Serpent starfish lost its limbs

[dib]

I got 2 serpent starfish and now one of them has half its limbs gone. The only other thing in the tank is 2 little hermits.
Is it possible one is attacking the other? Any other ideas what's happening?

 

[Tahoe61]

Have you checked your basic water chemistry, SG, nitrates, ammonia........What color are your serpent stars? Are you offering them food?

 

[gpdno]

How long have you had them? How big of a tank? They need food. I have 6 in my 150gal DT but I over feed and they all run around and grab up the excess the fish miss.

 

[dib]

Its a 20 gallon reef set up about 3 months. I have just corals in it. Not really feeding anything but filter feeder food. They were put in about a week ago. They are a brown color. About 2 inches. Will they eat frozen foods, fish flake.

 

[gpdno]

Mine get fed every day. You might try feeding them pellets directly. Just place some down by the starfish and they should grab and eat them. 3 months is not really long enough for them to be fending for themselves especially if your not feeding any fish. Most are pretty hardy so if you start to target feed them they will likely recover.

 

[Tahoe61]

Yup, feed them.

 

[Naiad]

+1 to the feeding. They will eat their own arms if starving....

 

[dib]

Thanks! Just put a variety of food in for them