Chocolate Star Fish looking sick

[tvukan]

My chocolate chip star fish I've had for about 3 weeks just all the sudden changed colors here are before and a current picture what could be wrong? My PH is 8.2 my ammonia is .25 almost 0.00 the color is so light nitrites .25 probably lower point being none of my levels have spiked since I got him PLEASE HELP

[/IMG]

This is how he is sitting now never ever has he acted like this.

 

[mr. limpid]

Did you acclimate it slowly, explain how you acclimated? Did you take it out of the water when you released him into your DT? What are you feeding him? How old is your tank? What is your salinity? Nitrates and ammonia aren't really high put stars need high quality 0 readings preferred.

 

[tvukan]

I drip accumulated he was fine climbing all over the tank until just like 3 days ago I saw him change that god awful brown color. My salinity is at 1.024. I've been feding him raw shrimp and he's been eatting fine. I have a much much larger about 5 times his size chocolate chip also and he is showing no signs of coloration. My tank is a couple months old. Do star fish not like snails? Because this is when I noticed this change in him after I got them a couple days ago??

 

[meowzer]

I think your tank is too new for any starfish....and to have 2 in this new of a tank is really not a good idea.....there is not enough food for them
what size tank is this....and is that gravel on the bottom????

 

[tvukan]

Crushed Corral. I feed them almost every other day raw shrimp. 55 gallon.

 

[tvukan]

And I just noticed this little whole on his back side. He didn't have this before what could have caused this??

 

[mr. limpid]

A hitch hiker there are many thing that will eat stars, could of been on him from the start or in the snails, one never knows. This why you QT everything wet.

 

[tvukan]

He didn't have it before I have another pic of his back side and its not there. Do starfish mind snails??

 

[bang guy]

Chocolate Chip Starfish love most Snails. They make a pretty good snack for them.
That hole looks like damage from a parasite.

 

[tvukan]

Call me stupid LOL I haven't been doing this hobby that long but what is a parasite? Like do u mean ich?

 

[bang guy]

Like an animal that is living in and eating the Starfish.

 

[tvukan]

Could that be why he changed from light brown to dark brown?? I'm stumped. What will kill these parasites?

 

[bang guy]

That's logical if it is actually a parasite causing internal damage.
I know of no way to kill the parasite without killing the Starfish.

 

[tvukan]

Thank you so much. He's moving around still I gave him some shrimp earlier but didn't stick around to see if he ate it all and I saw a piece of shrimp at the bottom of the tank so I'm assuming he didn't. I guess it's just a matter of time I do see another hole in him. How sad I wonder how this happened??

 

[tvukan]

Here's an updated picture. What are those brown spots on him?? As above u can see an old picture from when I first got him he didn't LOOOK like this.

 

[silverado61]

I am by no means an expert but here's a shot in the dark, could those brown spots be algae growth? They are slow moving.

 

[bang guy]

That's a good thought! It actually looks a little like Cyanobacter. See if it just rubs off.