death of a starfish

[reefkprz]

over the last two weeks I have had a small problem my serpent stars kept getting their legs chewed. baffled I re-researched everything in my tank and nothing explained this phenomenon...
untill this morning. I got up for work at 5 am before my tank lights come on.. and presto there is a 16" bristle worm eating the brain out of my poor dilapidated starfish..
needless to say this means WAR.
tonights mission. create the unltimate bristle worm trap. (lfs is out of stock. any ideas on constructing a trap would be great. I'm thinking PVC pipe 12" long capped on both ends. 2 or three holes drilled in the caps big enough to allow worms in but not open enough to allow them to escape quickly when I grab the tube. haddock and squid meat inside for bait.

 

[katara]

your bristle worm did not kill your star,it was only eating what was already dead.

 

[startrfish]

Originally Posted by Katara
your bristle worm did not kill your star,it was only eating what was already dead.
Ditto ^^^

 

[reefkprz]

Hmmm. I would normaly agree with you but there is nothing else in my tank that would be chewing on them and it only happens at night, plus I feed my tank pretty heavy. if you have a suggestion as to what else it could be I would love to hear it. Just saying it wasnt that doesnt help at all. its actually insulting.

 

[katara]

I have no idea why you feel insulted but in any event,brittle/serpent stars begin to lose their arms from being in poor health and/or osmotic shock.How did you acclimate it?Osmotic shock can take about 30 days to show itself after a poor acclimation.

 

[reefkprz]

Originally Posted by Katara
I have no idea why you feel insulted but in any event,brittle/serpent stars begin to lose their arms from being in poor health and/or osmotic shock.How did you acclimate it?Osmotic shock can take about 30 days to show itself after a poor acclimation.
he wasnt just losing them there were "chewed" areas, legs, one side of the leg, parts of the body... its the only theory (and I do mean theory) that seems to make any sense to me.
I always drip aclimate for several hours. (I have had this starfish in my tank for over a year and a half.) osmotic shock is very unlikley.
when doing water changes or topping off I always use a drip add system so any water parameter changes take many hours..
my profile falls a little short in describing how long I have been in the hobby. I have managed fish departments in pets stores, managed pet stores, and been a local breeder of exotics and corals for quite a while.
thank you a lot for the suggestion.
I probably only felt insulted because this is extremly frusterating for me and it was like walking into a brick wall seeing it couldnt be that but not an alternative possibility.
I am currently working far to many hours at work. (50-60 a week. carpentry is very labor intensive and I get a bit toutchy when ovwer tired I'm sorry)

 

[alyssia]

I have seen sick brittles that look like their legs are being chewed on.

 

[reefkprz]

I can see him right now. he's huge... guilty or not he's gotta go. OH BTW (by the way: already removed baby worms from trap No bigggies yet waiting for the big score)

 

[beadmaker]

wow that is a big bristle worm. I know how you feel my brittle star has become lunch for everyone also. I have had him since february. My coral beauty has really been picking him up. The hermits are finishing him off.

 

[reefkprz]

just an update.
removed about 35 bristle worms from my trap this morning (YAY!) mostly small ones but some around five inches. No sign of the big one though. Maybe I need bigger holes in the trap. (I had no idea I had som many of those little buggers in my tank. must be really adding to my bio load.) even though they are benificial too many just seems like too many.
the pvc pipe with two end caps seems to be working great. cost less to build than to buy. I wish my scanner was working So I could show pics.

 

[reefkprz]

ok LAst update. I got the big guy. when constricted he was four inches long and over 3/4 of an inch wide. he's the biggest one I havew ever seen in real life. so if anyone wants to remove bristle worms from their tank I sujjust 8" long pvc pipe (I shortened it so it wasn't so obtrusive) with two 1/4 inch holes one on each end cap total cost to build $4.00 roughly. no glues so you can just pop off the caps and dump out the worms. I used inch and a half PVC but am sure a smaller diameter would work just as well.

 

[ophiura]

Frankly, unless it is an exceedingly small tank, a healthy brittlestar star can easily get away from a worm.
They are designed to get away from predators (hence the name brittlestar).
So, IMO, the star is ill, and the worm was taking advantage of this. Not a guarantee, I guess, but I would start with other possibilities first.
Certainly most worms are fine and highly beneficial in your tank. I would not remove them.
How long have you had these stars?
If less then a month, how did you acclimate?
How often and what do you feed them?
What are your specific parameters, esp alk, pH, calcium and specific gravity?
What other inhabitants are there in your tank?
What recent tank maintenance have you done?
Is this happening to all your stars?

 

[reefkprz]

I have had the SF for over a year and a half. it is happening to both I drip acclimate for several hours on starfish. my parameters are dead on.
kh 400
SG 1.026
ph 8.2
nitrates 1
nitrites 0
amm 0
salinity 35
its just been a recent thing. it makes no sense to me. thats why I am leaning towards the worm the friggen thing is HUGE. I have now trapped dozens of them I leave the little ones and remove the large ones.
any suggestions would be great.
thanks
if you want to know whats in my tank click on my name and look for all threads started by me there is a description of it with all inhabitants listed.

 

[ophiura]

What recent water changes have you done? What and how often do you feed the stars? Is it every arm on both stars? Do you see any other problems in your tank with things being eaten?

 

[whitey_028]

what did you use to bait the britleworms with? did they just climb into your trap? I have one that is close to 3 feet long fromthe looks of it and would like to get him out...I have no deaths in my tank and corals are very healthy but something that size i dont want to take any chances...

 

[nick76]

Originally Posted by reefkprZ
just an update.
removed about 35 bristle worms from my trap this morning (YAY!) mostly small ones but some around five inches. No sign of the big one though. Maybe I need bigger holes in the trap. (I had no idea I had som many of those little buggers in my tank. must be really adding to my bio load.) even though they are benificial too many just seems like too many.
the pvc pipe with two end caps seems to be working great. cost less to build than to buy. I wish my scanner was working So I could show pics.
Dang dude 35, sounds like u should get a sixline wrasse, I hear those work wonders with bristle worms. However I doubt it could eat a 16" one

 

[ophiura]

Also what is the behavior of these stars? Are they still interested in food? Moving, hiding, etc? Are they lethargic or normal?

 

[reefkprz]

nick I have a sixline wrasse it one of my favorite fish they only eat babies
Ophuria
he actsd perfectly normal still comes flying out from under the rockwork after food. hides all day if I touch him he scrambles for more cover.
some of his legs are starting to grow back. On the one star I have left. but he still has "chewed" looking areas. I'm getting really ticked off at this.
did you check out my tank description? if you did did you see anything on there that might be the culprit? thanks again.

 

[reefkprz]

Originally Posted by whitey_028
what did you use to bait the britleworms with? did they just climb into your trap? I have one that is close to 3 feet long fromthe looks of it and would like to get him out...I have no deaths in my tank and corals are very healthy but something that size i dont want to take any chances...
I used squid and haddoc. in my trap.