Serpent star problem

[traib]

I have a green and white barred serpent star that has part of one arm missing and the tips of several more arms partly eroded. This star had been in the tank for about a year with no problems. Tank mates are pink spotted goby, randel's pistol shrimp, several blue leg hermit crabs and one peppermint shrimp. Water parameters are excellent. Any ideas why these wonds developed? Thanks. :help:

 

[sw65galma]

Originally Posted by traib
I have a green and white barred serpent star that has part of one arm missing and the tips of several more arms partly eroded. This star had been in the tank for about a year with no problems. Tank mates are pink spotted goby, randel's pistol shrimp, several blue leg hermit crabs and one peppermint shrimp. Water parameters are excellent. Any ideas why these wonds developed? Thanks. :help:
could be from hermits or the pepermints...

 

[ophiura]

I really need to know SPECIFICS on water quality to rule them out. For what is excellent for one type of critter may not be for these. Also need to know how much and how often you feed. And what the water change schedule is...how long you mix the water, how much water you change at that time and if the arm loss is correlated in any way to a recent "perturbation" in the tank such as a water change or temperature spike.

 

[traib]

Water:
Ph 8.2
ammonia 0

 

[traib]

Water:
Ph 8.2
ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
nitrate 5
calcium 450
KH 9.2
change water once a month 20% Mix upto several days in advance.
Feed every other day or so. Squid mostly. It will not eat now .
No temp spikes or perturbations that iknow of.

 

[ophiura]

Unfortunately, this is not sufficient though those values are good. Also need to know nitrates (assuming nitrites are 0), alkalinity and specific gravity as well as temperature. Also how you are measuring your specific gravity - eg a refractometer or hydrometer. If an hydrometer, when was it last cleaned (how old is it?) and soaked in white vinegar to remove any deposits.

 

[traib]

As Imentioned earlier nitrates are 5. Use refratometer. Less than a year old. It's clean. SG 1.026
It'snot moving much either. However, it's stillalive.

 

[traib]

Ophiura, Just checked on the serpent star: it's moving again and it's eaten again too. Seems like the problemis solved!