Death to Serpent Star!

[erinf911]

I just started my reef tank about 7 weeks ago. I introduced a serpent star to my tank about 2 weeks ago. I have/had 2 damsels, 1 peppermint shrimp, 2 slugs, 1 mandarine and an electric flame scallop. 2 days ago I awoke to find my serpent star mangled beyond recognition. I went to bed the night before and it was fine. It looked as if the center body had exploded from the inside out. What could be the culprit?

 

[essop3]

The most common thing to happen to stars is poor acclimation. How did you acclimate it? for how long?
On a side note, I'm worried about your mandarin. They need a more established tank.

 

[jjlittle]

PLease take you manderine back to the lfs for they need a very established tank of at least a year with yours being only a month or so he will die.

 

[ophiura]

It is impossible to know what happened without more background info.
Especially need SPECIFIC water parameters (esp ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH, specific gravity, alkalinity)
What do you feed the star?
How much LR do you have?
When was your last water change?
Need to know anything you did to the tank recently...and is the damage only to the disk, or are the arms broken off (this tells me if it is acclimation, predatory, or just that it may have eaten something too big).
Whatever you do, it is best to leave it in the tank and not move it to another system. They have very good powers of regeneration. For possible comparison, see my website (click on my name and go to public profile, click on website, then go to "tabloids" from the main page...scroll to the bottom of the page).
FWIW, your tank is too young for many of those animals. You may, unfortunately, experience the death of the slugs, the mandarin, and the electric scallop.

 

[reborn258]

JJLittle is right. You need to take that mandarin back, your reef tank is not ready to support the little guy. Chances are he won't make it. What size is your tank and how much live rock do you have?

 

[erinf911]

I was told by an expert aquarist that my mandarin gobi would be fine in my tank. I have a twenty five gallonwith about 40lbs of live rock. I test my water and I take it to a dealer to test it twice a week. My water parameters have been fine. I did a water change of 10% 8 days ago. Water parameters were fine (i.e. temp, specific gravity etc) I looked at Ophiura's website tabloid. That is exactly what my serpent looked like. The legs were alright...just a tip missing off one. Please let me know what fish I should start with. And how come my local dealers all tell me the fish and animals in my tank are fine to start with? I feel rather stupid for just believing them.

 

[ophiura]

They are trying to get money from you. Pure and simple. Its a business. THough this site is also a business, none of the people on the board are trying to get your money, only help you succeed. You've done nothing out of the ordinary. Its not unusual. Don't fee stupid
What is most important is that you've come here for help, and that is a huge step in the right direction.
I should add that many LFS owners/employees are not knowingly giving you bad advice. Many just don't realize the advice is wrong. So the best bet is to always research in advance, never impulse purchase, and know what you want when you go in the store.
First, is your mandarin eating any prepared foods? Such as frozen or live brine, mysis shrimp, etc?
Also, if you google "Rob Toonen Flame Scallop" you should be able to find a very good article on them he's written to help with feeding the scallop.
Now, it is important to know specifics on the water quality. What is considered "fine" by some, may not be to all. For example, I prefer a specific gravity around 1.025-1.026 which is more normal reef salinity and important for invertebrates. Fish, however, and many fish stores, will say 1.019 to 1.024. Historically, fish (only) tanks were kept at these lower salinities to help prevent parasite outbreaks. Parasites are invertebrates. Therefor many inverts suffer at these lower specific gravities. Same is true of many other parameters. Over time, the "fine" zone has been modified, or opinions vary.
However, with the disk being damaged, but the arms intact, I would look for some sort of feeding issue. Do you feed it directly? Is it out in the open or hiding? In brittlestars, unlike some seastars, I usually anticipate seeing acclimation shock a bit more rapidly. Not always the case, but often. If this was a feeding or predatory issue, the star has a good chance of surviving so long as it is not picked at. If you notice any shrimp or anything picking at it, then I would get something like a critter carrier -betta size - that has a plastic tank with a grated top. So you get circulation in, but nothing else can get in. That will keep the brittlestar safe (put in a small amount of rock). Offer it food at this time. It may or may not eat but will need some energy so hopefully it does.
I've had brittlestars with significant holes (If you go on the basics page under regeneration or something...) that heal within 2 weeks or so.

 

[reborn258]

Look I'm not trying to say that I am smarter then your expert aquarist friend but I have read many articles on Mandarins and asked for advice from many that have had experience with these dragonets. Mandarins need at least 75 pounds of live rock and the system needs to be at least a year old. Your mandarin survives on pods and a year is a good estimate for a well established population of pods. But 25 gallons with only 40 pounds of live rock is not suitable for raising a mandarin, he will eat all the pods before they can increase in numbers. Mandarins are so adapted to eating pods that they will not recognize any other type of food as a edible. There are success stories but they are few. Some have got their mandarins to eat frozen or live brine but they can't survive on that alone. For these types of food should be considered supplementary because it lacks the nutritional values that they receive from live pods. So it is difficult getting any longevity out of these fish with improper feeding. Mandarins are notorious for dying of starvation. I am not making any of this up I am reiterating all this from an article in a magazine from an expert that has studied mandarins and goes by the name of Richard F. Stratton. If you want a second opinion read other posts about mandarins or start your own. A good point of advice, don't trust everything LFS or people tell you, of the bat, without doing some research. I learned the hard way. Your local dealers are in it only for the money if they sold you the scallops and mandarin with your tank being so young.