Fragging starfish
- Thread starter mr.125
- Start date
grapefruit
Member
then you get a dead little starfish, i think but iam not sure.
ophiura
Active Member
Most seastars have a terrible time just staying alive in our tanks.
Sand sifters, for example, are generally slowly starving to death.
Most seastars will simply die faster if you do this.
Possible exceptions include things like chocolate chip stars...but only if you are cutting off an arm. The arm MAY regrow...but the odds of getting two stars are low (you would have to cut across the animal, and more likely than not, it will cause such damage that it will kill the star).
So, in short, it is not a good idea in the slightest.
Sand sifters, for example, are generally slowly starving to death.
Most seastars will simply die faster if you do this.
Possible exceptions include things like chocolate chip stars...but only if you are cutting off an arm. The arm MAY regrow...but the odds of getting two stars are low (you would have to cut across the animal, and more likely than not, it will cause such damage that it will kill the star).
So, in short, it is not a good idea in the slightest.
mr.125
Member
Originally Posted by ophiura
Most seastars have a terrible time just staying alive in our tanks.
Sand sifters, for example, are generally slowly starving to death.
Most seastars will simply die faster if you do this.
Possible exceptions include things like chocolate chip stars...but only if you are cutting off an arm. The arm MAY regrow...but the odds of getting two stars are low (you would have to cut across the animal, and more likely than not, it will cause such damage that it will kill the star).
So, in short, it is not a good idea in the slightest.
Thanks for input~!
When u say that most are slowly starving to death, is there anything that we can do to try and preserve the life of the starfish that is allready in our tank? Also is the regrowing of and apendage mean that the starfish is NOT slowly dieing?
Or is it recommended not to keep them at all?
Most seastars have a terrible time just staying alive in our tanks.
Sand sifters, for example, are generally slowly starving to death.
Most seastars will simply die faster if you do this.
Possible exceptions include things like chocolate chip stars...but only if you are cutting off an arm. The arm MAY regrow...but the odds of getting two stars are low (you would have to cut across the animal, and more likely than not, it will cause such damage that it will kill the star).
So, in short, it is not a good idea in the slightest.
Thanks for input~!
When u say that most are slowly starving to death, is there anything that we can do to try and preserve the life of the starfish that is allready in our tank? Also is the regrowing of and apendage mean that the starfish is NOT slowly dieing?
Or is it recommended not to keep them at all?
ophiura
Active Member
It depends on the tank and the species.
The tiny hitch hiker Asterina reproduce by splitting. They would have little problem with being chopped in half, but then they do it to themselves already
Things like sand sifter stars are generally slowly starving after consuming a lot of stuff in the sand bed. Like many other seastars, they in general will not take to spot feeding, and so little can be done to help them. It is always worth trying, but in most smaller (less than a 100 bare minimum) tanks they will die in about 9-12 months.
A star that is regenerating at least indicates that it has enough energy and nutrition to regrow that arm...half a body is a different thing.
Linckia stars, which also reproduce via arm drops, tend to starve in most smaller systems as well. Their survival seems closely tied to large amounts of LR (the opposite of sand sifters, where success is based on open sand bed and little LR). If healthy, they also will reproduce on their own.
Chocolate chip stars and relatives, which can all be spot fed, tend to do relatively better in tanks. Brittlestars also, in most cases, can recover nicely from loss of arms.
The tiny hitch hiker Asterina reproduce by splitting. They would have little problem with being chopped in half, but then they do it to themselves already
Things like sand sifter stars are generally slowly starving after consuming a lot of stuff in the sand bed. Like many other seastars, they in general will not take to spot feeding, and so little can be done to help them. It is always worth trying, but in most smaller (less than a 100 bare minimum) tanks they will die in about 9-12 months.
A star that is regenerating at least indicates that it has enough energy and nutrition to regrow that arm...half a body is a different thing.
Linckia stars, which also reproduce via arm drops, tend to starve in most smaller systems as well. Their survival seems closely tied to large amounts of LR (the opposite of sand sifters, where success is based on open sand bed and little LR). If healthy, they also will reproduce on their own.
Chocolate chip stars and relatives, which can all be spot fed, tend to do relatively better in tanks. Brittlestars also, in most cases, can recover nicely from loss of arms.
mr.125
Member
Your Awsome~!!!!!!
My 125 accomidates the sifters quit well then going by what your saying. Less rock more bed. So that explains that!
Would you recommend a smaller % of vacuuming when it comes to the sand bed? (would this be benificial to the sifters in any way?)
I have had the sifters for about a year. Doing fine eccept for the loss of a limb~! LOL
My orange linkea on the other hand is attributed to the "want" factor in this hobby~!! Which can lead to problems that i know your aware of...
My 125 accomidates the sifters quit well then going by what your saying. Less rock more bed. So that explains that!
Would you recommend a smaller % of vacuuming when it comes to the sand bed? (would this be benificial to the sifters in any way?)
I have had the sifters for about a year. Doing fine eccept for the loss of a limb~! LOL
My orange linkea on the other hand is attributed to the "want" factor in this hobby~!! Which can lead to problems that i know your aware of...
ophiura
Active Member
Is the star regenerating that limb?? I hope so as their death is usually indicated by just disintegrating...first arm tip, then and arm, then....
But if you have that situation - good size tank with little LR, then it is what is doing it. In theory I would say don't vacuum the sand bed (assuming sand and not crushed coral). But then, if it is working, I hate to change things.....that is a judgement call.
But if you have that situation - good size tank with little LR, then it is what is doing it. In theory I would say don't vacuum the sand bed (assuming sand and not crushed coral). But then, if it is working, I hate to change things.....that is a judgement call.