StarFish not doing so hot

[Mandairn]

A few days ago i got a shipment of crustions in, among them was a Brittle Starfish. I followed the aclimation proess to a t (all other suff doing great!), but when i got home today i found him in the corner of my tank (no jumping to conclution) with a blue legged hermit crab crawling over it, two of it's legs where badly damage (one is now severed). I saw this after i turned on the light. My red serphent (starfish) made its way to a cave for the "daytime". The brittle tryed to climb up the side of the tank. Its ben trying to climb the tank form the time i put it in till now. I dont know what wroung with it.

i NEed sOMe hELp Plz.

[MonoSebaelover]

Crustaceans are extremely fragile so any quick shift in salinity or pH can do them in. Inverts CAN NOT survive any kind of ammonia or nitrite in the tank and that is probably what is killing your star. I would do an immediate water change to try and lower the ammonia and nitrite to 0. Or else the star will not make it. The loosing of an arm is due to bad water quality. I would have waited till your water quality was perfect before you added anything but what is done is done, so try everything now to save him.

[Mandairn]

i agree 100% with what u said. The thing is all the crustaceans where add the same day all others are doing well.

I have done about a 5 gl water change.

The part i find most ironic, the red seastar is doing great and its should be the harder one to keep.

but your right i need to stop rushin the tank.:mad: (at my self).

[MonoSebaelover]

You're experiencing the hardest part of the hobby!

[Corax]

Originally posted by MonoSebaelover
You're experiencing the hardest part of the hobby!

Yeap, and that is finding the patience to let things mature naturally. Your tank will find balance, no matter how much you try to help it =)

Also keep in mind that the brittle star is so named because it is ULTRA delicate and can be broken simply by dropping it from the water surface onto the rocks.. Broken legs are not uncommon nor are they the end of the world. When I got mine many months ago, one had 2 legs and the other had 3.5.. I assumed the worst but my little guys look and act fine.

[Mandairn]

:( thanks for the help, but i looked at him to day/night and hes down to one leg, and it look like i has an infection on his disk..(i hope not).

hardest thing with the star fish u cant really help him, but i still have hope cuz to night was the first time he ran to a dark spot in the tank insted of just sitting around when the light came on.

if he does or is infected it would explain y he turns him self up side down (mouth up)