Hi all,
Unfortunately my 4 day old Blue star was found dead stuck head first in some rocks this morning. I had to use some long tweezers and some force to get it out.
Wanted to get some opinions on what could have happened. All other fish in the tank are healthy and eating voraciously. The leopard itself seemed pretty healthy in the days prior. When it went into the display tank, it did not hide for days as can happen. Actually came out the first day, and I fed it live brine. Later it ate frozen mysis without issue. It would peruse the rock and sandbed looking for critters. No external signs of illness, and while I can't be sure it didn't have parasites, it didn't look emancipated. In short, it was active and eating. It would dive in the sand during the afternoon but would always re-emerge so I took that as normal behavior. Yesterday it did not emerge. Today I found it dead wedged in the rocks.
Could it have wedged itself in some rock and got stuck? It's head was really in there, it took effort with the tweezers to pry him out. When I did get him out, no visible sign of illness or harm (besides the tweezers marks on its body.....sorry for being so macabre). Would welcome any opinions. Usually I hear these guys slowly decline and lay on the sand, usually from starvation. But it was active and eating the days prior.
65 gallon
Bubble Magus 3ex skimmer
fuge with chaeto only
LPS and softy mix, all corals doing fine
Red bubble tip anemone, looking healthy, I view this guy as the canary in the coal mine for water issues
1.025g
phosphate .05ppm
alkalinity 7-8 dkh
Unfortunately my 4 day old Blue star was found dead stuck head first in some rocks this morning. I had to use some long tweezers and some force to get it out.
Wanted to get some opinions on what could have happened. All other fish in the tank are healthy and eating voraciously. The leopard itself seemed pretty healthy in the days prior. When it went into the display tank, it did not hide for days as can happen. Actually came out the first day, and I fed it live brine. Later it ate frozen mysis without issue. It would peruse the rock and sandbed looking for critters. No external signs of illness, and while I can't be sure it didn't have parasites, it didn't look emancipated. In short, it was active and eating. It would dive in the sand during the afternoon but would always re-emerge so I took that as normal behavior. Yesterday it did not emerge. Today I found it dead wedged in the rocks.
Could it have wedged itself in some rock and got stuck? It's head was really in there, it took effort with the tweezers to pry him out. When I did get him out, no visible sign of illness or harm (besides the tweezers marks on its body.....sorry for being so macabre). Would welcome any opinions. Usually I hear these guys slowly decline and lay on the sand, usually from starvation. But it was active and eating the days prior.
65 gallon
Bubble Magus 3ex skimmer
fuge with chaeto only
LPS and softy mix, all corals doing fine
Red bubble tip anemone, looking healthy, I view this guy as the canary in the coal mine for water issues
1.025g
phosphate .05ppm
alkalinity 7-8 dkh