starfish

[fishboyll]

Hello,I am new to this site I have been looking site to site trying to find out what is wrong with my starfish.every time I try to put a starfish in my tank(125)(chlte chip stars)they start to lose one arm then die.I have one tang,bi colored angel,twoscooters,blue damsels,dominos,orangebellydamselsand onegreenmandarin.My ph is8.3,ammonia 0mg/l,nitrites 0.3.The has be up for 2 month 1/2. I started a sea horse and starfish tank(29gllon)for my kids.But its not ready yet.So I blocked off a part until the tank is ready.Ihave live rock(40lbs)crused corl on the bottom,skilter 400 power filter and protien skimmer,48inch fluorescentlighting(one white,bluebulbs)I have trying putting them by them selevesin a basket on the side of the tank but no change.But my fish are fine very livly.so if any one can tell me about starfish enemys or maybe problems please help.sorry about my typeing.PS Ialso have two caribbean anemone,two mint shrimp.thanks

 

[beth]

Starfish cannot tolerate any nitrites nor are they happy in crushed coral. These creatures are the first to go when there is any thing at all wrong with water quality. I would say that this is your problem.
How is the algae in your tank? If you don't have much, you need to supplement algae feeding to stars.

 

[fishboyll]

Beth thank you for your reply.Ihave taken water samples to my local fish stores and they say my water does not look to have any thing wrong with it but they to think it might be a small worm that lives in l;ive rock.But you might be right my tank mightnot be up long enough.My alge is over everything the tank floor the live rock andthe glass whick I clean every day so does not biuld up.P.Scould you tell me a good way to return the salt back in to my tank after i clean the dirty water out.THANKS

 

[fmarini]

HI-
If i may....starfish are very sensitive to salinity changes and it reads to me that your star may not have been acclimated properly. Another possiblity is that a fish picked on the star, and opened a wound. A thrid possiblity is that there are starfish parasites which hitchhike in the tubefeet of stars, which caused the problem.
AS far as choc chip stars, they are pure ominvores w/ a penchant for meat. I would feed it small chunks of shrimp over algae. These are not reefsafe stars so no corals or sessile inverts
frank

 

[fishboyll]

Thanks frank for the reply.