I have a starfish whose legs are swelling, looking as if knuckles on a finger. this is a purple starfish that looks like it might be a linkia. It also has something coming out of the middle of it's back. It's stomach? My picture won't download, too big of an attachment. Any help would be appreciated.
starfish problem
- Thread starter sherby98
- Start date
Welcome to A.C. ! I hate to say this but, it sounds like your star has some sort of bacterial infection. The only way to treat would be to make sure that your water is absolutley pristine and hope for the best. Lots of linkia also have some pretty bad importation issues and the handeling they get a the lfs leaves lots to be desired. They mostly eat bacterial sludge off of l.r. and detritus so if your tank is a new set up or they were subject to any sudden shifts in water chemistry I'd say that would be the cause.
Please tell us a bit about your tank how old is it what are your readings what sort of critters do you have how much l.r. etc. I wouldn't hold out too much hope for it though.
Sorry if I sound negative and I do wish you the best.
Chris
Please tell us a bit about your tank how old is it what are your readings what sort of critters do you have how much l.r. etc. I wouldn't hold out too much hope for it though.
Sorry if I sound negative and I do wish you the best.
Chris
well you have me pegged on that one. my tank is about 2 months old. the star has been in about 4-5 days. no other issues with the other members of my tank. 75lbs of live rock in a 55 gal tank. my fear is that i did not acclimate him which was based on the advice of my LFS guy. nitrate is the only issue in my tank. 12.5 ml on my tetra testing kit. not zero by any means. ammonia zero, ph 8.4. i fear you are correct about the star.
others in the tank are three damsels, doby sand sifter?, percula clown, two yellow tangs, xenia ,small mushroom group and another coral that i have not identified. cleaner shrimp and six turbo shrimp.
the star has since moved to the top corner of the tank behind my heater.
others in the tank are three damsels, doby sand sifter?, percula clown, two yellow tangs, xenia ,small mushroom group and another coral that i have not identified. cleaner shrimp and six turbo shrimp.
the star has since moved to the top corner of the tank behind my heater.
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To me it sounds like you may be a little overcrowed for a 55 gallon. Especially since I see that you have 2 tangs. I am a big fan of tangs too which is why i don't have any in my 55 gallon. I am waiting until I get a bigger tank.
Now, as for the star. To me it also sounds like a bacteria infection or bad acclimation, or maybe both. I know when I had my stars the lfs was going to bag them out of the water and I stopped them before they could do that and made them bag them under water. I don't know if this could be what happend to yours or not, but you never want to expose a starfish to air because it can be harmful if not fatal to them. Did you acclimate it to your tank at all, or did you just bring it home and put it in your tank?
Bradd
Now, as for the star. To me it also sounds like a bacteria infection or bad acclimation, or maybe both. I know when I had my stars the lfs was going to bag them out of the water and I stopped them before they could do that and made them bag them under water. I don't know if this could be what happend to yours or not, but you never want to expose a starfish to air because it can be harmful if not fatal to them. Did you acclimate it to your tank at all, or did you just bring it home and put it in your tank?
Bradd
figured i would get called out on the two tang issue. straight in the tank, don't thinkk i subjected him to air. now the same substance coming out of the starfish's back is now exuding out the end of one of it's legs. It is however moving around quite a bit now. thanks for any information ya'll might have.
Your only hope ,"again I really am sorry don't mean to sound cold at all !", is that a part of one of it's legs lives and has enough stored energy to grow a new body or, that the damage is localised enough that it can regenerate it's disk. I really would sort of plan for the worst and hope for the best. It's lost it's stomach so it's going to have to rely on what ever engergy it has stored. All is not lost thought even if the disk is toatally holed the legs might have enough energy to regenerate a new body. Put it in a critter keeper etc so that you can keep a close eye on it. Put a few chunks of rock in there to see if it shows an interest.
Also in addition to your tang issue ," if they aren't fighting they prbly are still pretty young," you may have problems with the damnsels and the clown. They are pretty closely related and IMO damnsels pretty much suck they are mean, aggressive, pick on pretty much any one and any thing. I have a strong dislike for them and most hermits though so take it for what it's worth.
Do you have a sand sifting Goby? If so they mostly eat critters that live in the sand and on the l.r. Your tank isn't old enough to have much along those lines so keep a close eye on it . If it's taking other foods you'll be much better off. Sounds to me like you have been the victim of bad fish store advise! It happens to most of us ,"like my crionoid experience"
hth and keep us posted.
Also in addition to your tang issue ," if they aren't fighting they prbly are still pretty young," you may have problems with the damnsels and the clown. They are pretty closely related and IMO damnsels pretty much suck they are mean, aggressive, pick on pretty much any one and any thing. I have a strong dislike for them and most hermits though so take it for what it's worth.
Do you have a sand sifting Goby? If so they mostly eat critters that live in the sand and on the l.r. Your tank isn't old enough to have much along those lines so keep a close eye on it . If it's taking other foods you'll be much better off. Sounds to me like you have been the victim of bad fish store advise! It happens to most of us ,"like my crionoid experience"
hth and keep us posted.
thanks for the info. the center part that was on the back sucked back in and now two of the legs of the starfish are excreting some sort of similar intestine. one of the pieces is about 3/4 of in inch long. he is moving around quite a bit and did head towards the rock after spending time on the glass. on the glass he expelled some sort of sticky spit looking stuff which stuck there.
as for the tangs, they are about four inches long and do appear to nip at each other. it appears playful but i guess not.
yes, the damsels will go soon. my kids will be crushed but i know it is necessary.
yes, i do have a sand sifting goby. he is cleaning the sand and doing quite well. he will eat the brine shrimp i throw in the tank. you say this is a good thing?
my other coral appear to be a long tentacle green plate.
so your advice based on latest info provided would still be to remove the starfish into a separate refuge and to remove one or both of the tangs?
as for the tangs, they are about four inches long and do appear to nip at each other. it appears playful but i guess not.
yes, the damsels will go soon. my kids will be crushed but i know it is necessary.
yes, i do have a sand sifting goby. he is cleaning the sand and doing quite well. he will eat the brine shrimp i throw in the tank. you say this is a good thing?
my other coral appear to be a long tentacle green plate.
so your advice based on latest info provided would still be to remove the starfish into a separate refuge and to remove one or both of the tangs?
I'd take out at least 1 tang both if you dont' have at least a 75 gal. I'd put the star in something so that you can keep a close eye on it. What's happened is that he's expeled his stomach from the center disk and the stuff from the legs are most likely the calcium bridges it uses to move etc. The other stuff is probably tissues from it's body ,"so not good". They do have some pretty good regenerative powers though and if some of the legs stay together they may grow new bodies ,"I honestly wouldn't count on it though," You'll have to keep your water absolutly pristine and hope it has enough fat stored to make it through and most recent imports just don't.
Brine isn't really a great food for fish it's more or less the pop corn of the marine world,"most people like it but they don't get much out of it."
What I do is go to the sea food counter and buy things like fish, shrimp in shell,oysters,squid, sushi wrappers, brewers yeast etc. lightly puree in the blender,"raw" add selcon or other vitamins and scoop it out into a dedicated ,"unless you really want a divorce," ice tray and freeze. That way I know what my critters are getting I can cut off as much or as little as needed and vary particle size for a lot of critters.
hth and best of luck
Brine isn't really a great food for fish it's more or less the pop corn of the marine world,"most people like it but they don't get much out of it."
What I do is go to the sea food counter and buy things like fish, shrimp in shell,oysters,squid, sushi wrappers, brewers yeast etc. lightly puree in the blender,"raw" add selcon or other vitamins and scoop it out into a dedicated ,"unless you really want a divorce," ice tray and freeze. That way I know what my critters are getting I can cut off as much or as little as needed and vary particle size for a lot of critters.
hth and best of luck