Injured sea star

[rmarc005]

Help! We are beginners at owning a reef tank. We just bought and had set up for us a previously established tank last week. Last night I noticed the green sea star has become lathargic and has developed a hole on the top part of its torso. The shrimp and hermit crabs were attacking it so we isolated it. It seems to still be very much alive. My question is; will it be able to repair this hole and what else should we do for it??

Gina

 

[ChickenCannoneer]

CHECK YOUR TEMP!!!!
This happened to me when my tank over heated to 88F. Mine didnt make it but I really hope you can save your. Let us know how it does. Mine eventually lost its arms whick continued to move around for the next 2 days. HTH, TIm

 

[angelsj247]

seems fine.. just wait and keep testing til eveything is 0

 

[rmarc005]

Thank you! The temperature seems fine,it was kept at 80 degrees and that is what it is now- all my test come out o.k. We had phosphate trouble and I used "Phos Buster" to fix it. I think it put him under too much stress thou. My question is- will he be able to repair the hole in his head? Do I need to treat him with anything to help the process along?

 

[angelsj247]

sorry didnt mean to post here.. somehow it posted in here instead of where i was supposed to post.. just ignore

 

[Swanwillow]

a hole in an invert like that is bad. really bad.

watch for the hole getting bigger, or him losing arms, even the tips breaking off.

but, why don't ya tell us the tank specifications:

size (in gallons)
what came with it?
do you have live rock? sand?
what all is in the tank-inhabitants such as fish and shrimp.
and don't say everything tested fine. we want/need numbers.
my fine can be very different from someone elses fine.

 

[rmarc005]

-Tank size: 55 gallon
-What came with it? ViaAqua multi-skimmer, a thermometer, magnetic glass cleaner, 2 water circulators?
-It also came with lots of live rock (enough to fill over half the back of the tank) and sand.
-The tank inhabitants that came with it are; branch coral (1 large and 2 small), 1 flame coral, 2 large red? corals, 1 feather duster, 2 fuzzy shrooms, 2 purple shrooms, 1 green shroom, a cleaner shrimp, 1 green anenome, 1 red enenome, a sponge, several polyps, a Mandarin Goby, a Fire? Goby, Scopus Tang, Maroon Clown fish, lots of Hermit Crabs (5-8?) and the green Brittle Sea Star.
Numbers:Temperature: (80-82 degrees) Salt level: (between 1.0023 and 1.0024) Nitrate: ( 10 mg/l) Nitrite: (.2 mg/l)
Ammonia: (0) PH: (8.0) Phosphate: (0-.03 mg/l)

Two days ago we noticed the corals and shrooms were looking unhealthy-loss of color and they seemed to be shriveling up. We tested the water and noticed the phosphate level was at 1.0. We were told by a trusted owner of a reef tank shop that we should use Phos-buster to get the phosphates down immediately. We used the stuff and at first everything seemed stressed- the next day everything seemed O.K and healthier. The corals came back and the fish did not exhibit stress signs. We could not find the sea star however. Yesterday I found him and noticed "the hole" I also noticed the Cleaner Shrimp and the Hermit Crabs were eating him. We isolated him in a small, glass bowl wedged against the glass-there is a small space between the bowl and the tank glass so the water can circulate, but the crabs and shrimp can't bother him. If we take him out of isolation they will eat him. Other then this we have done nothing. I just want to know if anyone has ever seen one regrow tissue? I know they can regrow their arms. I just don't want him to suffer if there is no hope.

 

[Swanwillow]

other than the tang getting WAY to big for your tank... (2 feet)

ummm, I think that the stars a gonner the way that the snails and crabs were eating on him. they CAN regrow, but I don't know if it will.

ummm, yuor parameters are fine, which is odd because of the big fish-it should read higher nitrates than that with your bioload. can you have someone else do a second test?

oh, and high phosphates won't hurt inhabitants, but they will cause algae outbreaks up the butt!!!

 

[rmarc005]

He healed!

He healed!

It's a miracle- 3 days latter and isolation in a pytrex bowl has healed him! He is alive and peppy again, but I am afraid to release him- should I maybe get rid of he large Hermits who were eating on him?

 

[NCreefwannabe]

you could do that. A local guy on here has a blue linkia that everyone said was a complete goner when one of his legs looked as if it was torn or cut. But hes healed back up on his own with no interaction or rescueing. Try taking him back out, since he can do his own thing again, it may have been the hermits that bugged him in the first place. If they keep it up trade them in for a diferent kind or something smaller.