My sand sifting starfish suggestions:

I have had the star fish now for 4 months.

 

[melhe]

Mine too lost a leg 3 days ago. Crazy thing is both leg and the crippled star fish are alive . The leg is climbing on the glass wall without head . Freaking me out

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Mine too lost a leg 3 days ago. Crazy thing is both leg and the crippled star fish are alive . The leg is climbing on the glass wall without head . Freaking me out

That's actually a method of asexual reproduction for many sea stars - it's called fissiparous reproduction. If the leg drops off and is clearly not alive, then that indicates a problem. If the leg's alive, though, then it may grow into a new starfish ("Asterina" stars - actually Aquilonastra stars - use this as their primary method of reproduction in our tanks).

 

[melhe]

That's actually a method of asexual reproduction for many sea stars - it's called fissiparous reproduction. If the leg drops off and is clearly not alive, then that indicates a problem. If the leg's alive, though, then it may grow into a new starfish ("Asterina" stars - actually Aquilonastra stars - use this as their primary method of reproduction in our tanks).

Really ? So pleased to hear that . I thought some fish bite it off. so I Just left it inside tank waiting for other fish to finish it off . It looked quite meaty , can be Enough for a good meal for a couple of bigger fish . Then the leg started to walk and move on its own all over the places . Fish have no interest to eat it . Now it’s still on the glass without head . Really creepy

 

[piscesgirl]

Really ? So pleased to hear that . I thought some fish bite it off. so I Just left it inside tank waiting for other fish to finish it off . It looked quite meaty , can be Enough for a good meal for a couple of bigger fish . Then the leg started to walk and move on its own all over the places . Fish have no interest to eat it . Now it’s still on the glass without head . Really creepy

I had a chicken like that once