Starfish PRoblem

[Reefrock]

Hello.

I have a small red/white starfish that I got about 30 days. It has slowly lost almost all of its legs, but is still alive and moving on the rocks and glass. Is there something I can do like a freshwater dip or something to prevent it from dying or is it too late at this point? Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks!
Joe(ReefRock)

 

[ophiuroid]

NOOO!!! NOT a freshwater dip. Bad bad idea...in fact, from the description and time frame, it is dying from osmotic (acclimation) shock. Is this a Fromia star? Most likely I think from the coloration and size mentioned. How long did you acclimate it? What are your specific water parameters?

These are exceedingly delicate stars, and damage can be done long before ending up in hobbyists tank. They need very large mature reef tanks with, IMO, a minimum of 150lbs of LR (don't let the small size fool you!).

But IMO, the only thing that can be done is to have pristine water conditions. But it is unlikely to survive at this time. This is a far too common demise, I am afraid.