my starfish is sick, any advice?

[elisabeth5]

I have a chocolate chip starfish, and have had him for over a month, he has been fine until last night. I noticed that on two of his appendages it is turning a grey, green color and he has two places where a chunk in missing. he is still eating and cruising around the tank, I did a little reading and it sounds like an infection of sorts, I don't see where any of my crabs have bothered him, but I'm not sure. I read also where he is sensitive to my gravity. ( I'm at 1.021 and the LFS where I got him from was closer to 1.017) Could that be a problem?? the LFS has tested my water as a back up to my testing and I have been good on everything......I manually top off my tank with RO, i don't have an auto top-off set up.

Is he terminal???? is there something I can do to help him???

thanks for your help!
~e

 

[elisabeth5]

I have pictures, but am having trouble uploading them to here...

let me keep trying...

 

[truthdesigns]

you know I have lost several starfish, My sand sifter started to disinigrate. I was told he did his job and there was nothing else for him to eat.

 

[mike89t]

He is starving to death.


http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-12/rs/index.php

Spike Stars

Protoreaster nodosus - Chocolate Chip Star,
Protoreaster lincki - Red Spined Star

Found throughout the Indo-Pacific, these species have five relatively stiff rays. They have a smooth, almost featureless epidermis from which rises a series of large, visible spines. Protoreaster nodosus grows to about 12 cm across, while Protoreaster lincki may be larger, up to 30 cm or so. These species are sand- or seagrass-bed dwellers, and as such are not really adapted for a reef tank. In nature both appear to be obligate sponge predators, although they will eat some other items, such as sea anemones or soft corals, in reef tanks. Nevertheless, most of them kept in reef tanks appear to eventually die of malnutrition. They may be able to survive for a while in a tank with a lot of sponges, provided they can get to the food. Their stiff, spinous bodies tend to prevent them from getting into rockwork.

 

[elisabeth5]

OH NO!!!!
I was told at the LFS to feed him shrimp, which I have, about every other day, he has been eating fine. Should I supplement him something else??? the LFS said that he should be fine in a FOWLR tank.

What should I do to save him?????

 

[Frizz]

I lost all of my starfish once when the PH got out of whack. Just a thought.
Frizz

 

[mike89t]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7781739#post7781739 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by elisabeth5
OH NO!!!!
I was told at the LFS to feed him shrimp, which I have, about every other day, he has been eating fine. Should I supplement him something else??? the LFS said that he should be fine in a FOWLR tank.

What should I do to save him?????

I'm guessing that he is not getting the correct nutrients from the shrimp. Unless you can supplement him with sponges I doubt there is much you can do.

 

[rljlll]

i am so sorry i have done a lot of research also and i have not got any starfish because of some of the facts that were just posted to you i have discovered that a urchin is a much butter choice and much more exciting seeing as he will grab things and attach them to his body to camouflage himself

 

[elisabeth5]

well,
I have spent a few day on WetWebMedia and read ALLOT of posts, I have discovered that this breed is not the most stable. my LFS has stated that they don't know that much about them ( but they sure do sell them, huh??!?!)

So I have him quarrantined because he is most likely disentigrating. He still has a healthy appetite, so I'm hoping that he will bounce back, but I really don't want him to completely disentigrate in my tank and not be able to get the goop out. I'm not sure what else to do.

Urchins are a bit scarry looking, and I've heard that they are poisonous....... I can't imaginge getting poked my one of those things!!!

I have some great pictures, but they are too large to upload here, and I havn't sat down long enough to resize them.

 

[rljlll]

use photo bucket . com for the pics and go with a nice tuxedo uchin they are the best a little clumsy like the mexican turbos though

 

[frontosa_man80]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7790452#post7790452 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by elisabeth5
...........
Urchins are a bit scarry looking, and I've heard that they are poisonous....... I can't imaginge getting poked my one of those things!!! ........

i have a large long spine urchin and have been poked a few time. it only stings for about an hour or two. other then that they are bulldozers and knock anything not straped down.

-jesse