Feather star diary...

[AcroNem]

They'll also move a little to find a spot that suits them, having lateral flow just helps. It makes having photosynthetic corals difficult because it's the opposite of what they like, but it's not a big problem.

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

How's the star doing?

 

[Gweeds1980]

How's the star doing?

Today is day 4... all good. He unfurled immediately at first feed this morning and I've seen particles moving down the arms every time I checked today ('working from home' today... lol).

Will post a pic of the food set up later... it's a proper Heath Robinson job!

FTS below... you can see the FS pretty much bang in the middle of the tank.

 

[Gweeds1980]

Day 5... good arm extension, feeding observed and looking good... no arms dropped as yet :)

Following the advice from @AcroNem I have emailed Phyto Plus here in the UK (www.phytoplus.co.uk) to see if they can supply T. weisflogii and T. pseudonana, paracoccus and L-type rotifers.

Awaiting reply.

Couple of pics... not a lot else done today as it's my eldests 8th birthday :)

 

[AcroNem]

Hopefully they can supply some to you. I wouldn't want to know how much shipping would be from the states. The Paracoccus powder seems to be more of a stimulant than anything else, and it doesn't take much. The Diatoms show the best feeding response, and when we were out of them and only feeding our other foods I listed the response was dramatic. Lost tips, limbs, and loss of extension. Started going back to normal a couple days after we had more Diatoms. So far yours is looking healthy still, but it's still new. Either way, thanks for documenting I hope yours is another that is kept for a long duration.

 

[Gweeds1980]

Also ordered some golden pearls 5-50 micron food...

Also found this... worth a punt? Look at this on eBay http://www.ebay.de/itm/222581436746

 

[keddre]

Hopefully they can supply some to you. I wouldn't want to know how much shipping would be from the states. The Paracoccus powder seems to be more of a stimulant than anything else, and it doesn't take much. The Diatoms show the best feeding response, and when we were out of them and only feeding our other foods I listed the response was dramatic. Lost tips, limbs, and loss of extension. Started going back to normal a couple days after we had more Diatoms. So far yours is looking healthy still, but it's still new. Either way, thanks for documenting I hope yours is another that is kept for a long duration.

Question: are diatoms the ugly algae we try to keep out our aquariums? You can feed filter feeders these too?

 

[keddre]

Also ordered some golden pearls 5-50 micron food...

Also found this... worth a punt? Look at this on eBay http://www.ebay.de/itm/222581436746

The only reason I would hesitate on this is because it looks freeze dried (i can't translate on my phone for some reason to read the description) and a wild animal may not eat freeze dried foods. However, the fact that we all believe it is eating frozen food makes me second guess my hesitation. So...i say it's worth a shot.

 

[AcroNem]

Question: are diatoms the ugly algae we try to keep out our aquariums? You can feed filter feeders these too?

Basically. Although saying "Diatoms" covers a pretty wide range of species. The ones we're referring to are free living.

I figured this out while studying research papers on Dendronephthya and Diodogorgia nodulifera, where they stated there was interesting feeding response after wiping down the sides of the tank. But they did NOTHING else about it. They noted a feeding response to Diatoms and continued with their plan of feeding them green phytoplankton and that was it, they starved. So I started Building a system to experiment. I've now seen growth on Dendronephthya (about 6 months now) and Diodogorgia nodulifera (added around the same time) and sustained flame scallops (Lima scabra) and other bivalves while feeding the mix of foods I gave earlier.

I'll write an article on it eventually.

 

[AcroNem]

The only reason I would hesitate on this is because it looks freeze dried (i can't translate on my phone for some reason to read the description) and a wild animal may not eat freeze dried foods. However, the fact that we all believe it is eating frozen food makes me second guess my hesitation. So...i say it's worth a shot.

Cryo-paste algae and live algae still "taste" the same. It's also the particle size that matters, I can't translate it either but as long as it's within the right micron range it's probably worth a try.

 

[keddre]

Basically. Although saying "Diatoms" covers a pretty wide range of species. The ones we're referring to are free living.

I figured this out while studying research papers on Dendronephthya and Diodogorgia nodulifera, where they stated there was interesting feeding response after wiping down the sides of the tank. But they did NOTHING else about it. They noted a feeding response to Diatoms and continued with their plan of feeding them green phytoplankton and that was it, they starved. So I started Building a system to experiment. I've now seen growth on Dendronephthya (about 6 months now) and Diodogorgia nodulifera (added around the same time) and sustained flame scallops (Lima scabra) and other bivalves while feeding the mix of foods I gave earlier.

I'll write an article on it eventually.

You just got added to my follow list and some more research topics got added to my other list [emoji5]

I can't wait to read your paper, and it looks like my flame scallop is getting a new food source put in rotation.

Question I could probably Google: can I just scrape some into a culture vessel with an air hose and liquid silica (i could probably find some if I look) or should I just special older a clean culture. Thanks in advance

 

[AcroNem]

You just got added to my follow list and some more research topics got added to my other list [emoji5]

I can't wait to read your paper, and it looks like my flame scallop is getting a new food source put in rotation.

Question I could probably Google: can I just scrape some into a culture vessel with an air hose and liquid silica (i could probably find some if I look) or should I just special older a clean culture. Thanks in advance

Thank you, I appreciate that. I need to find time to type it all out to put on here.

I don't think you need to go as far as to culture it. I feed the two species that Reed mariculture sells in a paste, and it works just fine. Also with the amount of paste I go through, the amount of live culture you'd use would be ridiculous.

 

[keddre]

Thank you, I appreciate that. I need to find time to type it all out to put on here.

I don't think you need to go as far as to culture it. I feed the two species that Reed mariculture sells in a paste, and it works just fine. Also with the amount of paste I go through, the amount of live culture you'd use would be ridiculous.

Gotcha.

 

[Gweeds1980]

Cryo-paste algae and live algae still "taste" the same. It's also the particle size that matters, I can't translate it either but as long as it's within the right micron range it's probably worth a try.

It's 10-50 micron so falls in the right range. I'll give it a shot.

 

[Gweeds1980]

Ok, I may be jumping the gun here... but I swear the FS has grown two new arms...

I noticed two days ago a space opening up between two arms... this morning there are two 'new' arms in the space!! I've tried to get a pic, but really difficult, best is below. You can just make out the shorter arms in the centre left of the picture, just to the left of the arm which is curling round.

My question is (@AcroNem, any experience of this?) Is this a good thing or not? I would think new arms are good... but as the arms are the way they collect food, could it be a response to not having enough food?

Second question... is this how they grow? Or have I missed an arm being dropped? I've been pretty vigilant so far and checked the tank and sump all over at least 2 or 3 times a day for dropped arms, haven't found any.

 

[Gweeds1980]

To add, I've read that at larval stage, the stars start with a 'normal' number of arms for a starfish (5 maybe) and then develop the feathers by dropping the arms and growing 2 in its place, then repeat.

Does this method of growth continue into adulthood? Ie to grow new arms, they drop one and replace with two?

 

[mort]

There is a chance that it dropped a limb during shipping and what your seeing is a healthy response. To me the fact it is expending the energy to grow new limbs is a good sign. Like other filter feeders it likely wouldn't expand and waste energy, or rebuild, if it didn't think there were sufficient food sources to support it.
dropping limbs helps it reduce the amount of energy used so these likely wouldn't regrow. I don't see why a healthy specimen would need to shed limbs as I don't think they have a used by date, so to speak.

 

[keddre]

Feather stars usually drop arms due to starvation or stress; however, my research so far shows that these rarely grow back in captivity. The fact that your sea star is growing arms could be a great sign that it is happily getting enough food for that operation.

Also for every arm they drop they grow two.

 

[AcroNem]

I agree with what's been said above regarding crinoids losing limbs or tips of limbs due to stress of import and shipping or acclimation. But, what you're seeing under it are actually the "legs" which are the arms it uses to hang onto rocks, there should be 5 of them. Notice how they're curled onto the rock it's on. Unfortunately it isn't growing new limbs (at least not yet) it takes much longer than a week or so to regenerate. Also the arms would grow right alongside the others and would look just like them but smaller. Sorry to be that guy, but that's the answer.

 

[AcroNem]

Obviously this isn't my picture (I'm not at work to take one) but it shows what I'm referring to.