orange star gettin picked at??what should i do!!!

[cristiangarcia]

Ok I asked the person that works at this fish shop if he thought id be ok to keep this orange star in my tank..Told him what I have...(3 big hermits,cleaners, and another choc chip star). He told me as long as the hermits are well fed he should be ok. Well Its going on the 4th day he's living fine but now I noticed hes got some munch on marks. one looks pretty good sized(compared to him). and a few on the rest of his body. What do you suggest I should do? take him back/let them keep'em and give him a better home where he wont get eaten? Or do you think that they (hermits) were just testing him out? I dont want him to be eaten alive Id rather take him out... any suggestions...and any info on this star would be helpful...I looked online but didnt really find any information on there living needs.

 

[rotarymagic]

Originally Posted by cristiangarcia
http:///forum/post/2886210
Ok I asked the person that works at this fish shop if he thought id be ok to keep this orange star in my tank..Told him what I have...(3 big hermits,cleaners, and another choc chip star). He told me as long as the hermits are well fed he should be ok. Well Its going on the 4th day he's living fine but now I noticed hes got some munch on marks. one looks pretty good sized(compared to him). and a few on the rest of his body. What do you suggest I should do? take him back/let them keep'em and give him a better home where he wont get eaten? Or do you think that they (hermits) were just testing him out? I dont want him to be eaten alive Id rather take him out... any suggestions...and any info on this star would be helpful...I looked online but didnt really find any information on there living needs.

Chocolate chip stars are known to eat other stars, inverts, corals, and fish... Big hermits will eat whatever they can overpower. Are you referring to cleaner shrimp? If so they'll most likely only pick at parasites on the starfish. I don't use hermits or really any crabs for my CUC anymore.. too many risks.

 

[cristiangarcia]

hey will hermits munch on carpet anomones do you know??

 

[alyssia]

The chocolate chip star will kill the orange star, and your hermits if they are small enough.

 

[ophiura]

I suspect that the star may be dying of acclimation shock...
What are your specific parameters? These guys need a long acclimation time to a pristine large reef tank. They are far more delicate than chocolate chips.
Having said that, "large hermits" may be an issue and certainly a chocolate chip could eat it.
This star needs a minimum of 75lbs of high quality mature live rock in a reef tank at least 6 months old, ideally a reef tank. Acclimation should be several hours, and water parameters must be pristine (especially specific gravity should be 1.025-1.026). They do start getting holes, melting, or missing chunks of their bodies as a sign of acclimation shock and early stages of dying. Do you have a picture?

 

[cristiangarcia]

Ill give you pics later today..and update you on his status. I have to run to work now, thanks for the info though

 

[jojo727]

is this "orange" star a marble starfish?