Shrinking Starfish?

[Chaser]

No, just the guys listed above... I guess I shuld add that he was fine for the last 8 months.

 

[sally1]

I would have to guess that your starfish is slowly starving to death. The sandsifting starfish will eat whatever you have in your sandbed and then slowly starve to death. They can live for a while, sometimes years, in captivity..but will eventually starve to death. Not sure why so many LFS sell these.

[ September 23, 2001: Message edited by: sally ]

 

[2poor2reef]

That's the key. Three possible causes of shrinking legs are predation, disintegration, and starvation. The three are pretty easy to differentiate. Bitten off, falling apart, or just smaller. If they are disintegrating then it could be due to fluctuation in salinity or even large temp or ph swings. Personally, I would look towards starvation unless you have a very large tank that had a well established sand bed that could stand up long term to the star's predation.

 

[Anonymous]

I heard once that starfish also need calcium. They absorb it from the water and use it to build spicules in there tissue. I think it was Sprung who said it.

Glenn

 

[Chaser]

Very interesting. The Ca levels are fine (450), and I try to limit my swings in Ph et al. As for the sand bed, I assumed they ate algae. What food do they want?

 

[Chaser]

My sandsifting starfish's arms are about an inch shorter over the last month. I'm afraid I don't know the exact type of starfish, but it was about 3" across, and sandy in color. Is someone eating him? Possible perps include 2 percula clowns, a 6-line wrasse, a midas blennie, a firefish, a peppermint shrimp, and some hermits and snails. I haven't observed any nipping. Any ideas what's going on?

 

[esmithiii]

any crabs? My mithrax made a meal of my brittle star, leg by leg. Now he is gone.

E