Sea Star (Fromia) Help

[one_ninety]

I purchased a sea star last night, put it into the tank 24 hours ago. From what I can tell, my water is OK. Unfortunately (for it) I didn't know that acclimating sea stars is different than acclimating fish. It's arms look like they're slowly dissoving from the tips to the body.

Questions: Is it too late for the poor little guy? Should I cut the arms off before it the problem reaches the center part? Is there anything else I can do?

sucks to be bought by a newbie!

tia

190

 

[Tackett]

its dead my friend. Sorry.

 

[danmhippo]

If it has been motionless for the last 12 hours, it's dead.

Otherwise, you could try to salvage him by cutting it off. However, note that they are very sensitive to elevated level of ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. They are also sensitive to pH and alkalinity shock.

 

[romunov]

Echinoderms are very sensitive to salinity changes. Improper acclimation might have done it. Nonetheless, the animal was doomed from the start. These animals generally starve in aquaria. Aquarists with really huge tanks have managed to keep one for "extended periods". Other than that, no success.

 

[Anonymous]

Echinoderms are very sensitive to salinity changes. Improper acclimation might have done it. Nonetheless, the animal was doomed from the start. These animals generally starve in aquaria. Aquarists with really huge tanks have managed to keep one for "extended periods". Other than that, no success.

this is my understanding as well... although, you still can find them for sale everywhere

i had a couple fromia milloperellia (i think that is right) some years ago and they lasted less than a year.
i looked for good info at the time the first one started dissolving and found the same bleak news.

i won't buy one again until they can be successfully kept.
from what i read these guys should live a very long life. the fact no one has kept them much longer than a year or two does support the slow starvation claim.

too bad as they are pretty cool looking.

 

[Anonymous]

thats because we dont fully understand the feeding behaviours of fromia

 

[Kilr67]

I've noticed that a lot of lfs do not know that they should not be exsposed to air. I've went to buy starfish at a few places and see them exsposed to the air and tell them to put it back and I walk out.