starfish?

jes723ika

jes723ika

Member
I posted this in another forum as well, but figured maybe someone would know something in this one. I got a blue linkia star fish in a 55 gallon tank, with 75-100 pounds of live rock. I bought him from my lfs that I trust because he really knows what he's doing, he has his own saltwater tanks and has never given me bad advice so far... all fish are healthy, water parimeters are great.. no problems... so I got him on Thursday
Anyway, tonight I was in taking pictures of tank, he was f ine.. then went back in like fifteen minutes later and saw this

I was worried so I tried calling the guy I bought him from but he's not open, so I called pet advantage another fish store that I go to and they said that he possibly could of thrown up his stomach, that sometimes they do that... and that he wouldn't be worried about it... well I posted, then went back in to check on him and whatever that is, is off on the sand, and he's up on a rock, still moving all about.. I dont understand, is he dying? Has anyone ever seen this before?
 
pitbull01

pitbull01

Active Member
As long as the tank is established-I don't think he'll die...she could use a lil more LR for it though...maybe like 10 pounds or so...
 
escape2thewater

escape2thewater

Active Member
Well as ive read on other posts and also learned the hard way myself, most of these linkia stars are doomed before we even set our eyes on them in the lfs. I bought an orange linkia 2 weeks ago and spent over 3 hours slowly acclimating it into VERY high quality water params and it died on me anyway over the past couple days. It must have been from previous acclimation issues b/c I did mine perfect. Anyway my point is that these guys are very sensitive and fragile. I wouldnt be suprised at all if yours is very sick and may die for nothing that you have done. I hope im wrong though, so good luck anyway. Dont mind me im just discouraged from my linkia dying so suddnely when I did nothing wrong. Good luck with yours though.
Escape
:happyfish
 
jes723ika

jes723ika

Member
Thanks, escape. He hasn't died yet, I checked this morning and half his body is on the window and half on the sand. Isn't that weird? If that was his stomach, you think he would of died already, but he hasn't.. I wish someone knew for sure what it was. Sorry to hear what happened to yours... yes Mine was acclimated over 4 plus hours
 
pitbull01

pitbull01

Active Member
I think he is dying-when my red knob star died, he had part of himself on the sand and part on the glass. If he starts to disintegrate, take him out-he's dead.
 
celacanthr

celacanthr

Active Member
has the linkia moved to either the sand or the glass? Pitbull, don't you think it could just be a coincidence?
 
elvictre

elvictre

Member
Very Strange, I have mine over a year now and never before saw something like that. Is it actually hanging out of him?
Vic
 
pitbull01

pitbull01

Active Member
...She said it was, but then it fell off and was just laying on the sand, i hope she did what I told her to...I told her to siphon it out before it decomposes and causes ammonia issues...
 
motohead

motohead

Member
lucky for me i bought a orange linckia about a year ago and he is doing awesome.i got super lucky because i was unaware at the time of the acclimation procedure.i dripped him in over the space of an hour and a half.then of course i read the dire predictions of the resident seastar "expert" and some others on here.the star may still perish but the readings i read were they usually die form osmotic?? shock within a month if not acclimated correctly.he may still starve but he is looking fat and happy in there.i do have a lot of live rock in there.i got about 200 lbs in a 100 gal tank.maybe he wont starve.regardless,i will never purchase another one that is for sure.thank gooodness for me i did not buy a blue which i have personally seen waste away rather quick.i guess some people have better luck with the oranges.......
 
jes723ika

jes723ika

Member
yes pitbul, i took it out of the tank.. whatever it was, its in a container.. I am waiting for the guy I bought the starfish from to open up today, I'm going to call him and see what he says, maybe he will give me my money back if it is dying. I think I told you, it was an order that he had gotten just as I had walked into the store, so the starfish hadn't even been put in his tank.. not even out of the bag yet... The starfish is still have on the glass, half on the sand right now... is moving a little bit, but nothing like it was yesterday... I feel so bad.. I will NEVER buy another blue linkia again, as now from everything I've read and heard, they are basically, almost doomed before you even put them in your tank. I just feel like its totally my fault, even though I acclimated him slowly for over 4 hours or more..

i could slap myself right now. poor little guy. I did a search on google, since no one here seemed to know, and other message boards have posts of people saying the same thing happened to theirs, and the star died on them within a couple of days..
I dont know what to do, I dont want to leave him in their dying, I feel like he's suffering. WHat would you guys do?
 
pitbull01

pitbull01

Active Member
I would also humanely euthanize it. Your LFS will most likely NOT give u your money back. If you do decide to HUMANELY kill it, just take it out, place it in a ziploc bag without water and place it in the freezer for a few minutes...
-Adam
 
jes723ika

jes723ika

Member
thanks guys... I dont know what I'll do, guess I'll think about it. I talked to the guy that I bought it from but he said that he thinks it sounds like it released its bowels... who knows.. he said that I should get a chemipure filter and put it in the tank... and that hopefully it will live! but i know if i believe that. anyway, i'll let you all know what i decide to do.
 
pitbull01

pitbull01

Active Member
He's just trying to make money-that is NOT him doing his business...don't buy and that filter. And if he keeps this up-dont shop at his store!
 
jes723ika

jes723ika

Member
no, that was before I sent him a picture. Then he emailed me saying this
"Jes, Your Linkia has indeed inverted his stomach, a sure sign of stress.
As I said on the phone, the best thing you can do is to leave the animal
alone. Linkia stars will take nutrition right through their cell walls
even if they are not actively feeding through their mouths. You need to
go out and pick up a poly pad or some type of chemi-pure compound to
polish the water and remove the compound(s) that are irritating that
animal."
I dont think he's trying to sell me anything, because he knows that I'm too far away (its an hour drive) to get to his store before he closes to get that.) He really seems to know what he's talking about.
Then when I called him after he emailed that email to me... He said to leave it alone, dont touch it, and that Linkias have an amazing ability to regenerate their insides... so that if I dont see him falling apart, or disengrating that hopefully h'es going to make it.. but he said that I really should get that chemipure... because it will be beneficial in helping the animal to stay alive!
I am going to go get the chemipure tomorrow because the store that is about 15 minutes from me is closed on Sundays.. Hopefully he does okay. Thanks though Pit :) I appreciate you helping me so much.
 
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