Who is eating my starfish!?!

[CheyenneL]

We are new to reef tanks and have a Clarkii Clown, Black Blenny, Mandarin Goby and Fire Clown along with a clean up crew including a Banded Coral Shrimp and a Red Thorny Sea Star. It all started when we added the African Biscuit Star and found the Red Thorny on top of him eating him. We assumed the Red Thorny had done the deed and killed him and rehomed the Red Thorny to save my Serpant Star. Woke up this morning to my Serpant Star half eaten with no culprit in sight. Could my Blenny be eating my Starfish? He is a vivacious eating but gets fed twice a day with flakes and brine shrimp. Any help in the possibly culprit?

 

[Jekyl]

Welcome to R2R!

Can't help on current question but I'm sure someone will chime in soon.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

We are new to reef tanks and have a Clarkii Clown, Black Blenny, Mandarin Goby and Fire Clown along with a clean up crew including a Banded Coral Shrimp and a Red Thorny Sea Star. It all started when we added the African Biscuit Star and found the Red Thorny on top of him eating him. We assumed the Red Thorny had done the deed and killed him and rehomed the Red Thorny to save my Serpant Star. Woke up this morning to my Serpant Star half eaten with no culprit in sight. Could my Blenny be eating my Starfish? He is a vivacious eating but gets fed twice a day with flakes and brine shrimp. Any help in the possibly culprit?

Welcome to Reef2Reef and sorry for your troubles!

It's incredibly unlikely that any of your fish or shrimp would be eating healthy stars. Do you have any pics of the dead/dying stars?

 

[Jekyl]

@ISpeakForTheSeas any help here by chance?

 

[Rjukan]

I'd be wary of the CBS

 

[Lavey29]

Starfish are delicate creatures that don't do well in new tanks. They should only be added to very established systems and even then are hard to sustain long term. Your fish are not eating live starfish. My banded shrimp never bothered them either.

 

[CheyenneL]

Welcome to Reef2Reef and sorry for your troubles!

It's incredibly unlikely that any of your fish or shrimp would be eating healthy stars. Do you have any pics of the dead/dying stars?

This was my serpent star this morning. We noticed he had a small amount missing last night but was still alive this morning he had much more taken from him and had passed. The African Biscuit was missing more of his middle disc and a whole leg had been taken off.

 

[CheyenneL]

Starfish are delicate creatures that don't do well in new tanks. They should only be added to very established systems and even then are hard to sustain long term. Your fish are not eating live starfish.

I had the Red Thorny Star for over a month before this happened and my African Biscuit Star had a leg removed which my shrimp found and very much appreciated. I don’t understand how if it is water quality that they are getting their legs pulled and middle disc presumably eaten in half.

 

[CheyenneL]

Could it be that the Starfish were actually not doing as well as they appeared and the others just took advantage of a slowly dying meal?

 

[Uncle99]

Could it be that the Starfish were actually not doing as well as they appeared and the others just took advantage of a slowly dying meal?

Yup

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

How's the biscuit star now?

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

Nothing you can do at this point unfortunately...

 

[Lavey29]

I had the Red Thorny Star for over a month before this happened and my African Biscuit Star had a leg removed which my shrimp found and very much appreciated. I don’t understand how if it is water quality that they are getting their legs pulled and middle disc presumably eaten in half.

I've had an orange starfish and a serpent like yours for multiple years now with 12 fish, banded shrimp, etc... with no aggression issues but like anything in nature if the animal is dead or very weak dying then something else may take advantage of an easy meal.

How old is your tank?

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

The "red thorny Star" probably is very hungry and since they're generalist feeders it's not unbelievable that it saw the other starfish as easy prey...

 

[CheyenneL]

How's the biscuit star now?

He unfortunately passed. We quarantined him in a breeder enclosure hoping he’d make it but slowly started deteriorating over a few days.

 

[twentyleagues]

I have found in the past with serpent stars even in well-established tanks you need to direct feed them from time to time, I had 3 in 2 tanks a piece of seafood once or twice a week is well appreciated. As for other types of stars they are harder and only well-established large tanks are needed even then its a gamble. Stars that exist on biofilm are hard to care for properly.

 

[CheyenneL]

I've had an orange starfish and a serpent like yours for multiple years now with 12 fish, banded shrimp, etc... with no aggression issues but like anything in nature if the animal is dead or very weak dying then something else may take advantage of an easy meal.

How old is your tank?

Our tank is around 2 months old and has gone through its cycle with the brown algae. After reading everyone’s comments I think we preemptively added the starfish before our tank was well enough established.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

I'd be very worried about the mandarin if your tank is only 2 months old...they eat a TON of copepods. How big is the tank?

 

[twentyleagues]

Our tank is around 2 months old and has gone through its cycle with the brown algae. After reading everyone’s comments I think we preemptively added the starfish before our tank was well enough established.

Red thorny sea stars are not considered reef safe and will eat other stars, clams, coral as they grow.
The biscuit star is a biofilm grazer.
The serpent star will eat meaty foods and is considered reef safe with caution.

 

[CheyenneL]

I'd be very worried about the mandarin if your tank is only 2 months old...they eat a TON of copepods. How big is the tank?

36gal Is that something that can be bought for supplemental feeding? We were told he’d be fine on brine shrimp from the lady we bought pretty much our whole tank from.