Anemone killed/dead by starfish?

[Daimyo68]

Short intro: Picked up this 46g bowfront setup 2 weeks ago. 1 Anemone, 2 Banded Clownfish (Dark Color), 1 Chocolate Chip Starfish, 1 Sea Urchin and 1 Porcupine Puffer. Marineland Emporer 400 filter. This setup was in an office for 1 1/2 years, that went out of business, I got it dirt cheap. I also added a wet/dry filter last week (8 days ago), with no ill effects. All water param's good except for Nitrate, 160+. I have since been doing water changes to lower the nitrates, as well as been scouring the web for alternatives to help bring them down. Last water change was on Tuesday evening, 15 gallons.


Now the issue:
So this morning I get up and check the tank before heading out to work. I notice that where my Anemone has always been is now occupied by the Chocolate Chip Starfish.

So I look around the tank and did not see him, ok let me move the starfish and see if he's there. He was there but fully closed, and about 1.5 inches showing from out of the sand almost like a bulb. I look under the tank and see that he is still attached in his normal spot. A quick search on the web, and I come to the conclusion that he may be getting rid of waste. Ok, I'll check again when I get home.

10 hours later, Starfish in the same general location, and now the Anemone has all but disappeared. He is no longer attached to the bottom of the tank, and is now almost completely out of eyesight under a rock.

I again move the Starfish, and this time I notice on the bottom of the Starfish an almost "mucus" type of substance. Has my Starfish killed my Anemone?

Edit: As I was writing this up, I was going back and forth to the tank to best describe what I am seeing. The Starfish has now moved and is on the move as usual, and there is no more "mucus" type substance on the bottom of him.

I can see the anemone under the rock. There is "cobweb/mucus" type substance around the anemone and the rock where he is, but not completely encasing the area.

Only other things I noticed tonight was a greenish algae? on the glass. I do have some hair algae in the tank, and a skimmer on the way.

I've taken some pictures (2 from when I got the tank) to help describe what I am seeing. (I have the high res if needed)

1st day:

Today

 

[zaraemna]

It might have been trying to eat something the anemone was expelling as waste. The anemone doesn't look like it was very healthy to strart with. It shouldn't be clear like that. I have a chocolate chip star fish in a tank full of anemones and haven't ever seen it trying to eat one. Your anemone may be unable to defend itself because of a lack of energy too. Sometimes when anemones are bleached they can't sting anymore and aren't sticky.

 

[Daimyo68]

I'm thinking his color and health are due to the high levels of Nitrate.

The setup, I'm assuming, was being taken care of by the people in the office, and was in poor condition when I got it, filthy glass, water parameters all over the place.

I'm hoping to save it with the water changes, and other means. For the price I got it for, even if it were to crash (hopefully not), I will still have made out good for the tank and stand.

 

[stykthyn]

choc chip starfish are not reef safe! they will eat your nem. i have found that out thbe hard way. btw that is a saddleback clown. not a two band.

 

[clowns101]

IMO chip satrs are the very worst stars to have.Yes they have their places in the hobby but not in a reef tank!

 

[HookedonReef17]

I also lost my nice rose anem. Cause of a choc star. Because my gf liked the way the star looked and at the time i didn't know any better. The next day i just gave the star away. Never again!!

 

[Daimyo68]

Well the Anemone is out from under the rock, and actually on the move. I'm assuming he is looking for a new location, but it's late now and the lights are out. Perhaps tomorrow when the lights turn on he will pick a spot.

He hasn't "come out of his shell", but he is alive and seems to be ok.

As far as the starfish in the tank with him, I am going to say that they get along ok. Like I mentioned, the previous owner had this tank setup for 1.5 years with the same livestock.

Thanks for the replies everyone. :fun2:

/D

 

[clowns101]

IMO whould just watch the star and see what happens.When you say "He hasn't "come out of his shell", but he is alive and seems to be ok." What do you mean by "hasn't came out of his shell"?The anemone is still retracted or what?

Also when you got this tank did you mix and add the water then live stock or did you leave the water the tank came with and done a water change.

 

[Daimyo68]

"Hasn't come out of his shell" - He still hasn't expanded completely. Last night he was about 3 inches in length, and his "tentacles" were still just barely exposed. Today he has moved from his normal location. Seems like he is looking for a new home. I've attached a picture of where he was last night and where he is now as well as how he looks. (He's at the back of the tank so I can't get great pictures)

As far as the water - When I first brought the setup home, we saved almost all of the original water, less about 3 gallons that was lost. I left him in the tank because he was attached to the bottom, and left enough water in the tank for the move so that he would not be exposed for the trip. (about 10 miles).

I then put in all of the original water less the 3 gallons and let the tank run for a few days so as to not stress the tank any more than it was from the move.

I have since done 2 water changes, 15 gallons each time. I think that I am going to up the number of changes to 2 a week until I get the nitrates down, and proper filtration for the system.

Last Night

This Morning

 

[clowns101]

He is still hanging in!I say just let him be and see how things go.Did the person you bought this tank from say what type of anemoen sit is?It looks like a Macrodacly Dorinesis!

 

[HookedonReef17]

He is still hanging in!I say just let him be and see how things go.Did the person you bought this tank from say what type of anemoen sit is?It looks like a Macrodacly Dorinesis!

I second that! Good luck.

 

[Daimyo68]

Well I just came home, and the Starfish was all over him again...grrr

I'm going to put the starfish in "jail" (separate tank) and see if the anemone survives. fingers crossed. How long should I give him before saying goodbye?

Weird, that for 2 weeks the starfish was seen several times near the anemone, but never on him, and then overnight, he thinks he's dinner.

As for the previous owner, he had no clue at all what what in his tank. The guy that was there at the office when I purchased the tank was not the owner, and knew about as much as he did. I'm assuming that the tank was setup by LFS, and maintained also to some extent.

/D

 

[Daimyo68]

This morning he has moved onto another rock but I have a better angle at his other side.

99% of his tentacles are gone, he is torn in 1 spot that I can see.

Last night i could see his entire mouth open wide, but no signs of tentacles.

Sadly, I think I need to remove him. Better to do that than have him start, if he is indeed almost dead, pollute the entire tank.

 

[stykthyn]

This morning he has moved onto another rock but I have a better angle at his other side.

99% of his tentacles are gone, he is torn in 1 spot that I can see.

Last night i could see his entire mouth open wide, but no signs of tentacles.

Sadly, I think I need to remove him. Better to do that than have him start, if he is indeed almost dead, pollute the entire tank.

good idea. I hate to say itm but from the original pics it looked bleached anyway.
other than brittlestars, starfish have no place in a reef tank.

 

[Daimyo68]

I just pulled him out of the tank, he didn't have the horrible odor associated with dying, was firm but not a rock and not mushy like jello.

I put him in the quarantine tank, and put the starfish back into the main tank, and will have a look at him tonight when I get home from work.

Maybe there is hope, but I don't wanna take a chance.

 

[BonsaiNut]

Tough to know where to start here...

First, as others have pointed out, chocolate chip stars are omnivorous feeders, and will eat just about anything if they can get to it, including molluscs, crustaceans, corals, fish, and anemones. They are safe only for fish-only tanks.

Second, your anemone is bleached and starving to death. It is not getting enough light and is consuming its own body tissues to stay alive. The only chance it has is to give it to someone who has a system adequate to keep LTA's (i.e. sand bottom, metal halide lighting, etc).

This is going to sound harsh and you may hate me for saying it, but please research the needs of your critters before you buy them.

 

[BonsaiNut]

I want to edit my above post because after reading it, it sounds too harsh to me.

Everyone on this forum is here because they love the ocean and aquatic life. However creating and maintaining a closed environment that allows these creatures to survive and thrive can be extremely challenging. The first step in the process is determining the type of environment you want to create, and being true to this vision. It is too easy to purchase critters that you cannot support, or to mix incompatible species. It is always best to know ahead of time the type of critter you seek, and shop for it, then it is to go to the store and make an impulse purchase, and then try to figure out care after the fact.

 

[Flightpipe]

What lights do you have on this setup? He is not looking to good in those last pics any up date and how are you coming with your water parameters?

Not to flame you but how many times does the CC star have to try to eat the nem before you decide that it is actually TRYING to eating the anemone?

 

[Daimyo68]

I don't mind critisism at all, and will admit that I myself would be the first to step up and say something when it needs to be said, but I will say first, and make sure to read this before you go off. But I speciifcally stated in the first post of this thread, that I recently purchased this setup, and everything in the tank was there when I brought it home

I would definately not get mad at someone who tells me I made a mistake, and due to my actions, there has been a deadly consequence to a living organism. I have been here on the forums and other sources on the web seeking information so that I make the right decisions in correcting the problems that this tank is experiencing..

I am trying to correct all of the issues with this tank that the previous owner/caretaker made. I did not know myself that the starfish and anemone would be in conflict, and have, since reading the responses here, moved him to a seperate tank, and especially being that the previous owner has had this setup for 1.5 yrs with all the same livestock. Maybe he lied, I don't know. I can only assume that the tank really fell into neglect in the last month/s due to the fact that the water level was down approx 10g, the office it was in was deserted except for a few chairs and due to the fact that the tank glass was almost grown over with algae.

Again, don't take my response the wrong way, I appreciate your response and knowledge, but please critisize me for the right reasons.

I did move the anemone out of the main tank this morning, and put the starfish back into it. I will post back tonight and with his condition, and look forward to hearing what everyone has to say about it.

 

[Daimyo68]

Flightpipe, sry missed ur post while writing my last one.I'm at work atm, and just finishing lunch to go back.

Will reply when I get home.

Thanks