Brittle Star

[gmusick]

Well, I get one problem under control and I have something else happening. My ich problem has been resolved without further loss of fish, but now, my ornate brittle starfish is losing some limbs and stays balled up in the corner of the aquarium, won't eat and acts really erratic. My nitrates are up a bit, about 80, and I plan on doing a 25% water change today, and my ammonia is about .25. All of my shrimp, crabs and snails seem to be doing OK, and my remaining fish seem to all be doing well. I seem to having major problems keeping my tank from going through, what seems like, cycle after cycle. I haven't added anything new to the tank since before the ich problem. Again, my parameters are as follows:
Nitrates: 80
Nitrites: 0
Ammonia: .25
pH: 8.0
Is massive water changes about the only quick cure to get my water parameters back under control?
Thanks!
Glen in Atlanta

 

[buzz]

I would definitely do some water changes. What is the source of your ammonia? Did a fish die that has not been accounted fo? I would check that out quickly.
Trates are pretty high as well - more than just a bit.
Your star was eating fine for a while? What were you feeding it?
If the star is stressed all ready, I personally would start doing a lot of smaller changes instead of a few large changes to bring things in line. A sudden change in water parameters will further stress the star. I also would not recommend relocating the star, for the same reasons...but Ophiura is the resident star expert...make sure you check with her.

 

[gmusick]

Thanks for the feedback.

 

[ophiura]

How did you cure your ick? Any medications or anything?
The critical thing with these guys is keeping water quality good and steady, with specific gravity at around 1.025-1.026. The can sometimes go lower, but not suddenly. So any fluctuations in tank parameters could be a major factor. Whatever you do, however, I do not recommend moving it to a different system as this can cause further osmotic shock.

[hr]
Just checked and now I remember the situation - basically a mystery one. Any thing added to the tank recently? I've noticed your pH is now lower than it previously was...how stable is it before the lights go on versus after they have been on all day?