What’s wrong with my starfish?
- Thread starter KJones90s
- Start date
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LobsterOfJustice
Valuable Member
How long have you had it? Starfish can start falling apart several weeks after introduction due to mishandling during transport or stress during acclimation. If you’ve had it for several months, I would guess some kind of physical trauma / damage.
Bryson.bobby
Valuable Member
It doesn’t look too bad. Here’s a thread on mine when it had a huge gash and it healed up great.
Gash on serpent starfish.
https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?sh...ash-on-serpent-starfish..604748/&share_type=t
Gash on serpent starfish.
https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?sh...ash-on-serpent-starfish..604748/&share_type=t
have you tried feeding it any food? some times this can happen to starfish after acclimation due to change in parameters too quickly. I have had stars lose legs before and not perish and they regenerate the leg. Keep water parameters stable and maybe try feeding it some meaty foods every few days over the next few weeks and see what happens. FWIW the white doesn't look too concerning right now so long it doesn't get worse.
Bryson.bobby
Valuable Member
Did you check out the thread I posted? That’s proof that they’re very resilient and that you probably won’t need to worry...
Bryson.bobby
Valuable Member
I hope so too! Just make sure it continues to eat. If (god forbid) it stops eating because it can’t move it’s arms, try to ‘shove’ the food into its mouth.
I was thinking about putting him in my refugium so that my peppermint shrimp don’t pick at him, I saw them picking at him a few days ago but lately they seem to have left him alone.
Good idea or no?
I don’t have a quarantine tank...
You can do that if need be and if you won't damage him further. Starfish can take a long time to regenerate a leg or other tissue. It does look more concerning bc its closer to its disc, but I would still wait things out and not do anything too drastic. FWIW I hate peppermint shrimp I feel like they're the devil lol. I would remove them first before the starfish
Yea I’ve been thinking about getting rid of them ever since they are my brand new hammer Coral.
I fear removing them will be a lot of work though.
They usually stay pretty buried in my rockwork.
I have some NPS corals, they steal the food from them. I had a few aptasia and they decided the liked the food I fed better and didn't do anything to the aptasia. I fed less they destroyed my hammer and torch corals. Trapped them and sumped them
Bryson.bobby
Valuable Member
Based off my experience, I would let nature run its course. If it stops eating try to “shove” the food into its mouth.
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