Melting Star Fish?

[Reefit]

Any ideas on what is happening to my star fish. It looks like it is melting away? Is there any remedy? TIA

 

[kmk2307]

Hi Reefit,

I'm afriad it is probably dying. Is that Fromia? Starfish and other echinoderms are sensitive to osmotic shock (shock of being rapidly changed from one salinity to another) and need to be carefully acclimated. How long have you had it? Some stars' nutritional needs aren't well known. It may not have been able to find suitable food in your aquarium and starved. Is it possible that something is wrong with your water chemistry? Keep your water chemistry stable and quality high and it could recover.

Good luck,
Kevin

 

[Reefit]

I have had this star for about six months and understand they need careful acclimation. I had thought it may have something to do with a lack of food, but is this what would happen in that event? If this is the case what can I feed stars such as this one?

 

[kmk2307]

I think some Fromia are known to eat particular sponges. I don't recognize the species of yours from that picture. Even if I or anyone else could, I doubt it is known to science what exactly its diet in the wild is. How long ago did it begin to deteriorate?

Kevin

 

[Reefit]

Only noticed about a week ago. I keep pretty close eye on everything.

 

[ophiuroid]

It is entirely possibly that is starvation...but is this in the 250g reef? If it can't survive in a system like that....

But I do agree that its diet may be even more specific than Linckia's. BTW, do you have any other reef safe stars in the tank?

 

[sjfishguy]

Starvation. And 6 months is usually about when they start to melt from starvation.