Help! Is Star Dying!!!
- Thread starter wrassecal
- Start date
murray bmf
Member
The same thing happened to my star-sadley he died soon after. Sorry
wrassecal
Active Member
Oh this is awful. I thought it was no big deal yesterday. I wonder if one of my crabs has done this...I have no hermits, just a decorator, emerald and sally lightfoot and they have been added last few weeks. I've had the star for over 6 months. Something must have been attacking it. Ophiura said it wasn't very bad at all fropm pic yesterday. It gets plenty to eat, I even special feed it plankton pellets with aquarium tongs.
Something must have been attacking it. Ophiura said it wasn't very bad at all fropm pic yesterday. It gets plenty to eat, I even special feed it plankton pellets with aquarium tongs.
krishj39
Active Member
i have witnessed emeralds picking at a healthy (at least as far as any could tell) serpent star. Now, whether or not that is your problem I don't know, I doubt the crabs are the problem, just saying they COULD be the problem. It wouldn't suprise me in the least to find out sally's will also pick at a star. Crabs sometimes just do their own thing, regardless of what they are "supposed" to eat.
ophiura
Active Member
Hmmm. I don't like that it is continuing to decline. Big holes are one thing. Small holes that get bigger are another. But it still has its legs?
I believe that ALL crabs can bother brittlestars. They are natural predators. Not all, but definitely some...and it is the personality of any particular crab that is hard to call. It is possible they are bothering it.
Have you done any water changes recently? Anything at all? You water params are good (specific gravity, pH, etc?) Nothing has happened at all? Nothing new?
I believe that ALL crabs can bother brittlestars. They are natural predators. Not all, but definitely some...and it is the personality of any particular crab that is hard to call. It is possible they are bothering it.
Have you done any water changes recently? Anything at all? You water params are good (specific gravity, pH, etc?) Nothing has happened at all? Nothing new?
ophiura
Active Member
PS. If you can catch it, isolate it in a sump/refugium or in a hang on breeder trap or little "critter cage" you can put in the tank. DO NOT move this to another system. The stress from that will surely kill it. IMO it is best to leave it in an established system without having to acclimate it to anything else.
The fire shrimp is not helping matters at all. This is the sort of thing that can cause further problems. The "Stuff" you see coming out is part of the stomach and gonads (basically the internal organs).
I would opt for isolating it in this manner ASAP. But do not pull on the legs too hard, it will drop them. Will it respond to food at all?
The fire shrimp is not helping matters at all. This is the sort of thing that can cause further problems. The "Stuff" you see coming out is part of the stomach and gonads (basically the internal organs).
I would opt for isolating it in this manner ASAP. But do not pull on the legs too hard, it will drop them. Will it respond to food at all?
wrassecal
Active Member
Just got home and he was even more deteriated. The disc just looked like it was spliting in 4 places, sunken in on top and wasn't able to eat, even though he feebly tried. I wish I knew what happened. Water params are like always, 0 am, 0trites, 30 trates,ph8.3,sg1.024. That's all I tested for. Anyway, I think his hours are numbered.
ophiura
Active Member
I'm sorry. I really was very confident when I saw the original post. Mine had a hole the same size (and the same species) and recovered nicely even though the hole was caused by being left in a bag at an LFS overnight (ammonia and Ph burns, probably- very stressful). I don't know what has happened. It is really hard to say.
If you still want to give it a go, I would get it into an isolation container (as discussed above) ASAP. Leaving it in the tank unprotected may not be the best idea.
I hate to bring this up, but sometimes people want to know what to do in this situation. Once it really starts going downhill, a call only you can make, you may wish to consider these instead of letting it further disintegrate.
There are 3 options for how to euthanize a brittlestar (or any echinoderm).
1) You can reverse acclimate it by putting it into a container with a bit of seawater. Slowly add freshwater, a bit at a time, as if acclimating it. Eventually, it will no longer respond.
2) You can put it in a bag with a bit of water an freeze it
3) If you have any epsom salt, you can put the animal in a container with a bit of water, put about a couple of tablespoons of the salt in a pile in the corner of the container. Every 5 minutes or so, tilt the container to slightly stir in some of the salt. This 'relaxes' the animal, and eventually it will no longer respond. You can then add a good amount of freshwater to insure it is dead.
Very sorry.
If you still want to give it a go, I would get it into an isolation container (as discussed above) ASAP. Leaving it in the tank unprotected may not be the best idea.
I hate to bring this up, but sometimes people want to know what to do in this situation. Once it really starts going downhill, a call only you can make, you may wish to consider these instead of letting it further disintegrate.
There are 3 options for how to euthanize a brittlestar (or any echinoderm).
1) You can reverse acclimate it by putting it into a container with a bit of seawater. Slowly add freshwater, a bit at a time, as if acclimating it. Eventually, it will no longer respond.
2) You can put it in a bag with a bit of water an freeze it
3) If you have any epsom salt, you can put the animal in a container with a bit of water, put about a couple of tablespoons of the salt in a pile in the corner of the container. Every 5 minutes or so, tilt the container to slightly stir in some of the salt. This 'relaxes' the animal, and eventually it will no longer respond. You can then add a good amount of freshwater to insure it is dead.
Very sorry.
wrassecal
Active Member
Thanks for your help. I got really concerned, guess I should have taken a pic, it was awful looking. It kept holding what was left of it's disc off the rock and I was scared it was hurting. I don't know if it even can hurt, but it sure was hurting me to see it. I only knew about the freezer method, so ( as usual when it's something that makes me feel bad) I had hubby do the freezer thing. That is all I knew to do. I wish I had read this first, the epsom salt method seems kinder somehow.
I wish I had read this first, the epsom salt method seems kinder somehow.
ophiura
Active Member
Its OK. I don't think they can really feel much. For an animal whose body was falling apart bit by bit, any care that it was given was humane. Using the freezer is an accepted method and I don't see any reason to be worried. Fresh water, epsom salt and cold are all accepted methods used to 'relax' them for scientific purposes. In this case it kept it from suffering further.
I am really sorry for your loss , but happy you were kind enough to care, not only to post for help here, but to know when it was time to give in.
I am really sorry for your loss
, but happy you were kind enough to care, not only to post for help here, but to know when it was time to give in.
wrassecal
Active Member
Thank you. I still wish I could figure out what happened. That's why I wished I had taken one last pic to see if you could maybe tell, but didn't so......it's amazing how attached we get to stuff in our tank. All that star did as far as I could tell was hang out on a rock in the shade and dangle legs that looked like worms, but it broke my heart to see it like that.