chocolate chip

[piglet007]

Hi all. My chocolate chip star fish isn't looking normal to me. He usually goes up to the top of the tank and bends his two arms back which he is still doing, but he started curling his bottom legs up just a bit. Then tonight I noticed that on one leg there is a whitish greyish spot. We did a 15% water change last night after testing the water and having our numbers up, tested the following day and everything was back to 0, nitrates at 10. Everything else in the tank is doing fine, fire shrimp has become not so shy, coral banded shrimp and emerald crab all doing good and more active now. My horse shoe crab had a bad time lastnight. He is a nut in the tank and got himself stuck to the filter AGAIN. He can usually get off, but this morning he wasn't moving. I helped him down and he started kicking again but appeared weaker. he then has gone into hiding and hasn't been out since. We aren't going to wake him as we didn't want to stress him out. So i'm not sure what to do about the starfish. I have been reading on wetwebmedia about them for 2 days but just noticed this spot tonight.

One mroe thing, we seem to have a new critter of sorts in the tank. It has been moving around the tank so I am assuming it lives. It is white, has 3 legs is almost transparent and has a yellow thing in the middle? He looks like half of a starfish to be honest. Any idea of what he may be?
Thanks a bunch

[woninil]

How is it eating? Do you feed it or just allow it to graze?

The LFS said to target feed mine every three days and that has worked well so far. It likes frozen clam the best but also takes freeze dried krill. Ive worried about mine a few times-it seems to get soft and puffy-but it seems to get back to normal=hope yours does too

[piglet007]

I originally started target feeding him daily but have went to every other day. I attempted to target feed him last night but he didn't get it. I"m going to do it again today. I have been feeding him frozen brine. I havent' seen him go any other place besides the glass. He just movs along the glass.

[corriewf]

I would get rid of him. Those starfish are not reef safe and they can prey on fish so.

[Gealcath]

Thier only a real threat to corals, bivalves, and mollusks like clams and snails. However they are not reef safe, but you will never find a better cleaner then a chocolate chip, they even eat hair algae and cyano.