Red sea star losing its arms

[splateee]

Hello,

We recently purchased a red sea starfish about 3 weeks ago. During this whole time it has just stayed at the top of the tank on the glass just below the water line. Then the other day i noticed that two of its arms had a black bump and the skin was starting to come off. Now it has lost about half of its arm and is just hanging out in the return of the bakpak skimmer. When we got it i did the drip aclamation for about 2 hours. Any ideas on what is happening?

Thank you

 

[Kgoarmy17]

Red stars usually don't acclimate or ship well, nor do they live too long in our tanks. Black bumps and flaking skin makes me think of a disease. Usually starfish will lose limbs due to stress and/or something picking at them. I lost a few starfish due to a gorilla crab I didn't know about till a few nights ago. However, your situation sounds totally different. Someone might have more useful information on this matter then myself. Hope it works out. Keep us posted. Any pictures would help also. As well as water parameters would help alot.

 

[ophiuroid]

It is imperative to know your water parameters and how old the tank is.

These stars, though small, need very large mature reef tanks, at least, IMO, 100g with 125lbs of LR to start. They need specific gravity at 1.025-1.026 and a very long drip acclimation at all stages of transport.

The symptoms you are describing, and the time frame, is absolutely positively acclimation shock, IMO. Little can be done for it except to provide ideal conditions within this tank.

The survival rate of this star is very poor. Many die from acclimation shock. Many more die of starvation.

 

[splateee]

Tank setup

90gallon
100lbs or so of LR
Salinity 1.023 to 1.024
PH 8.0

This tank is the combination of a 55gallon and 65gallon that were setup for almost a year. Sounds like it is having problems with the acclimation. I will just have to wait and see what happens.

Thanks