Sand shifting starfish

[Perthegallon]

So I got a sand shifting starfish two weeks ago put him in my three year old tank that’s a mixed reef. Since putting him in he’s starting to lose limbs but still actively moving everywhere. He now has only one good limb and the other three have a little brown on the end. Should I remove him?

 

[Perthegallon]

I’d hate to remove him when he’s still moving around especially during feeding times

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

I’d hate to remove him when he’s still moving around especially during feeding times

Do you have pictures of the star in white light? Also, do you have anything in the tank that might be attacking your star?

In a lot of cases, losing limbs is the first noticeable sign of dying for stars in our tanks.

 

[Perthegallon]

Do you have pictures of the star in white light? Also, do you have anything in the tank that might be attacking your star?

In a lot of cases, losing limbs is the first noticeable sign of dying for stars in our tanks.

So other than the clown fish I can’t imagine what else as I have clowns,snails and corals that’s it.
I did test everything looks good but just did a isp test over the weekend

 

[Duffer]

It's starving to death...starfish in tanks tend to not do well.

 

[Perthegallon]

It's starving to death...starfish in tanks tend to not do well.

Yeah I wish I didn’t buy him but my last one lived for so long

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Yeah, clowns wouldn't be doing anything like this. As stated, it most likely is starving. Are you/have you been trying to feed it anything?

Here's my current sand sifting starfish advice (no one has gotten back to me on if it helps or not yet, so I don't know if it's useful advice at this point):

I'd try something like clam, oyster, etc. and/or snail meat (you can find various frozen/live marine snails to try online, including conch meat, periwinkle snails, babylonian snails, etc.)

The quote below is specifically geared toward Astropecten spp. (predatory) sand sifting stars, but there is another genus of sand sifting stars called Archaster that is thought (importantly the diet was inferred, not studied in the research that this diet was pulled from) to be detritivorous (specifically, they are thought to be microphagous detritivores). I have heard but cannot confirm that Archaster spp. misidentified as Astropecten spp. may be more common in the hobby than actual Astropecten spp. are.

So, with this in mind:
- If your star is detritivorous (which may be a very big if), then you would likely want smaller foods than the suggested below (which is designed for predatory sand sifters). In this case, I'd suggest trying to mix something like TDO Chroma Boost into the sand for your stars to find.
- If your star is predatory (which may to our limited knowledge be possible at this point even if it is an Archaster sp.), then the below advice (and my advice above) is more likely to be useful.
- If your star is actually primarily a biofilm eater like Linckia spp. Protoreaster nodosus, etc. (which may also to our limited knowledge be possible for an Archaster sp.), then it's likely to die regardless of what you do or don't feed it at this point.

ISpeakForTheSeas said:
I’ve heard they climb the glass when they’re looking for food and can’t find any in the sand bed.

Generally, people recommend large tanks and waiting until your tank is established before trying these (or pretty much any) sea stars, and the star survives on detritus in the tank. Unfortunately, even in a lot of these tanks, after they finish clearing the detritus from the sand, they typically starve.

My current advice to avoid the star staving - which may or may not help, I genuinely don't know at this point (it could take someone months to years of testing it to find out for certain, as sea stars can last months without food):
Target feed the star things like clam on half shell, oyster, mussel, scallop, etc. (bivalves); snail, whelk, conch, etc. (sea snail gastropods); and a good quality omnivore food (like LRS Reef Frenzy or Fertility Frenzy). These are - according to the best sources of information I can find - the sorts of foods sand sifting stars consume in the wild, and the star should swallow these foods whole if they aren't too big - you might need to experiment a bit with the size of the pieces offered to get it sized just right, but generally I'd say err on the smaller side.

If you decide to give it a shot, let me know how it goes, and keep me updated on the long term survival of the star!

 

[Perthegallon]

Yeah, clowns wouldn't be doing anything like this. As stated, it most likely is starving. Are you/have you been trying to feed it anything?

Here's my current sand sifting starfish advice (no one has gotten back to me on if it helps or not yet, so I don't know if it's useful advice at this point):

I'd try something like clam, oyster, etc. and/or snail meat (you can find various frozen/live marine snails to try online, including conch meat, periwinkle snails, babylonian snails, etc.)

The quote below is specifically geared toward Astropecten spp. (predatory) sand sifting stars, but there is another genus of sand sifting stars called Archaster that is thought (importantly the diet was inferred, not studied in the research that this diet was pulled from) to be detritivorous (specifically, they are thought to be microphagous detritivores). I have heard but cannot confirm that Archaster spp. misidentified as Astropecten spp. may be more common in the hobby than actual Astropecten spp. are.

So, with this in mind:
- If your star is detritivorous (which may be a very big if), then you would likely want smaller foods than the suggested below (which is designed for predatory sand sifters). In this case, I'd suggest trying to mix something like TDO Chroma Boost into the sand for your stars to find.
- If your star is predatory (which may to our limited knowledge be possible at this point even if it is an Archaster sp.), then the below advice (and my advice above) is more likely to be useful.
- If your star is actually primarily a biofilm eater like Linckia spp. Protoreaster nodosus, etc. (which may also to our limited knowledge be possible for an Archaster sp.), then it's likely to die regardless of what you do or don't feed it at this point.

I’ve tried to give him food a few times and he has yet to accept it

 

[Perthegallon]

Though he does come out when it’s feeding time which is strange

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Yeah, I've heard of people basically force feeding their stars before by placing the food directly under the star and holding it there for a while in cases like this. I have no idea if it's effective or not though. The star may also be too far gone at this point.

What have you tried offering the star though? Some stars are pretty picky and have specific preferences even amongst different kinds of foods (for example, some stars prefer specific species of clam, snail, mussel, etc. and will be much less inclined to accept other species).

 

[Perthegallon]

Yeah, I've heard of people basically force feeding their stars before by placing the food directly under the star and holding it there for a while in cases like this. I have no idea if it's effective or not though. The star may also be too far gone at this point.

What have you tried offering the star though? Some stars are pretty picky and have specific preferences even amongst different kinds of foods (for example, some stars prefer specific species of clam, snail, mussel, etc. and will be much less inclined to accept other species).

I’ve done something similar today and took the starfish and placed food directly under him

 

[Perthegallon]

I see him digging under the corals right now so hopefully he’s eating something

 

[AydenLincoln]

What are your nutrients and salinity? How did you acclimate him? They do best with a long and slop drip acclimation sadly these guys don’t do well even in the biggest tanks once they eat all the food in the sand which happens rather quickly…many die and melt away. He’s definitely dying I’d remove him. Stars loose limbs and literally melt away from stress, shock, to get away from predators, or poor quality.

 

[Perthegallon]

What are your nutrients and salinity? How did you acclimate him? They do best with a long and slop drip acclimation sadly these guys don’t do well even in the biggest tanks once they eat all the food in the sand which happens rather quickly…many die and melt away. He’s definitely dying I’d remove him. Stars loose limbs and literally melt away from stress, shock, to get away from predators, or poor quality.

 

[Perthegallon]

What are your nutrients and salinity? How did you acclimate him? They do best with a long and slop drip acclimation sadly these guys don’t do well even in the biggest tanks once they eat all the food in the sand which happens rather quickly…many die and melt away. He’s definitely dying I’d remove him. Stars loose limbs and literally melt away from stress, shock, to get away from predators, or poor quality.

Very slow drip. I can’t imagine there’s not enough food as I just put him in.

 

[AydenLincoln]

Very slow drip. I can’t imagine there’s not enough food as I just put him in.

He may have been sick or weak when you bought him and the move made it worse. Regardless the prognosis is not good…I’m sorry!

 

[Perthegallon]

He may have been sick or weak when you bought him and the move made it worse. Regardless the prognosis is not good…I’m sorry!

Okay I’ll keep an eye on him and take him out once he starts moving. I do want to give him every chance to make it. Very sad but is life. If possible could you take a look at my ICP test and tell me if you see anything I need to do

 

[AydenLincoln]

Okay I’ll keep an eye on him and take him out once he starts moving. I do want to give him every chance to make it. Very sad but is life. If possible could you take a look at my ICP test and tell me if you see anything I need to do

I did see them. What are your nitrates? I’d double check your nutrients with a test kit if you have one. You don’t want phosphate to be zero I’d work on raising that to 0.01-0.02!

 

[Perthegallon]

I did see them. What are your nitrates? I’d double check your nutrients with a test kit if you have one. You don’t want phosphate to be zero I’d work on raising that to 0.01-0.02!

Nitrates showing about 10 phosphates on my kits are showing nothing but the phosphate kit seems to be more of a high range then low