Why is my starfish crumbling?

[FabiAc]

So I don't know what's happening but my red star fish is crumbling please help

 

[Lavey29]

Starfish are difficult creatures to sustain and should only be added to very well established systems. How old is your tank?

 

[Reefering1]

It's dying

 

[JustAnotherNanoTank]

Looks to be a new system in the picture

 

[twentyleagues]

It is dying unfortunately. Starving to death. They are biofilm grazers and most reef tanks dont have the means to support them properly.

 

[FabiAc]

Starfish are difficult creatures to sustain and should only be added to very well established systems. How old is your tank?

Mine is only 5 months old, sorry I never knew they were such sensitive creatures The place where i bought him off told me that they were easy to keep and that there was no problem keeping them in a new tank

 

[Lavey29]

Mine is only 5 months old, sorry I never knew they were such sensitive creatures The place where i bought him off told me that they were easy to keep and that there was no problem keeping them in a new tank

Unfortunately they just wanted a sale and gave you false information. They like film algae so try letting your glass get good film on it and see if he moves that way.

 

[FabiAc]

Looks to be a new system in the picture

Unfortunately they just wanted a sale and gave you false information.

Is there anything I can do to save him?

 

[exnisstech]

Time to look for a new store or do more research online etc before purchasing live stock. Sorry I have no advice on how to help star, I have never kept one

 

[FabiAc]

It is dying unfortunately. Starving to death. They are biofilm grazers and most reef tanks dont have the means to support them properly.

Is there anything I can do to save him?

 

[Lavey29]

Is there anything I can do to save him?

I've had one over 3 years now. He really searches out film algae in my tank. I let my glass get dirty so he can get his nutrients there along with stuff on the rocks.

@livinlifeinBKK. Is very knowledgeable here

 

[FabiAc]

I've had one over 3 years now. He really searches out film algae in my tank. I let my glass get dirty so he can get his nutrients there along with stuff on the rocks.

Well my starfish is currently in a 40 gallon no coral tank, I also have a 13.5 gallon reef tank with algae on the glass. Do you think it would be a good idea to move him there or would it be too small of a tank?

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Is there anything I can do to save him?

Maybe, but maybe not:

Personally, I currently recommend against trying to keep a tropical, true starfish (Asteroid) species, particularly biofilm-feeding species, except for Aquilonastra stars.

That said, if you're really determined to try keeping them anyway, I'd strongly suggest setting up an Aquilonastra farm, a cryptic refugium to farm sponges, and possibly a colonial tunicate farm as well (all of these should be separate from the Linckia's tank so they can't get to the farm and ruin the "crop") - the Linckias feed on these (they presumably emulate biofilms to some degree), and the most successful Linckia keeping I've seen have always involved at least one of these aspects (typically the Aquilonastra stars).

With Aquilonastra stars alone, I've seen people keep them 2-3 years; with the cryptic refugium sponges involved too, the longest I've heard is ~4 years. Still not good by my calculations, but arguably acceptable if they really only live a decade.

For those who are truly determined to keep true starfish against my recommendation, here are some signs to watch for to help track starfish health:

Some ways to potentially gauge the health of the starfish that may be useful:
1 - Visual: is anything visually wrong with the specimen? (From what I know of starfish, these cues are generally pretty obvious if they're there at all - if the starfish is disintegrating, there's something wrong).
2 - Weight: is the specimen putting on or maintaining weight (generally healthy), or is it losing weight (under most circumstances, this would be unhealthy)?
3 - Size/Length: if it's not already full size, is the specimen growing? Is it shrinking (either from weight loss, disease, limb loss, etc.)?
4 - Reproduction: is the specimen engaging in reproductive behaviors/activities (i.e. courting, nesting, spawning, etc.)? (I recognize this one is not as common of an indicator in captive starfish at this point, but there are a few instances of starfish attempting to spawn in captivity).
5 - Longevity: is the specimen relatively close to meeting, actually meeting, or exceeding their expected wild lifespan (or at least surviving for a few years - healthy), or is the specimen dead/dying prior to doing so (unhealthy)?
6 - Speed: how quickly can the specimen right itself when it's flipped over?
7 - Level of activity: how much is the specimen moving around? (Generally speaking, low activity indicates poor health; moderate activity indicates good health; and high activity indicates good health but probable stress - it could be searching for food, oxygen, etc., but it's probably not in terrible health when moving a lot).
8 - Grip strength: does the specimen have a strong hold/grip with its tube feet? (A strong grip indicates good health, a weak grip indicates poor health).
9 - Willingness to eat: is the specimen eating? (Seems obvious, but can be really hard to tell with some stars - some stars leave little trails called feeding scars through the things they're eating; sometimes you can see their everted stomachs; other times, like if they're feeding on biofilm, you may not be able to tell at all - them crawling onto visible food is a good sign they're willing to eat, but - as mentioned above - the food may or may not meet their nutritional needs).

And a final note on starfish keeping:

One important thing to keep in mind with foods for these guys - just because they eat it, doesn't mean it's meeting their nutritional needs; it might be, but it might not be. With how long it seems to take these guys to starve, unless you're monitoring their health closely, you might not notice if it's not meeting their needs until it's too late.

 

[twentyleagues]

Is there anything I can do to save him?

You can try what @Lavey29 suggested. But I am unsure if that will be enough. My reef is pretty clean its newer, I allow the back glass to accumulate films to help an of my grazers out. Since they are still alive either they are finding enough to eat on the reef or that is helping. I do see a lot of my snails on the back glass on a regular basis.

 

[anoldreefer]

Also they are super sensitive to changes in water chemistry. Extremely long drip drip acclimating is a must. Not only by you but from the shop where they are purchased
I usually drip acclimate in a five gallon bucket until half full over 4 hours or so.
Red linkias are hardy in a well established reef system as previously noted.
Sadly yours most likely will not recover.

 

[Lavey29]

Well my starfish is currently in a 40 gallon no coral tank, I also have a 13.5 gallon reef tank with algae on the glass. Do you think it would be a good idea to move him there or would it be too small of a tank?

Coral doesn't matter, it's more about what's on your rocks and glass. Your rocks appear pretty sterile in your picture so that's not a good environment for him.

 

[FabiAc]

Coral doesn't matter, it's more about what's on your rocks and glass. Your rocks appear pretty sterile in your picture so that's not a good environment for him.

I have a pretty good amount of algae in the back walls of my 13 gallon. Should I move him and see if he survives?

 

[twentyleagues]

I have a pretty good amount of algae in the back walls of my 13 gallon. Should I move him and see if he survives?

Its a gamble. But so is doing nothing. The stress of the move may put it over the edge. It may be exactly the thing to allow it to recover. That is a decision you need to make. No one is going to be able to tell you for sure.

 

[FabiAc]

Its a gamble. But so is doing nothing. The stress of the move may put it over the edge. It may be exactly the thing to allow it to recover. That is a decision you need to make. No one is going to be able to tell you for sure.

I'll think about but thanks for the help anyways

 

[Lavey29]

I have a pretty good amount of algae in the back walls of my 13 gallon. Should I move him and see if he survives?

Perhaps, it's better then letting him wither away.