is my starfish mad at me?

[fixed]

My chocolate ship starfish kept crawling up into my skimmer tube outlet, so I peeled him off a few times, letting him drift back to the bottom. He'd head right back up there. He really can move. This last time, though, he hasn't moved from the bottom in over an hour. Is is mad at me, or did I hurt him? I was very gentle. Is it better never to touch them? Thanks.

 

[fishieness]

it would be better not to touch such a creature, but i dont think it would hurt him as long as you were very gentle. Often when stars that are captive bred are hungary they will clim up the side and display half of their body because that is how they are fed. Are you spot feeding him?

 

[cartman101]

Originally Posted by fishieness
it would be better not to touch such a creature, but i dont think it would hurt him as long as you were very gentle. Often when stars that are captive bred are hungary they will clim up the side and display half of their body because that is how they are fed. Are you spot feeding him?
thats what my starfish does two, lay his arms back when he wants to eat

 

[debbie]

Yes both replies are correct. They want to be fed, I feed my CC star everyother day with krill, scallops, shrimp, algae wafers, shrimp pellets. I alternate these foods.
Deb

 

[fixed]

This guy is new, and I did not know that. That's exactly what he was doing. Holy cow. Where do you learn all this stuff? I read *what* they eat, just now *how* to feed them. Thank goodness you're here. Better feed the little guy, as he probably is totally confused. He's asking for food, and I'm telling him to go to his room without dinner.

 

[fishieness]

hahaha... its amazing the random things you pick up when you spend a lot of time here.
the foods mentioned above are a good combination form what i have gathered. Just switch them around.

 

[cartman101]

Originally Posted by Fixed
This guy is new, and I did not know that. That's exactly what he was doing. Holy cow. Where do you learn all this stuff? I read *what* they eat, just now *how* to feed them. Thank goodness you're here. Better feed the little guy, as he probably is totally confused. He's asking for food, and I'm telling him to go to his room without dinner.
you see, researching CAN be fun!

 

[ophiura]

Please see my Seastar Part II section in the reef tanks for more on these stars.

FWIW, I do NOT believe they "learn" the behavior at all.
There is an assumption that they are fed individually at a wholesaler, only when they come to the surface (and they are not particularly valuable enough, IMO, to really warrant this treatment)...that they can then "remember" this and carry it to a different set up in an LFS where they are unlikely to be fed (we never did when I worked at one), and then to a home tank?
They don't have a brain!
So this would be extremely complex behavior, and there is really not much scientifically to support it. There are several reasons (gas exchange for example) that they may be drawn to the top of the tank. And it might be a cool explanation for a weird behavior. It might be possible, I suppose, over long periods in a tank to learn this but I am still really suspicious and doubtful of it.

 

[fixed]

Originally Posted by Debbie
Yes both replies are correct. They want to be fed, I feed my CC star everyother day with krill, scallops, shrimp, algae wafers, shrimp pellets. I alternate these foods.
Deb
Frozen is ok, right?

 

[debbie]

Yes I do use frozen. I let if unthaw in a dish of water then I drop it into the tank next to the star fish. When i have fresh I use it too.
Good luck, they are alot of fun I think......

Deb

 

[fishieness]

just adding something from the previous post, it would be better to let it thaw in water from your own tank and now from tap water.
....i may get a star someday

 

[debbie]

Yes I am sorry about that. I should have mentioned that I use the water from the tank...Thanks fishiness for that correction....

Deb