Black Brittle Stars Falling Apart

[merman]

Hello,
I got 2 black brittle stars in my cleanup package ff this site. After a few days they both started falling apart. i tried to save them but kept finding more and more pieces and eventually they were gone. Could the crabs in my package have torn them apart? The package included 2 types hermits scarlet/blue, 2 emerald crabs, and a sallylightfoot crab. What do you think?

 

[dseiler]

I can not imagine that it is from the clean up package. I have ordered two of them, at different times, with the combinations you speak of and have never had a problem with that, nor have i heard of it before. What else is in the tank?

 

[slothy]

i got one with my clean up crew package from here, and it been doing fine, there was a leg missing, but the leg was in the bag and now is a mini star growing
water quality okay ?

 

[jonthefb]

Echinoderms (starfish. urchins etc) are very sensitive to water conditions. If your water params are outta whack, theat may have caused their decay. Als, with any star, especially likia, etc, if you expose them to air, tiny air bubbles can get trapped int heir water vasucalr system causing them to deteriorate. its always best to transfer tehm to a tank under water, even if it means that a little of the bad water will be introduced into the tank.
HTH
good luck
jon

 

[aileena]

All starfish will fall apart when they are about to die. Brittles, sand sifters, serpents, and linkia. It usually starts with the tips of their legs and progresses further and further until no more starfish. This has happened to a sifter that I had once. Recently I bought a serpent and after 3 weeks the tips of his legs started to decay so I knew there was a issue. I thought really hard about what to do being that all my water conditions were near perfect. nitrates 10-15 everything else 0 KH 12. Then I thought maybe he isn't eating. I went and got some mysis shrimp thawed it out and put some right in front of him with a turkey baster. A sec later he was devouring like half a cube of mysis shrimp!
Although I am not sure, I think that the reason starfish often decay like that is not only due to poor water conditions but also due to a feeding problem. It may be worth checking out. I wish I had more time to experiment but oh well. Good Luck I am interested to hear other possibilities besides bad water.

 

[nicenakago]

I still have nightmares about my brittle slowly exploding over 3 days.... I don't know if I will ever be able to try another one...

 

[merman]

Thanks for your replies. My water parameters were all good. But, I hadn't fed them directly. Maybe they were hungry. I thought only eating the dietrus in the tank was enough. I'm going to wait til' I can get a tank upgrade and then will try again.

 

[jonthefb]

did you by chance expose him to air while transferrign hiim to your tank afer acclimatisation?
jon