HELP! Sick starfish

stayseelyn

stayseelyn

New Member
Hello everyone,
I have a sick yellow tile star. It looks like his stomach is turned inside out or something. It has been like this for a few days. Recently, there is a black/blue worm looking tissue there as well. There are a couple abrasions on his left arm (see picture). I don't know what is wrong. My water parameters are fine... please help! :help:

 
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tizzo

Guest
Their stomachs come out like that when they eat... Is yours eating that worm thing you described?? This shot here...perfectly normal.
Does it appear to be desinigrating or falling apart on it's other side??
 
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tizzo

Guest
The second pic, left side, that arm has some abrasions. Are those the ones you were referring to??
When did you get him?
How did you acclimate him?
How long did you acclimate him?
 
stayseelyn

stayseelyn

New Member
I don't know where it would have gotten a worm like that... it's big. He also seems lethargic and limp... He's not falling apart or anything, but his arm (pictured) has some abrasions
 
stayseelyn

stayseelyn

New Member
I've had him for about two weeks. I have a 46 gal tank... all water parameters are fine. I floated the bag for a half an hour or so, and slowly added my tank's water little by little for an hour or so.
 
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tizzo

Guest
There is apossibility of osmosis shock since they are the most sensative to change. The signs usually apear after 2 weeks to a month after acclimation.
Since it is to late to fix that lets hope that's not the problem.
Do you feed it?? Do you know what it's diet is?? (I do not, that's why I'm asking)
 
stayseelyn

stayseelyn

New Member
It's been hard to find much info about it. I have tried feeding brine shrimp, algae, cyclopeze, etc.... I'm not sure whether he's eaten any or not.
 
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tizzo

Guest
Your right, not much info. I'm still looking maybe in the meantime Ophiura (SWF's starfish expert) will interject.
 
unleashed

unleashed

Active Member
what are cal and alk levels in that tank they do require a good level of cal strontum and other trace elements.other than feeding your tank cyclopseze are you adding anything ?for inverts or corals?unfortunatly adding new salt water doesnt contain enough of these essencial trace elements to sustain inverts for long wiithout supplimenting for them.
maybe this link will help you http://www.starfish.ch/reef/echinoderms.html
ps brine shrimp is not a sw creature so it would not contain beneficial nutrients to sustain health in any sw animal.substitude brine with mysis shrimp or phlankton.due to popularity of brine shrimp because its cheep alot of people do use it as part of the diet but most pakaging even states for tropical fish.marine life is not concidered tropical there for it does contain nutrients needed for healthy marine animals.if its purchased ina marine prepared diet its a cheep filler thats it.
 
misfit

misfit

Active Member
I hate to say this but ,I think that if he is limp- that is a sign of being ill! I was always told when they are stiff and firm they are healthy. Was he like that when you bought him? Stars like a long acclimation time like 4 to 6 hrs. I know that the shock can take up to 30 days to show.
 
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tizzo

Guest
Originally Posted by unleashed
unfortunatly adding new salt water doesnt contain enough of these essencial trace elements to sustain inverts for long wiithout supplimenting for them.
I do agree to try cyclop eeze, another thing you can try are rotifers, some stars eat algae sheets... I do not agree with the trace element part though. I add nothing, except that which is depleted by many many corals, and my linkia has been doing well for over a year now... I realize that a year is not long in the life of a star, but I feel that if it were deprived it would have shown symptoms by now, as it had the day I accidentally raised my calcium by 50 ppm all at once! He shriveled up and got two white spots that have since healed, but if he were nutritionally deprived, I do not think he would have recovered as quickly as he did...
But anyway, whatever that starfish is, is beyond me, I have searched every seastar, & starfish gallery and photo page I could find and the closest pattern I could find was a "fromia nodosa " although I am pretty sure that's not it...
 
corally

corally

Active Member
Originally Posted by Tizzo
Their stomachs come out like that when they eat... Is yours eating that worm thing you described?? This shot here...perfectly normal.
Does it appear to be desinigrating or falling apart on it's other side??
Hey Tiz, is that a picture of a star you have?
 
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tizzo

Guest
Yes it is, but don't be fooled...he never actually ATE the cyclop-eeze, he spit it back out.
 
stayseelyn

stayseelyn

New Member
I'm still workin on raising my calcium... adding arragamilk every other day or so. It's at around 320 ppm right now. Not sure on the alk... i don't have anything to test it with. My inverts and corals seem happy with cyclopeze and a couple of the mixed foods i use... marine cuisine and emerald entree, for example.
Misfit- he was not limp when i bought him. Only recently has that happened. He's still alive though... just extemely lethargic.
 
corally

corally

Active Member
Originally Posted by Tizzo
Yes it is, but don't be fooled...he never actually ATE the cyclop-eeze, he spit it back out.


Is he really that light blue color or is that the lighting? He looks beautiful.
 
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tizzo

Guest
No that's his real color, I'll see if I can find a full shot...
 
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