Starfish Help!!!

[Bikinisalt]

I have a brittle starfish. This morning I found him missing one of his tentacles and the tentacle was lying on the corner. It almost looks like something bit it off. I don't have aggresive fish, only tangs and green chromis in the tank. I do have 2 anenome crabs, snails, red star starfish, chocolate starfish and 2 green emeralds. Would a crab do this? Should I take the tentacle out? Will the tentacle grow back? Does anyone know. Any input would be appreciated. Thanks in advance...

 

[Deanos]

If the tentacle is still moving, it may live on it's own. A healthy starfish will regrow the lost arm. It could have been a crab or it could be an unhealthy starfish.

 

[Bikinisalt]

I checked. The arm is still moving. The snails look like they were trying to eat it. Should I take the arm out and put it in another tank? So I should leave the arm alone. Will it grow into another starfish?

 

[Bikinisalt]

Thanks D...

 

[unwired]

You'll need to do some research on serpent or brittle stars but only some starfish legs and grow new bodies on their own. Many require at least some portion of the circular body/stomach section in order to become a new entity.

If your anemone crabs are large I guess they could do that type of damage but I'd lean toward the starfish having spooked your tang somehow. Tangs generally don't go on the offensive unless cornered but they do have the white scalpels which could inflict that type of damage.

 

[Bikinisalt]

Thanks for the info unwired. I have now taken both out of the tank. The tentacle is still moving around and so is the starfish.

 

[thepudge]

Green brittles are almost bulletproof. Mine is over 4 years old and has survived all manner of disasters. Do you ever feed yours directly? Sometimes they need some extra food -- losing a leg can either be a sign of deteriorating health or predation. Keep the star fed and the leg should grow back.

 

[Bikinisalt]

I don't feed it directly. I sometimes don't see it for days and when I do it looks like it eats whatever is on the floor. I have had it for about 3 months now. I still don't know what to do with the left over leg. It is still moving around. Should I chuck it?

 

[thepudge]

Nah, leave it in, see what happens. Even if the leg 'dies' it shouldnt have enough meat on it to pollute your tank.

 

[Bikinisalt]

I will do that pudge. Thanks...

 

[thepudge]

Also, every now and then you should give your brittle star a largish piece of food to eat. It is amazing to watch them swallow a piece of food almost as large as their disk -- they end up looking like a green ping pong ball with legs. It will also enjoy the extra food as it tries to grow back its leg.

 

[Bikinisalt]

I will do that pudge. Now as far as for the leg not attached. I was trying to research and everywhere I looked on line tells me that from a leg another starfish will grow. How true that is, I don't know. I will see what happens. As long as the leg lives, I will keep it in a hospital tank with the brittle star. Just don't know how I would go about feeding the leg...

 

[Bob 1000]

Just don't know how I would go about feeding the leg...

Wow that sounds hilarious!!!

 

[Bikinisalt]

Tell me about bob, lol... Now this morning I don't have not one leg in the tank, but 3 pieces that are actually moving around. It looks like the leg broke apart. Does anyone know what might be going on? Also I fed the starfish last night and he ate 2 pieces of frozen krill, so I guess he might be o.k.

 

[Bob 1000]

Some one did it..... The only question now is WHO DUNNIT?????

 

[thepudge]

lol.. if its one of the crabs the starfish will get revenge when the crab molts. Those green brittles have even been known to go after fish, although mine never has. I call mine "Reaper" because whenever something is about to die he is lurking by it. The grossest was when he tried to eat a large sea hare. It looked like he was taking a tremendous poop!

 

[Volitan]

Losing legs can also happen do to a change in salinity, the leg will only become another star if it has a peice of the disk. If it has no part of the disk trash it. The leg will grow back no problem. Its an escape feature of the star, if they get stuck in the rock work they will tear off their own legs to get out. Nothing to worry about !! Al

 

[Bikinisalt]

I kinda agree with Volitan on change in salinity because he was in the tank which I have at 1023 and now in another tank were it is 1019. The pieces of legs now are trash, they died off. I have the starfish in with just yellow tangs, hopefully they don't bother him. Thanks guys for the help...