Serpent Sea Star, loosing arms.

My Serpent Sea Star, Fancy Tiger-striped, is loosing arms. He's lost 3 already.

I got him about 2 weeks ago. He lost one arm the second day I had him, and now I see he's lost 2 more.

He is still eating the krill I give him.

My water is perfect for everything.

 

My first suspicion, someone is trying to EAT HIM! Possibly a hermit crab or a hitchhiker crab. Might also have an infection spreading, you never know. Are the chopped legs anywhere in the tank? Or are they no where to be seen? I would look into who might be sabotaging the serpent.

 

What does the area around the missing arm look like? Is it clean or does it look infected? Rickzter could be right about somthing trying to attack it...but because you only have had it for two weeks im leaning toward shock from the new tank. How long did you acclimate the star? Many people know that they need alot of acclimation but not many know that its really needed. I acclimated one star for 8 hours and it still came down with an infection. Somtimes you need luck with stars. Hope everything is ok with him.

 

The arms are laying on the sand bed. My hermits are very small and I don't think they could do this. I haven't really seen anything go near it, the sally light foots run away.

The star is very quick and I think if anything was bothering him he'd be able to get away.

Where the segments of the arms used to be, they are white. They look clean besides the white.

I drip acclimated him and a sand sifting star for about 3 hours. The sifter disappeared until today when I was stirring up the sand bed, he looked healthy.

Can you feed garlic to stars? I would like to try soaking the Krill.

 

Hmmm well i would probably leave it alone. What i have found with stars...if theres somthing wrong, its best to leave it alone because they will just get super stressed out. If the star seems to start to melt i would QT or at least watch it alot. But if he seems fine and just lost some arms i wouldnt worry that much

KArma for you Star

 

Ok, I will look after him.

On the subject of the sand sifter, do I have to feed him. I've only seen him twice. I tried feeding him today when I found him, by the time I could get food he was gone. I am assuming he is eating what's in the sand. I read they eat meaty foods, but I can't find him. I saw him when I put him in the tank and then today.

 

I would try feeding him, unless you have a very large DSB he wont get enough food to eat

 

I'll see if I can find him.

 

What's your salinity at? The number one cause of starfish losing limbs is low or high salinity and high nitrates. Is the tank grounded?

 

SG is 1.026. Nitrates is 0.

What do you mean by grounded, electricity wise?