• Why not take a moment to introduce yourself to our members?

tightvpkid

Reefer
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I got a starfish about a week ago and when i first placed it in the tank it moved around alot. LIke it was going everywhere. Now the starfish moves very little and is constantly stuck on the glass. The store said its a scavenger and i don't have to hand feed it. How do i know if the starfish is eating if its not even trying to look for food???
 

wade1

Advanced Reefer
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
tightvpkid...
:welcome:

I'm going to move this to our beginners forum where it will be seen by more people.
 

wade1

Advanced Reefer
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Starfish spend all of their time attached to rock or glass... its normal behavior. The only exception is the whiteish colored ones that stay half buried in the sand (so called sand sifting stars).

Now as to the question.... give us some details first. We need to know what kind of starfish it is (if not a name, then at least a really good description or a link to a picture).
Color? Size? Smooth or bumpy? # of legs? etc
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
LFS stating its a scavanger? Sounds like a knobby star of some sort..I often see knobby sea stars sold as "algae" eaters when in fact they are more predators than scavangers..Again without a better description and better yet a pic a positive ID cant be given along withs care..
 

tightvpkid

Reefer
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I have a marble sea star. It rarely moved but does move a little. Never seen it eat before. I even tried feeding it a little frozen fish. Constantly on the glass. So if u can help me it would be very kind.
 

tightvpkid

Reefer
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
and if there is something it is suppose to eat how am i suppose to feed it if it doesn't move? I tried feeding a frozen fish last night and it didn;t even bother to eat it.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Is this it?
fromia_monilis_marble_star2784.jpg
if so, here is some info I found at reefkeeping.com
Marble stars, so-called because of the marbled pattern seen on their upper surface, are commonly found in the aquarium trade. They are relatively small five-armed stars, typically reddish or orange with contrasting, often lighter, rounded tuberculate plates on their arms. The central disk is small and is often distinctly colored. The edges of the rays often have a row of prominently rounded or bumpy plates. Numerous species are found in the Indo-Pacific, and most of them, at one time or another, probably make it into the aquarium trade. Their small size recommends them to hobbyists, and if their diets were known, they would likely be good aquarium animals. Individuals of Fromia species are found on both reef rubble and reefs. Some Fromia are considered to be sponge and tunicate predators, but the diets of most are not known. Fromia species appear to do well for awhile in established aquaria, presumably as there may be a source of sponges and small sessile animals for them to eat. They seldom persist much more than a year or so, before they "run out of gas and sputter to a stop."


http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-12/rs/
 

tightvpkid

Reefer
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
yes that is the one. So in other words there is really nothing that i can do to help it eat? According to the article the food is unknown.
 

ChrisRD

Advanced Reefer
Location
Upstate NY
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Doesn't sound good. Can you return the animal to the LFS? If not, just learn from the experience. It's always best to research the needs of animals you're interested in keeping before you buy to avoid situations like this.
 

tightvpkid

Reefer
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
yes i have alot of live rocks in my tank, but the starfish doesn;t even bother climbing on the live rocks. Its uaually the tank glass
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Also, is the starfish in an area of the glass that receives high flow?
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
How about the arms...any look limp? Does he move during the night?
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
If you have no intentions of returning him, I'd take a wait and see attitude here...he might be okay. Keep us posted!
 

tightvpkid

Reefer
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
i dun think i can return him, but he's been in my tank for a week. How long does it usually take for a starfish to starve and eventually die?
 

Mihai

Advanced Reefer
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
It can take months. How long did you have the tank? The longer you have the tank the better the chance that the starfish will do well (as the critters start to multiply). Did you acclimate it properly (how did you get it into the tank)? If it is a Fromia, it is properly acclimated and your tank is well established you have a good chance that in a 2-3 days will get off the glass and start looking for food. In the mean time just keep your fingers crossed - you'll not be able to do anything to convince it to eat.

Good luck and keep up posted,
M.
 

Sponsor Reefs

We're a FREE website, and we exist because of hobbyists like YOU who help us run this community.

Click here to sponsor $10:


Top