Linkia Star Fish

[Sea Turtle]

I have had a red Linkia Starfish living successfuly in my tank now for at least 6 months. I went away on vacation for 10 days last week. I came home and found that my MP40 power pump had seized up. There had been no flow in the tank other than the return pump for a good period of my vacation (corals are fine though). Now the starfish is not doing well. He is under a rock with a couple of his arms shrivled up at the ends. My question is, does this happen to them from a lack of water movement? Also, I had noticed that he had been recently climbing on a large colony of zoas and some sps corals. Could he have been stung by them?

 

[Anonymous]

I don't know, it's possible but you need to keep a close eye on it. If it begins to disintegrate then remove it! A drying starfish will gack your entire tank.

 

[Sea Turtle]

just a quick update. The satrfish didn;t make it. I took him out of the tank yesturday. He was dead.

 

[Anonymous]

Sorry to hear it Sea Turtle! Not nice at all to lose tank inhabitants after being away.

 

[Sea Turtle]

Thanks.

I have the feeling that it could have been stung by something in the tank. My green torch coral lost three branches also. Looked like something burned it... :? The other 5 heads seem to be fine though.

 

[Anonymous]

Might it have been a bruising encounter between the two? Euphyllia sp. have potent stings and if the star fish tried to walk over/snack on it, it might have come off badly in the encounter and also left damage behind it.

 

[Sea Turtle]

Might it have been a bruising encounter between the two? Euphyllia sp. have potent stings and if the star fish tried to walk over/snack on it, it might have come off badly in the encounter and also left damage behind it.

very possible. Very possible...
I thought that is odd the they both were messed up after my trip and everything in the tank along with the water is perfect. :?

 

[Anonymous]

Another example of why I hate taking vacations away from home.

 

[Sea Turtle]

They make you so that you can't relax the whole time. I have it when I feel like I want it to be over as soon as I get there because of the uncertainty of what my be happening at home. Also, nothing ever goes wrong when your home. :x