Is my starfish dead?
- Thread starter kim11
- Start date
lexluethar
Active Member
I don't know if it is normal, but when they "throw their guts out" that is how they feed. I have a CC starfish and whenever it goes over something that tastes like food, doesn't even have to be real food (like a LR or sand) sometimes they put their organs on the outside to feed on it.
I'm sure someone with more education in this field could give a better explanation
But yes, starfish putting their insides outside their body is normal b/c that is how they eat.
Sometimes starfish don't move around a lot, sometimes they do. Mine may seem dormit all day until i start feeding my fish, then it starts moving around a lot.
Hope this helps a bit.
I'm sure someone with more education in this field could give a better explanation
Sometimes starfish don't move around a lot, sometimes they do. Mine may seem dormit all day until i start feeding my fish, then it starts moving around a lot.
Hope this helps a bit.
ophiura
Active Member
It is not normal, and I suspect you have a Fromia star - one of the most delicate, and requires a very large tank (even if it is small).
Please provide your specific tank parameters, how you acclimated, amount of LR, and a picture if you can.
But no, it is likely in dire shape based on your description. I don't give up quickly on them, but it means the tank must be ideal to have a chance.
Please provide your specific tank parameters, how you acclimated, amount of LR, and a picture if you can.
But no, it is likely in dire shape based on your description. I don't give up quickly on them, but it means the tank must be ideal to have a chance.
royal gang
Active Member
Originally Posted by kim11
I was told by both SWF stores that my tank would be just fine for this particular star.
Lol... here we go.
I was told by both SWF stores that my tank would be just fine for this particular star.
Lol... here we go.
slacknation
Member
Some Stars will release their stomach out from this mouth to engulf their prey. It's a process called "prolapse", you can google it for further information. BTW, your tank looks awesome.
reefreak29
Active Member
Originally Posted by kim11
Well it is very simple and basic. I was told by both SWF stores that my tank would be just fine for this particular star.
lesson learned here the star you have needs at least 100 plus pounds of live rock to survive and a long acclimation looks like osmotic shock. lesson is never trust your lfs and come here before buying anything
Well it is very simple and basic. I was told by both SWF stores that my tank would be just fine for this particular star.
lesson learned here the star you have needs at least 100 plus pounds of live rock to survive and a long acclimation looks like osmotic shock. lesson is never trust your lfs and come here before buying anything
kim11
Member
One thing I have learned is that there alot of different opinions on caring for swf. So I think you should just go with what works for you. I have been going to the same swf store for over a year with great success. I went to a new place and bought this star and he is dying. I am not blaming the store but I wont be going back. I dont think only having 50 lbs of lr is the reason he started dying. Im sure that I didnt acclimate him long enough. But I will come to this sight for help.
coachklm
Active Member
Originally Posted by kim11
One thing I have learned is that there alot of different opinions on caring for swf. So I think you should just go with what works for you. I have been going to the same swf store for over a year with great success. I went to a new place and bought this star and he is dying. I am not blaming the store but I wont be going back. I dont think only having 50 lbs of lr is the reason he started dying. Im sure that I didnt acclimate him long enough. But I will come to this sight for help.
Thats a wonderful attitude and we will help you as mush as possible.. acclimate for stars should be at least 3hrs slow drip. But stars are carnivores. not just "sand-sifting" as many stores would have you believe.
One thing I have learned is that there alot of different opinions on caring for swf. So I think you should just go with what works for you. I have been going to the same swf store for over a year with great success. I went to a new place and bought this star and he is dying. I am not blaming the store but I wont be going back. I dont think only having 50 lbs of lr is the reason he started dying. Im sure that I didnt acclimate him long enough. But I will come to this sight for help.
Thats a wonderful attitude and we will help you as mush as possible.. acclimate for stars should be at least 3hrs slow drip. But stars are carnivores. not just "sand-sifting" as many stores would have you believe.
ophiura
Active Member
Please understand that many people do not understand the needs of these stars.
These are VERY difficult stars to keep and need much large, much more mature tanks than you have. I am not trying to get your MONEY and fundamentally that is what they are in the business for.
Please post your SPECIFIC tank parameters, especially specific gravity. YOur tank is quite young for a star like this (6 months is really the minimum).
Most likely this is acclimation shock.
These are VERY difficult stars to keep and need much large, much more mature tanks than you have. I am not trying to get your MONEY and fundamentally that is what they are in the business for.
Please post your SPECIFIC tank parameters, especially specific gravity. YOur tank is quite young for a star like this (6 months is really the minimum).
Most likely this is acclimation shock.
renogaw
Active Member
Originally Posted by kim11
One thing I have learned is that there alot of different opinions on caring for swf. So I think you should just go with what works for you. I have been going to the same swf store for over a year with great success. I went to a new place and bought this star and he is dying. I am not blaming the store but I wont be going back. I dont think only having 50 lbs of lr is the reason he started dying. Im sure that I didnt acclimate him long enough. But I will come to this sight for help.
ophiura is the expert on starfish. there's a lot of different opinions on fish/inverts/corals, but if she says something i'd consider it very good advise. i wouldn't blackflag a store because of this, but i'd also go back realizing that YOU need to not ask them questions, unless you already know the answer and are testing them
lfs's are there to take your money, we're not--we want to prevent you from wasting your money and (more importantly) an animal's life.
One thing I have learned is that there alot of different opinions on caring for swf. So I think you should just go with what works for you. I have been going to the same swf store for over a year with great success. I went to a new place and bought this star and he is dying. I am not blaming the store but I wont be going back. I dont think only having 50 lbs of lr is the reason he started dying. Im sure that I didnt acclimate him long enough. But I will come to this sight for help.
ophiura is the expert on starfish. there's a lot of different opinions on fish/inverts/corals, but if she says something i'd consider it very good advise. i wouldn't blackflag a store because of this, but i'd also go back realizing that YOU need to not ask them questions, unless you already know the answer and are testing them
lfs's are there to take your money, we're not--we want to prevent you from wasting your money and (more importantly) an animal's life.
perfectdark
Active Member
With the many many different opionions you see and here from a ton of different sources, I want to first say I am not here to point out who is right and who is wrong because I am by far not an expert, but my LFS has 2 biologist that work for them and told me that my tank could house a Fromia milleporella. Not only did I put it in my tank after only 3 weeks from start up. Its still there after almost 7 months and doing very well. I read in 2 different places that these starfish do not get huge and in fact are very slow eaters. "Fromia stars actually consume very little" was a quote from an other source I consider trust worthy. If in fact your tank does not have the algea growth it needs you can spot feed them. I have sucessfully spot fed my fromia for 3 months now. Like I said I just wanted to point out some sucess that I had (thus far). And also to state that there are many many different opionions when it comes to this hobby. I cant think of better source to refer to when asking questions than marine biologists. But what do you do when the opinions of 2 differ? Or you read from other sources and get conflicing information from them. I have read on another site where a number of different people have had questions regarding their Fomia stars and state they are in tanks 10gal and 20gal. The responses they recieved never told them that their tank was too small or that they didnt have enough LR. These posts were answerd by bob fenner a respected source in this hobby, who gave advise to how to handle them and treat them. In that advise I didnt read once where he said. Your tank is too small, or there isnt enough LR in there. It seemed like that wasnt an issue.
ophiura
Active Member
I would point out that I am also a marine biologist, and in fact one that specializes in echinoderms (yes, brittlestars specifically, but you can't have everything
).
I am not saying this store is bad, not at all...most don't understand the needs of these stars.
This species of Fromia star does not get large, that is true. That has nothing to do with its diet and needs. If your star is alive in 18 months, than
. Unfortunately, most don't live that long...though many think they are short lived (this is untrue). They take up to a year - 18 months to starve. What we do know is that success is HIGHLY correlated with the amount of LR and maturity of the tank. So I will always tell people to go with larger, mature tanks...because I am not in this to sell these animals. I was for awhile, and I had a moral dilemma with it, so I quit.
These stars do not eat "algae" as we consider it (nuisance, macro). If they ate algae, they could live in just about any tank, yet they do not. Their diet is basically unknown, and rarely do they take to spot feeding (though I strongly recommend trying)
A quote from invertebrate zoologist Dr. Ron Shimek:
Their small size recommends them to hobbyists, and if their diets were known, they would likely be good aquarium animals. Individuals of Fromia species are found on both reef rubble and reefs. Some Fromia are considered to be sponge and tunicate predators, but the diets of most are not known. Fromia species appear to do well for awhile in established aquaria, presumably as there may be a source of sponges and small sessile animals for them to eat. They seldom persist much more than a year or so, before they "run out of gas and sputter to a stop."
Indeed, if you look on Bob Fenner's site, you see that most of these Fromia stars are in some state of peril based on the questions. All too often true.
Now it may work just fine, but I will not tell people it will, simply because that is not a true statement. Most of these stars that I see are dying at the LFS of acclimation shock, and many more will die within 18 months. I never encourage claims of success before this time period.
Again, please note I am NOT trying to sell anything. When two opinions differ, this is the first thing I would consider - the financial gain. The second is experience. And the third is, frankly, which is more conservative.
I am merely trying to encourage a great deal of hesitation before purchasing such a star, because indeed most do not survive long term. Most showing signs of disintegration are doomed, and the only chance to recover is with pristine water conditions (this is why I ask for tank parameters).
I am not saying this store is bad, not at all...most don't understand the needs of these stars.
This species of Fromia star does not get large, that is true. That has nothing to do with its diet and needs. If your star is alive in 18 months, than
These stars do not eat "algae" as we consider it (nuisance, macro). If they ate algae, they could live in just about any tank, yet they do not. Their diet is basically unknown, and rarely do they take to spot feeding (though I strongly recommend trying)
A quote from invertebrate zoologist Dr. Ron Shimek:
Their small size recommends them to hobbyists, and if their diets were known, they would likely be good aquarium animals. Individuals of Fromia species are found on both reef rubble and reefs. Some Fromia are considered to be sponge and tunicate predators, but the diets of most are not known. Fromia species appear to do well for awhile in established aquaria, presumably as there may be a source of sponges and small sessile animals for them to eat. They seldom persist much more than a year or so, before they "run out of gas and sputter to a stop."
Indeed, if you look on Bob Fenner's site, you see that most of these Fromia stars are in some state of peril based on the questions. All too often true.
Now it may work just fine, but I will not tell people it will, simply because that is not a true statement. Most of these stars that I see are dying at the LFS of acclimation shock, and many more will die within 18 months. I never encourage claims of success before this time period.
Again, please note I am NOT trying to sell anything. When two opinions differ, this is the first thing I would consider - the financial gain. The second is experience. And the third is, frankly, which is more conservative.
I am merely trying to encourage a great deal of hesitation before purchasing such a star, because indeed most do not survive long term. Most showing signs of disintegration are doomed, and the only chance to recover is with pristine water conditions (this is why I ask for tank parameters).
integral9
Member
It looks like he's upside down. you might want to help him out by flipping him back over. allthough, if he can, watching him do it himself is cool to see. My sand sifter took a tumble off the glass when he got to close to my clowns. landed upside down and did this wierd leg split-n-flip maneuver to get right-side up. Why he was up on the glass I don't know. maybe exploring his new environment.
Your tank does look a bit small for a sea star of almost any veriety. You might try squirting some some cyclopese directly around him. My brittle used to hang it's legs out in the current durring feeding to try and catch some food; which it usually did and I see my sand sifter do it from time to time as well. I don't have any experience with the fromia / linkia species though.
Your tank does look a bit small for a sea star of almost any veriety. You might try squirting some some cyclopese directly around him. My brittle used to hang it's legs out in the current durring feeding to try and catch some food; which it usually did and I see my sand sifter do it from time to time as well. I don't have any experience with the fromia / linkia species though.