[sean]

Hello All,
Okay, after the tank cycled 7 months ago, I added a small serpent star. It disappeared and I have not seen it since, suspect DOA.
A few months later, added another larger green serpent star. Found this one decaying a few days later.
Three days ago I tried again and added three small green serpent stars and yes, today found them all dead.
I acclimated them all the same way...soak bag 20 minutes, added 1/2 cup of tank water to bag every 10 minutes for over an hour, then placed them in the tank.
What could be causing their demise? I won't be attempting another until I am sure I won't kill it.
I have not lost any other inverts, shrimps, crabs, snails. All corals, fish, and my bubble tip anemone are doing very well.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I would so much like to add a blue linkia and a red fromia some time in the future.
Thanks,
Sean

 

[Mrs Smith]

Hm... stars are pickier to acclimate. FWIW, your serpent may still be in there. I haven't seen a couple of mine in awhile, but I'm sure they're there.

I don't know where you're getting them, but matching salinity is important. Don't try a linkia until you've figured out what is going wrong - they are a LOT touchier when it comes to acclimation. (Trust me on this one.)

Well, I've got a couple of frikin' huge red stars that are bulletproof. Allegedly ate 2 healthy tangs. (Didn't catch 'em in the act, but I can't think of anything else that would have made 2 big fish disappear.) Anyway, if you want one, drop me a line.

Danielle

 

[MontanaRocknReefer]

Try acclimating them for at least an hour or more and slowly drip some of your tank water in the bag while taking out the old water! I would as the LFS where you get the stars what the SG is on their water and compare to yours!

 

[Casey]

Did you buy them all from the same supplier?

 

[cyberchef]

It's a possibility that they were already dieing before you gotthem. If the LFS just got them in and you bought them "right away" it's possible that they were already having problems with system shock from the LFS. If you decide tobuy another one, put money down on it and let the LFS keep it for a week or so to make sure it's healthy before you take it home.

 

[cyberchef]

Sean, I just read your other post on using limewater for topoff. Your method for topping off the tank every few days is probably what is creating the most havoc on the star fish. Your salinity is not staying stable enough for them.

 

[sean]

Hello guys,
Thanks for the replies.
The first one I bought locally after watching it in the LFS for a week. It is the one that disappeared.
All the others came via mail order with other corals/invers/fish. They all looked healthy before adding to my reef, so it must be my fault that they are not surviving.
Thanks to some good responses on this and other threads, I think their demise has a great deal to do with my salinity changes and possibly the acclimation. I have a bad habit of doing water changes weekly, and I do have to top off a large amount of evaporation loss every two to three days (10 to 12 gallons). I am pretty sure that the water changes or the top off water is done too soon after the addition of these stars.
I can't think of anything else. I have not lost any other fish/inver/coral in the last several months.
Still open for advice and opinions though.
Sean

 

[Sahin]

HI there. I would try and work out the range of salinity that is taking plac ein your tank. Take salinity readings in the morning, evernings, before you add top-up water and after you add top-up water. Take readings before and after water changes.

If you see that there are significant changes you might need to consider an auto top-up system to replace evaporated water as its lost so that salinity is always constant.

I bought my serpent star about 4 months ago. At the LFS he had one leg chopped of a little. In the time he has been in my tank, he has grown the leg back to the length of the other legs and has grown overall as well. He feeds on whatever food drops to the bottom of the tank and I also target feed him once a week with shrimp pieces soaked in marine snow and Kents microvert.

He never touches corals or goes after fish.

I know that starfishes are very sensitive to water changes so try figure out how much a range your tank is going thru and maybe setup an auto-top-up system.