Serpent Sea Star.....

[mutley29]

I have 3 serpent sea stars in my tank, 2 brown/green and one pinky/red, and just lately i keep seing them appear minus they're legs, my pinky/red one appeared this morning before i left for work with 5 1/2 inch stumps instead of legs, i can't work it out.


The only predators i have in the tank are my Australian Dottyback, which is supposed to be the more aggresive of the family, but is actually very timid and my Tiger Pistol Shrimp, who seems very content to dig big holes under my rockwork.

Anyone else have any thoughts, as i'm lost for an explanation as i didn't think either of these would start chomping on my stars

All the inhabitants hav been in the tank together for quite some time, and i have no new swimming inhabitants

Thanks

Anton :?

 

[Anonymous]

Sometimes when your water quality is bad they will dissintegrate like that. Sucky but after 6 months with a green one in mine I found him in pieces.

 

[mutley29]

Yeh i had heard that too, but there are a couple of the legs walking around my tank so i don't think they have disintegrated, besides everything else in the tank is flourishing, Clams, Xenia and Anemones

I haven't been able to find any info on Dottybacks eating them, will a pistol shrimp have a go??

Thanx

Anton

 

[Len]

Possible Mantis Shrimp? Pistol is a possibility too. Those are my best guesses. Dottybacks don't usually go after echinoderms.

 

[yellowf4]

When I bought my last starfish at the LFS, I was told that they will all tear their arms off after a short while. My first and second did that after about three weeks, but they are growing back now. Could it be they are stressed?

 

[Anonymous]

I'm guessing the pistol here, too, ESPECIALLY if the legs are walking around. This means that a part of the central disk has come off with the legs, and likely will generate into an entirely new star. I've never seen a psuedo go after stars of any sort, but I have seen some shrimpies have a little go.

Yellow, welcome. Sea stars shouldn't not "all tear their arms off after a short while", the stressors that can cause this in newly shipped stars are usually simple to fix - salinity, pH, temperature, and so on.

 

[mutley29]

Strangest thing i have ever seen

My Lawnmower Blennie trying to tear off one of the legs of one of my stars.

he gave up thankfully.

Have caught the Pistol today too, so will see if the mortality rate increases

Thanx

Anton

 

[Anonymous]

Err.. if you went to the trouble to catch the shrimpie, wouldn't you watch for mortality to decrease instead? :|

 

[mutley29]

Doh......my bad :lol:

sorry

long hot day

thanx

Anton

 

[reefland]

Is it possible you could have a stone crab or something in the tank? I had one do a job on a sea star.

I also assume you are feeding them directly? Making sure it gets a chunck of something meaty like shrimp once a week or so?