Sand Star missing digits

[Aquaholic]

I just noticed my sand sifting star is missing 2 full digit and the other is half off, why? My other star is fine (blue lactina)

Could I have pinched them? (was moving rock around recently)
I also have hermit crabs, about 10 or so, could they be the culprate?
I have an emerald crab did he do it?
or is there some unforseen force acting upon the little guy?

I don't think it was any fish (3 damsels, a goby)

Thank you,

[geopod]

Maybe you have a hitchiker crab in your rock somewhere that eats it at night.

george

[Bob I]

Sand Stars often drop digits for no obvious reasons. If otherwise healthy it will regrow them.:mrgreen:

[Willow]

sandsifting stars need huge healthy sandbeds to keep them fed and healthy. it is most likely starving to death. there is a good article in the november issue of coral magazine on stars and health.

[TheReefGeek]

IMO, your tank is too new and too small for stars. Plus the sand sifting star will eat most of your biodiversity in your sandbed. I would use snails and gobies to sift your sandbed.

Where the legs are missing, does it look like it was torn, or that it is dissintigrating?

[Black Phantom]

I'm going with the group on this one. Your tanks too small. There is a good arcticle on Reef Central and what they require.
I've got one in my 250 with a 6-8 inch sand bed and he does okay but smaller is not a good thing.

[Aquaholic]

Well...

I have had my tank going for about 3 months now, 2 inch bed (small sand) I also have a goby and some snails to sift the bed (i didnt think it was getting sifted around enough so i bought the star. It seems healthy, the legs look like they more "fell off" i guess.

40-45 gal tank "tall cube"
60 lbs of live rock

P.s. hes a fairly small one (leg to leg only about 3")

[TheReefGeek]

Try target feeding it to keep it alive.

What kind of goby do you have?

[Aquaholic]

Yellow watchman, hes doing really well. even says hi once and a while

I'm still looking for a yellowhead jawfish.

[TheReefGeek]

Get a pistol shrimp for him, they might pair up for you.

[Aquaholic]

Have you seen any around town?

I would definetly like to try and pair them up, its sound intersting.

Opps never mind your in edmonton, just saw

[Willow]

dont take this the wrong way but really truely "healthy" starfish legs don't fall off. your sand bed has been stripped off all nutrients, your snails alone can probably manage the cleaning task.

[TheReefGeek]

You can bring livestock in from places other than your home town.

Ocean Aquatics has some pistol shrimp in I believe. They even have pairs you can buy.

[Aquaholic]

Ya, but i like to have my stuff, "now"

When i have a bunch of things picked out i will get it delivered.

But im a bit of a in the moment kind of guy.

:wink:

[TheReefGeek]

Bad hobby to pick then! This hobby teaches patience pretty well though, through the pocket book.

[Aquaholic]

This month alone i "lost" $160 on 2 boxfish (couldn't handle the current) and a torch coral ( improper acclimation/ too much light/ water variations /wrong flow)

I'm almost patience now

I figure a few more hundred dollars and ill be all patience -ed up

[adidas]

i've gone through so many fish/corals in my experience as well, but I've since learned from my mistakes. Learnin the hard way.

[muck]

Think of the critters please people.
Research + Patience are KEY.

[geopod]

ok so noone liked my idea of a hitchiker crab eating the starfish.....maybe it was just me then As I cought one doing it thats when I first noticed these crabs is after the star fish was getting chomped at.Maybe I need another beer....

george

[TheReefGeek]

George, it is definately possible.

[Myanth]

I have a good friend with a 90 and he had a wicked nitrate spike, we believe it was due to a carbon canister failure on his top up - adding chlorinated city water direct. He had a sand sifter that lost four legs at that time as well as the loss of pretty much all of his other livestock. It is still there now that the tank is back looking pristine and he is growing very small legs on the other four stumps. I don't think they should ever lose legs naturally. It would take physical trauma or serioud duress. They do need a ton of food and will strip a sandbed. I have one in my 90 with a 6-8 inch sandbed and 120lb liverock, and I worry about him.

Especially with the goby and snails eating the same things.

Just my two cents.
Mike

And on the patience side... not to preach, but you have to have it. You will spend money and destroy beautiful specimens otherwise. I have exterminated one regal tang, a sally lightfoot, a cleaner wrasse, and a few others that I don't care to remember because I did not know any better. Loses unfortunately are part of this hobby, but impatience shouldn't be a cause. There are lots of books out there and people here are always willing to help.

Death breeds death.

[Aquaholic]

I was a little over exagerating when i said i have no patience, i do have lots Its just when i saw those box fish i had to get one there really cool, and the torch i thought was a good one to get going on (guess it wasn't) now i have some zoo, and in the process of getting an some other "easy" ones.

P.S. the star is now dead, i dont think it was a hitchhiker crab, nothing esle has been touched.