Sand Shifting Starfish

[scubaii]

New to this board,
Two weeks ago I bought a sand shifting starfish at LFS. . Acclimated using the drip method for 2 hours and into the tank it went. All has been great until last night when it started to “stand on all 5 legs as if you were to take your hand and arch standing on the tips of your fingers”. When it does this you can look under the SS and see what looks like green gills protruding from the mouth area. Has anyone seen this behavior in a SS?
NH3 – 0
NO2 = 0
NO3 = 0

 

[ophiura]

Any chance for a pic?
What is your pH, alk and specific gravity?
How big is your tank, and how old?
What sort of substrate (sand, DSB, crushed coral)?
Oh, and WELCOME TO THE BOARD!
Ask, ask, ask away!

 

[scubaii]

Tank is 75 gal.
Ph is 8.4
I have not tested Alk
SPG is 1.022
I have DSB, 80 lbs of LS
60 lbs LR
Tank is 6 mo old
Please not attached photo of SS

 

[scubaii]

Bump,
Thanks

 

[scubaii]

This AM SS was dead.

 

[ophiura]

Sorry to hear that.
How long did you acclimate him? 2 weeks is kind of a characteristic time frame for seastars. If they die within a month of introduction, it is generally considered to be acclimation shock. They really don't adapt well to changes in salinity, pH, alk...so acclimation is usually suggested to be many hours, using a drip method.
What you were seeing could have been parts of the stomach being extruded through the mouth. But hard to know for sure.
Again, sorry that he died.