Brittle Star Lost Leg

[the7ferret]

What would cause my brittle star to lose his leg.

Its a peaceful tank 2 tangs 1 blue 1 yellow, pair of clowns, scooter dragonett, flame angel, 2 juv. baggai cardinals.

Amm = 0
Nitrite = between 0 - 0.05
Nitrate = 5
Phos = 0
Calc = 500
alk = ~3
Temp = 80-82

 

[Rob Top]

How much rock do you have and are you sure you don't have a crab in there some where. I was sure I got every crab out and about 2 years later that taking things apart for a move and found 4 hairy crabs and a box crab that where quarter to silver dollar size. They must have been pretty small when I first got the rock. I would set up a crab trap and run it a few nights to be sure.
Also I wouldn't put it past the yellow tang to grab on to the leg and pull.

 

[the7ferret]

just hermits, and approx 50lbs.

Plus he has been hangin on one of my powerheads for the past few days. Its not that though since it has a foam pre filter.

 

[Anonymous]

Mine has lost pieces from me breaking it -- Oops

and I had it lose pieces from a huma huma trigger....

Oh, and the other day it had a fight with a Condy Anenome, it won though.


It happens.

Two weird things, the one time I broke the leg off with a rock I looked down and there was a 5 inch piece of leg moving around. I pulled it out of the tank and put it on a plate and it sat there and crawled around.

Freaky!

The other weird thing is I think it has grown a new one, cause I can't seem to find the short one anymore.

 

[Anonymous]

What would cause my brittle star to lose his leg.

Its a peaceful tank 2 tangs 1 blue 1 yellow, pair of clowns, scooter dragonett, flame angel, 2 juv. baggai cardinals.

Amm = 0
Nitrite = between 0 - 0.05
Nitrate = 5
Phos = 0
Calc = 500
alk = ~3
Temp = 80-82

Happens. I had each of mine lose a leg over the last couple of years. They always grow back, and they are HUGE now.

I wanted you to look at your chemistry more importantly. You seem to have a low alk, and a very high calcium. What is your pH? Check your magnesium as well.

It isnt horrible right now, but I am concerned that it CAN get really bad if let go. Are you dosing anything?

 

[the7ferret]

Ph = 8.2
Dont have a mag test.

Once a week I add Essential Elements, Scrontium & Molybedum, Iorn, and Iodine every 2 weeks.

 

[Anonymous]

Ph = 8.2
Dont have a mag test.

Once a week I add Essential Elements, Scrontium & Molybedum, Iorn, and Iodine every 2 weeks.

You already know, that essential elements already contains Strontium, Molybdenum, iron and iodine, right? There is no need to double dose these.
Beware of dosing these "black magic" products. All of the elements listed would already be in salt mixes and can be maintained easily with water changes.

It also contains calcium, but no alkalinity adjustments. I suggest that is throwing things off a bit.

Just watch your chemistry over time. Like I stated, they arent completely horrible right now, but they are on opposite ends of the scale for each, and can easily go over the edge.

 

[monkeyboy]

These guys will lose a leg or literally fall apart if they weren't acclimated appropriately. If he's a new addition I would expect that, otherwise it's possible it became trapped under a fallen rock and dumped it.